A trio of NBA Draft trade-up targets for Suns in the 1st round: Part 1

In back-to-back years, the Phoenix Suns have been aggressive in moving around the NBA Draft to go get their guy.

Will they make it a third?

This will be the easiest year to do so. Phoenix has been out of the aprons, so it can, for the first time in a while, take advantage of its flexibility by utilizing all the tools on the trade market. As previously covered in this space, the Suns have a roster that needs some legitimate changes.

Within that, perhaps a bigger move involving one of the key players on the roster could yield a return that includes a mid-to-late first-round pick. Or in some instances, that could be the entirety of the return.

It’s something the Suns should seriously explore, because while all draft classes are different, this one in that range has a blend of all types of players at all types of positions. Whether it’s a lead guard, an off-ball shooter, wings with complementary skills or versatile bigs, just about every skillset will be available in the final 15 picks.

That should be music to the Suns’ ears, given how duplicative their roster is.

If they can find the right deal and get into the first round, here are three prospects that should be of interest, with another trio — including a few familiar names — dropping Thursday.

Allen Graves, F, Santa Clara, 20 years old

Measurables: 6-foot-9, 226 pounds, 7-foot wingspan
Stats: 11.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.9 BPG, 1.9 SPG, 0.7 TPG, 51.2 FG% (8.1 FGA/G), 41.3 3P% (2.6 3PA/G), 75 FT% (3.2 FTA/G)
Big board rankings: ESPN: 17, The Athletic (mock draft): 18, Yahoo!: 20, The Ringer: 18

Based on what we know about the Suns, this should be their guy. To be clear, it’s not “my” guy. I slot Graves around the consensus, which looks to be the late teens to early 20s. But since we’re talking about prospects for Phoenix, he needs to lead the conversation.

Before we get there, Graves falls under three different archetypes that seem to have a pretty good turnout rate.

To start, he’s a late riser. Graves redshirted for Santa Clara after not getting ranked by either ESPN or 247Sports coming out of high school. As a freshman, it’s not like he burst onto the scene, either. Graves was the third-leading scorer for the Broncos, a 26-9 squad that finished third in the WAC.

But Graves was a late bloomer, and it shows in his feel for the game. A point guard coming up, Graves quickly grew to 6-foot-9 and a plus-three wingspan. A guy who surely profiled out of high school as a heady, scrappy and skilled guard who could develop into a cornerstone over a four-year career. Instead, he is all of those attributes with an NBA wing’s body, and that completely jumps off the tape with how it all blends together.

Allen Graves…

The analytics darling of the 2026 NBA Draft. 6’9, 7’0 wing. Crazy STL% and BLK%. Soft touch. Elite offensive rebounder. Can shoot it. Never turns it over. Plays a hyper-efficient brand of basketball. pic.twitter.com/jE0z6vXfez https://t.co/TewtChUvCr

— Basketball University (@UofBasketball) June 1, 2026

Graves is an analytical revelation. I can hear you groaning from here at that, but that’s another way of saying he was incredibly productive. While he only took eight shots a game, Graves’ reliable 3-point shooting (41.3% on 2.6 3PA/G), free-throw rate as a low-usage guy (3.2 FTA/G), terrific offensive rebounding (2.8 OREB/G), high “stock” rates (1.9 SPG, 0.9 BPG) and excellent decision-making (1.8 APG, 0.7 TPG) are too loud a profile to ignore.

Crunch all those numbers inside a metric that tries to calculate a player’s overall contributions — like PER, BPM, VORP or win shares — and the computer catches fire. Most teams create “models” that project how good a player is or will be, and most of ’em will have Graves slotted as a top 5-10 prospect because of those numbers.

Here’s where he becomes the No. 1 target for the Suns, though. Head coach Jordan Ott would refer to someone on his team as a “possession gainer”, meaning someone who creates giveaways on defense, takes care of the ball on offense and crashes the glass for maximum opportunities elsewhere. Jordan Goodwin is his poster child for this.

Graves is the best possession gainer in this class, and statistically, has one of the best resumes we’ve seen for one.

For defense, Graves’ block and steal percentages (just under 5% each) have been done by only three first-rounders in the last 23 years: Tari Eason (2022), Matisse Thybulle (2019) and Chris Singleton (2011), per Stathead. For Graves’ margins offensively, he has a high offensive rebounding rate (13.8%) and low turnover rate (6.9%), ranges we’ve only seen for one first-rounder since 2003: Donovan Clingan in 2024, a 7-foot-2 top-10 pick at center, according to Stathead.

I would have smacked myself in the face had I thought I would pitch the best Suns fit in the draft as an underwhelming athlete on the perimeter, but Graves is as perfect as it could get for what Phoenix wants and maximizes. Some of this has to be attributed to playing in a mid-major conference, and he’s dancing a fine line in the film on the athletic profile being a major liability, as well as not having the most concrete shooting profile.

With that said, Graves plays the way the Suns want guys to in a way almost no one else does in this entire draft. He would form a great long-term wing duo to support all the offensive firepower already on the roster.

There is an almost perfect symmetry to how his game would bounce off Rasheer Fleming, both in Fleming’s athletic gifts covering for Graves’ lack of them and Graves’ phenomenal floor sense covering for Fleming’s current lack of it. That meshing of complementary skillsets is enticing.

Again, if there was someone for the Suns to be truly aggressive for and the heights of the late lotto for someone like Yaxel Lendeborg aren’t realistic, this is the dude to watch out for.

