The Phoenix Suns clearly have a lot of issues. There's really no nice way to put it: if it wasn't for the complete ineptitude exhibited by the Dallas Mavericks this season, the Phoenix Suns would be the sole laughingstock of the NBA. Instead, they get to share the crown with their rivals.
Between Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, the Suns, on paper, should be competing for titles. Instead, they are on the outside looking into the Play-In Tournament.
All season long, they have been plagued by a lack of depth and talent in the frontcourt. It was quickly revealed that Jusuf Nurkic was not the answer, and Nick Richards has been solid, but he doesn't have anyone reliable behind him.
In a recent mock draft published by The Athletic, the Suns try and fix their depth issues.
Michigan forward Sam Walters (24), right, celebrates with center Danny Wolf (1) © Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images © Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
At an even seven feet tall and 21 years old, Danny Wolf is as ready as he can be for the NBA. In his third college season and only one with the Michigan Wolverines, Wolf led the Big10 with 9.8 rebounds per game and added 13.1 points and 1.3 blocks for good measure.
He also posted 3.7 assists per game and shot 33.7 percent from deep, which is remarkable for a college bigman.
There is some hope that he can be the next Nikola Jokic, although that comparison is downright ridiculous. Wolf will not be an MVP, but he could be a very good and versatile backup center.
"There is no more capable big with the ball in his hands than Wolf, a ridiculously gifted playmaker at 7 feet who runs actions as a pick-and-roll ballhandler for Michigan," wrote Sam Vencenie. "The scouts who love bigs who handle the ball are all over Wolf as an intriguing upside swing. And yet, it's far from unanimous because the flaws are significant. Wolf's jumper is a serious work in progress right now despite the fact that he hit 34 percent from 3 on four attempts per game. The mechanics are messy and could be more problematic as he moves farther back beyond the NBA 3-point line. His turnover issue is serious, as he's averaging 3.3 per game."
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On top of those very real concerns, Wolf does not project to be a good, or even servicable, NBA defender, making him a backup at best, which is really all the Suns can hope for with the 30th overall pick, owed to them from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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This story was originally published March 19, 2025 at 2:28 PM.