Arizona basketball’s Keshad Johnson hints at NBA Draft workout with Suns
Jun 11, 2024, 8:21 AM
Keshad Johnson #16 of the Arizona Wildcats drives past Keion Brooks Jr. #1 of the Washington Huskies during the first half at McKale Center on February 24, 2024 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
It appears that Arizona Wildcats product Keshad Johnson earned a workout with the Phoenix Suns ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft.
Johnson posted an Instagram story of a Suns workout shirt with the “#8” and a checkbox signifying he’s making the rounds leading up to the draft. The Arizona forward, who played one year for the Wildcats after transferring from San Diego State, has since posted a “#9” and checkbox next to a New York Knicks practice jersey and a view from Toronto.
The Phoenix Suns are hosting Arizona’s Keshad Johnson for a pre-draft workout.
Johnson has now worked out for eight teams, including his hometown Golden State Warriors and the Suns.
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Johnson averaged 11.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists in his fifth college season.
At 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds, one of college basketball’s best leapers from a year ago also shot 39% from deep on 2.6 attempts per game, a sign he could not only be a switchable defensive wing but space the floor as well.
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He was listed as having a 6-foot-10.25 wingspan at the combine.
There, he made the comparison to Dallas Mavericks jumbo wing P.J. Washington, who has excelled since relocating midseason as a shot-maker and glue guy to bolster a starting lineup around stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
“Making winning plays. It takes a skill to make a winning play,” Johnson said at the NBA Draft Combine. “I’d say that’s a skill of mine, doing whatever it takes to win.”
Johnson piled up plenty of experience in college with four years at SDSU, including a run to the NCAA Tournament championship game in 2023. Johnson led the Aztecs with 14 points in the title game loss to UConn that year.
Johnson is rated No. 50 on ESPN’s June 7 big board of best available players. He is the second-highest rated known player the Suns have worked out, according to Arizona Sports’ tracking of publicly acknowledged workouts.
The Suns own the No. 22 overall pick but have been piling up workouts with plenty of players rated in the second round to undrafted. While the team’s financial situation remains rigid, Phoenix will have the ability to fill roster spots with draft picks by keeping its pick, trading down or adding undrafted free agents on standard contracts or two-way deals.