Morez Johnson, F/C, Michigan, 20 years old

Measurables: 6-foot-11, 251 pounds, 7-foot-4 wingspan
Stats: 13.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.1 BPG, 0.7 SPG, 1.3 TPG, 62.3 FG% (7.8 FGA/G), 34.3 3P% (0.9 3PA/G), 78.2 FT% (3.9 FTA/G)
Big board rankings: ESPN: 14, The Athletic (mock draft): 14, Yahoo!: 12, The Ringer: 23

Leave it to the Michigan guy that isn’t a Spartan to be one of the best culture fits for the Suns in this draft.

Johnson is, as the kids say, a dawg. He munched on glass in a limited energy-rebounding role for Illinois as a freshman before the Wolverines unlocked the two-way potential for his terrific complement of agility, length, power and speed.

That all started on defense, where Johnson is the best multi-positional defensive prospect among all these bigs. The kid can scoot and uses active hands with those long arms to create havoc in trapping scenarios or suffocate ball-handlers who found no advantages while trying to shake him.

His tape is littered with multiple efforts. He plays his ass off at all times.

Morez Johnson’s defensive versatility is one of my favorite elite skills in the 2026 NBA Draft. These playoffs are yet again showing us the necessity to have defensive versatility and physicality. At 6’9″ 250 pounds, Johnson can defend nearly anyone on the court and lock up all… pic.twitter.com/H4OofWSOSH

— Tyler Metcalf (@tmetcalf11) June 5, 2026

Johnson measured well at the NBA Combine, a critical bit of information. His wingspan and standing reach numbers confirmed that he has the length to play as a 5 for at least chunks of his minutes, if not more.

He did take 35 3s at Michigan, but Johnson’s offensive game is all about serving as a screen-setter and making the occasional drive off the dribble when he has the space to do so.

He dunks a lot.

Morez Johnson Jr. #Michigan

hit the music. pic.twitter.com/Fx5p20M0E6

— Tyler Rucker (@tyler_rucker) April 1, 2026

If Johnson’s really got a long-term future as a shooter, woo boy. He’s already got a chance to be an all-world rebounder, and the way Michigan unleashed his defensive mobility showed his potential to reach those heights as a defender, too.

In a similar vein to the fit for Graves, this is a terrific type of player to put alongside Fleming, Khaman Maluach and Oso Ighodaro in the long-term future of the 4 and 5 position for Phoenix. The Suns love a good combination of motor and physicality. Johnson has heaps of that.

Dailyn Swain, G/F, Texas, 21 years old

Measurables: 6-foot-8, 211 pounds, 6-foot-10 wingspan
Stats: 17.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.3 BPG, 1.6 SPG, 2.7 TPG, 54.2 FG% (11 FGA/G), 34.4 3P% (2.6 3PA/G), 81.5 FT% (5.6 FTA/G)
Big board rankings: ESPN: 23, The Athletic (mock draft): 15, Yahoo!: 21, The Ringer: 13

This is quite simple. Swain brings great size and strength for a slashing wing, giving him a case as the best downhill scorer in this class. He shot 60.3% on his 2s and 81.5% at the foul line on nearly six a night. There is a lot of value within that, especially for a team like the Suns that needs more of this skillset.

We’ve always talked over the years about how a young player in the Finals can lead to teams looking for a certain type of archetype in the following draft, and if anyone has the Dylan Harper downhill mojo, it’s Swain.

It’s a real treat to watch him attack a defender. Vitally, Swain has the type of handle where he can not only maintain it through contact but also seeks it out to set up his moves on the final dribble or two so he can see the rim from there. While I wouldn’t blame you if you saw a bulldog of a driver, there is some craft and finesse you shouldn’t completely overlook, either. The changing of speeds brings a twitchy first step that he combos with his long strides.

Texas Dailyn Swain pic.twitter.com/zcGf3pcWbp

— Pitless (@pitlessball) March 29, 2026

The jumper over three years of college ball clocked in at 29.3% on 1.5 3PA/G. Even with that strong FT%, it’s a brutal outlook when you watch him shoot.

There are three other elements of Swain’s game, however, that are above average and help make up for that. Whether his defense, rebounding and passing are more good or great will ultimately decide how useful of an NBA player he will be.

His defense was more present in two years at Xavier before he was the leading scorer for the Longhorns. A quick glance back at his time as a Musketeer shows a guy who is ready to shine on defense when he’s not burdened with so much to do offensively. Here are some good moments against Tennessee’s Nate Ament, who will probably get drafted ahead of Swain.

Dailyn Swain defense vs Nate Ament.

Off night offensively, but thought Dailyn Swain vs TENN had some great defensive flashes.

Obviously a tremendous jump this year offensively Swain at Texas this season.

But still think the defensive ability going back to days at Xavier is… pic.twitter.com/7iEKoetANu

— Tyler Rucker (@tyler_rucker) April 17, 2026

For everything Swain did on the ball, he still managed nearly two offensive rebounds a game and grabbed nearly eight overall as a junior. The 96 turnovers were a bit much, but 129 assists with bad shooting on Texas is promising.

All three of those parts to his game should be better in an ancillary role. I’ve got Swain as a top-12 guy, and I’d put him higher for a team like Phoenix that requires so much of what he does.

We sometimes devalue non-shooters despite how many boxes they check. This dude has a whole lot of ’em filled out in areas Phoenix needs. The Suns should get active on the phones once the late teens are up and Swain likely remains on the board.

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