Suns Predicted to Draft NCAA Champion Guard to Bolster Backcourt

The Phoenix Suns are coming off a season they'd like to forget. After being swept out of the NBA Playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Suns finished with a 36-46 record and failed to qualify for even the NBA Play-In Tournament.

Following the season's conclusion, the Suns didn't waste any time, firing head coach Mike Budenholzer and later hiring Jordan Ott, a former assistant coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, as their new head coach. The changes continued to come, as the Suns moved James Jones into a senior advisory role and installed Brian Gregory as the new general manager.

Suns predicted to draft NCAA Champion guard

Suns owner Mat Ishbia and Gregory's relationship goes back to their days at Michigan State, where Gregory was an assistant coach and Ishbia a player on the 2000 Michigan State National Championship team. Many believe the Suns will look to trade Kevin Durant before next week's NBA Draft. If not, they'll have the No. 29 pick from Cleveland.

In a recent NBA mock draft from ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, the Suns are projected to select Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr., whose heroics helped lead the Gators to this year's National Championship.

"A player like Clayton, who might be value-additive on a rookie-scale deal immediately, should be attractive to the Suns as they navigate a difficult salary sheet and try to better position themselves long term," wrote Woo.