Suns Projected to Land Michigan State Guard in NBA Draft

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns sure have an affinity for the Michigan State Spartans, though that hasn't quite made its way from the front office to the roster.

Yet.

The Suns don't have a first-round pick in the coming 2026 NBA Draft (though that might change) with the No. 47 pick in the second round being their only opportunity to add a youthful presence this summer.

What Phoenix can do with the pick largely depends on who will be available, and with recent projections, a floor general guard in MSU's Jeremy Fears Jr. might just be the pick.

ESPN's Jeremy Woo had the Suns picking Fears in the second round of his recent mock draft.

What Jeremy Fears Would Bring to Suns

Jeremy Fears, Michigan Stat — Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) shoots the ball against UConn Huskies guard Silas Demary Jr. (2) in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The Suns move into the offseason with plenty of bodies already in their backcourt. Devin Booker and Jalen Green headline the two starting spots while Phoenix does have Grayson Allen behind them. Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin are currently set to be free agents this summer.

Fears, boiled down simply, is a player who is considered undersized (6-2, 190 lbs) and isn't a strong three-point shooter but does have glaring qualities as a tough floor general player. Some would argue the Suns have missed that mold of player since Chris Paul departed the desert.

Fears is widely projected as a late-second round pick. It appears if he's not going to be a concrete first-round pick, he'll return to Michigan State for another season.

“Really if I’m able to get some good feedback, I believe I’m a first-round talent,” Fears said at the NBA Combine (h/t Big Ten Network). He has until May 27 to withdraw his name from the draft pool.

“There’s a lot of players in the first round I played against, or probably, like, seen throughout the college (season), but that’s a big thing if I can get a first round spot.

Fears is the sort of player that could bode well in Phoenix under head coach Jordan Ott, who has implemented a tough sense of identity and culture in his first season in charge.

If Fears does land with the Suns, he likely would be an immediate developmental piece to correct some of his outside shooting woes before being trusted to continually hit an NBA floor.

With that said, the lack of the coveted "true" point guard in Phoenix is real, and that's precisely what Fears would bring to the table.

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