NEWS NOW: Phoenix Suns draft their current star to Trade Up With Knicks
PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns have secured their second prospect in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Entering the second day of the draft, the Suns held the 56th pick after a trade with the Denver Nuggets the previous night. They decided to trade up from 56 to 40, acquiring Marquette center Oso Ighodaro’s rights in a deal with the New York Knicks.
According to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro, the Suns traded picks 56 and 51 to the Knicks.
To move up to #40 and draft Oso Ighodaro Phoenix gives up #51 and 56. Suns traded 2028 second of Boston that was protected for 51.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) June 27, 2024
Ighodaro’s college teammate, Tyler Kolek, had been on the Suns’ radar for some time, but Phoenix had a strong interest in Ighodaro, an Arizona native.
Born in Mesa, AZ, Ighodaro attended Desert Vista High School in Phoenix before committing to Marquette as a four-star recruit. He spent his first two college seasons largely unnoticed but started all 72 games from 2022 to 2024.
In the 2023-24 season, Ighodaro averaged 13.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.1 SPG, and 1.3 BPG over 36 starts. He also played a key role offensively alongside Kolek. Now returning to Phoenix, there are questions about his immediate readiness to contribute and whether he can develop a reliable jump shot, given his slightly over 60% free-throw shooting over four college seasons.
Ighodaro was a notable prospect leading up to the draft. With first-round pick Ryan Dunn and Ighodaro, the Suns appear satisfied with their draft class. The next phase of the offseason begins Sunday afternoon with the start of the legal tampering period of free agency.