Second-round draft pick Oso Ighodaro signs four-year deal with Suns
Jul 4, 2024, 12:19 PM | Updated: 12:33 pm
Oso Ighodaro #13 of the Marquette Golden Eagles controls the ball as Mohamed Diarra #23 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the 1st half of the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament game at American Airlines Center on March 29, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Oso Ighodaro, the No. 40 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, has signed a four-year, $7.9 million contract with the Phoenix Suns, ESPN’s Bobby Marks reported on Thursday.
The deal includes two fully guaranteed years, a partial guarantee in year three, and a team option in year four that will be fully guaranteed if the team picks up the option. The big man from Marquette will have one of the higher salaries of any player selected in the second round of the draft.
Oso Ighodaro, pick No. 40 in the 2024 draft, has signed a 4-year, $7.9 million contract with the Phoenix Suns, sources tell ESPN. The contract has substantial guarantees that will give him one of the higher guaranteed salaries of players selected in the second-round. The contract…
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 4, 2024
The Suns clearly saw something in Ighodaro, trading their No. 56 pick — which was acquired from Denver in a trade-down — as well as the No. 51 pick — acquired in a trade with Boston — to move up and select the Phoenix Desert Vista High School product.
Ighodaro is a 6-foot-11, 235-pound offensive piece who shot 62% for his four-year career and averaged 13.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.1 steals as a senior.
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However, he doesn’t often shoot from beyond the arc and shot just 62% from the foul line at Marquette. But his midrange game was superb, hitting 52% of his shots that were classified as two-point jumpers.
Ighodaro started 72 games in his last two years and earned back-to-back Second Team All-Big East honors.
Leading up to the draft, the Suns were expected to prioritize adding another center. The team struggled while center Jusuf Nurkic went to the bench for a rest, exemplifying the team’s dire need for another big man.
Ighodaro will play alongside Phoenix stars Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal as the team will soon embark on its first season under former Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer, who was hired by the Suns in May.
