Suns Projected to Land Big East Center in 2025 NBA Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Phoenix Suns are staring down the barrel of what could be a franchise-altering offseason. The Suns failed to live up to expectations after accumulating the highest payroll in NBA history. They went 36-46 and missed out on even a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament.
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The Suns had all the offense in the world between Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. The problem was that they couldn’t stop a nosebleed in regards to their defense. They finished with the third-worst defensive efficiency behind only the New Orleans Hornets and Utah Jazz.
Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) handles the ball against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34).Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Suns projected to land Big East Center in 2025 NBA Draft
The Phoenix team seriously lacked communication on defense, and by the end of the season, it was clear that they had given up, as their defense deteriorated from bad to worse. One reason for the defensive struggles is their lack of a rim-protecting big man.
While Jusuf Nurkic was a near double-double machine, starting 23 games for the Suns, he didn’t provide much rim protection, as evidenced by his 0.6 blocks per game. The Suns have the No. 29 pick in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft.
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Brett Siegel of Clutch Points believes they’ll use that pick to address the need at center. In his recent mock draft following the Desmond Bane blockbuster trade between the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies, he has the Suns selecting Creighton big Ryan Kalkbrenner.
Nov 27, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Creighton Bluejays center Ryan Kalkbrenner (11) dribbles against Texas A&M Aggies forward Pharrel Payne (21) during the first half at MGM Grand Garden Arena© Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Kalkbrener won the Big East Defensive Player of the Year four times while at Creighton and was twice selected as a First-team All-Big East. In his final season, he took home the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award. At 7-foot-1 and possessing the ability to shoot 3-pointers, Kalkbrenner’s rare skillset could prove to be a steal for the Suns late in the first round.
All eyes are currently on the Suns and whether they will trade Durant before draft day. If they do so, this might not end up being their only first-round pick next Wednesday night.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.