Jun 23, 2026 11:19 AM

Armed with the 47th pick, Phoenix eyes battle-tested veterans and resilient shooters to bolster their depth. These three prospects best embody strong cultural fits, as well as possess the talent and experience needed to contribute early on in their careers.

The 2026 NBA Draft is now officially upon us, with the first round of the yearly event set to be held tonight in Brooklyn. This would typically spell out a huge night for the Phoenix Suns, but the lack of controllable assets on their own end has made day one relatively mundane. 

The Suns do own the 47th pick (Wednesday), which opens the door for a potential impact player to be added in a class that is expected to be deeper than average - explore the three names that would make sense if Phoenix sticks and picks below.

Ja'Kobi Gillespie is an experienced, battle-tested point guard that played four seasons of college basketball. The Tennessee alum scored nearly 2,000 points in his career, while also averaging nearly two steals per game and increasing his assist totals year-by-year. 

While Gillespie is "undersized" for a typical NBA player, his poise, shot-making ability, and extensive experience as an effective pick-and-roll ball-handler make him an ideal candidate to be a low-risk, high-reward option with the 47th pick.

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Jaden Bradley is another four-year college vet, winning the Big 12 Player of the Year for the Arizona Wildcats this past season in the process. His sturdy, 6'3" frame, physical approach to the defensive side of the ball, 98 games of starting experience, and upside as a volume three-point shooter at the next level make him an enticing option.

Milos Uzan is yet another four-year veteran that is better off due to the manner in which his career transpired. Uzan started 133 games across his career, which was highlighted by his 2024-25 season at Houston where he shot over 41% from three-point range. Uzan struggled throughout much of the most recent season, but rebounded in a profound way to close out his career - highlighting the resiliency that exists here. 

The second round of the draft is set to be held on Wednesday, with Phoenix still possessing the ability to trade up in the meantime.

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Kevin Hicks is a contributing writer to SunsRoundtable. He can be reached on X @khicks_21.

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