Suns’ final scheduled draft workout includes bouncy Zhaire Smith

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns had their final scheduled pre-draft workout on Saturday and a potential lottery pick was among the six players that worked out.

The headliner was Texas Tech guard Zhaire Smith, who could go anywhere from the late lottery to the mid-first round. His skill-set is still developing, but the belief that he has untapped potential is enticing with his incredible athleticism.

“Athletic, good defender, has a good feel for the game,” Suns assistant general manager Pat Connelly said of Smith on Saturday.

“He will be an elite athlete in the NBA,” he said. “His length, his athleticism, his ability to defend, his desire to defend. So I think when he comes in from day one that will be one of his [most appealing] points.”

Smith is one of the most fascinating prospects in this year’s class.

At 6-foot-4, Smith is undersized, making him a guard by default. That’s problematic when Smith is not much of a shooter.

He did shoot 45 percent for the Red Raiders, but only attempted one a game and, at times, didn’t look comfortable enough to consistently pull the trigger. That might have to do with the fact he wasn’t taking many as a senior in high school.

Smith said shooting and ball-handling are the two areas he’s looking to improve at the most.

“He’s kinda focused on release, follow-through, getting his legs into it,” Connelly said, who noted Smith shot the ball well in the workout. “I think that’s a shot that will be present for him in the NBA.”

Smith wasn’t much of a scorer, either, averaging 11.3 points per game. Instead, he made most of his impact on the glass, making smart passes and cuts along the way.

“He’s got a really good sense of knowing when to move, and with his athleticism has an ability to finish at the rim,” Connelly said.

Versatility on the defensive perimeter is the key for Smith and that’s where you can see the appeal with the direction the NBA’s game has gone.

“He can guard ones, he’s long enough and strong enough and athletic enough to guard bigger threes,” Connelly said. “He can guard up in size and guard down in size so I think it’s probably an appropriate take that you can see him being a jack-of-all-trades defensively.”

Joining Smith in the workout was Notre Dame’s Bonzie Colson Jr., Wake Forest’s Bryant Crawford, Oregon State’s Drew Eubanks, Bosnia’s Markus Loncar and Georgia Tech’s Josh Okogie.

Smith is one of the few players the Suns have worked out in the perceived range of the No. 16 pick.

Oregon’s Troy Brown Jr., UCLA’s Aaron Holiday, USC’s De’Anthony Melton and France’s Elie Okobo are the only other prospects consistently ranked in that part of the draft that had a workout with Phoenix. Holiday, of course, was the only prospect to work out twice for the Suns.

98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s John Gambadoro reported Thursday night the Suns had an interview with Villanova’s Donte DiVincenzo, who could also be an option in the mid-first round.

The Suns have no more pre-draft workouts scheduled at this time.

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