Phoenix Suns Rookie Sends Heartfelt Message After Being Drafted

The Phoenix Suns are in the middle of an offseason that has featured many changes to this point. After going 36-46 and missing out on the NBA Play-In Tournament, owner Mat Ishbia went to work. He fired head coach Mike Budenholzer and moved James Jones into a senior advisory role, installing Brian Gregory as the new general manager.

Gregory and Ishbia's relationship dates back to their time at Michigan State in East Lansing, where Ishbia was a player and Gregory an assistant coach on the 2000 National Championship team. With a man at the helm whom he trusts, Gregory worked to find a capable trade partner for Kevin Durant.

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Phoenix Suns rookie sends heartfelt message after being drafted

Their offseason excitement continued when they drafted Khaman Maluach with the No. 10 pick in the first round of the NBA Draft. They got that pick back in return as part of the Durant package. The center was a position of need this offseason, so the selection of Maluach will bolster their frontcourt. Later in the night, the Suns announced that they were trading the No. 29 pick and a 2031 first-round pick for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams.

With their second selection in the second round, they took Kentucky's Koby Brea. Brea was considered the best pure shooter in the draft, and at 6-foot-7, he'll have plenty of space to get his shot off. Following being drafted, Brea issued a heartfelt message.

"Feel like I’m dreaming right now!!! Just thanking God and reflecting on everything it took to get here, beyond blessed and grateful," Brea said. "Can’t wait to get to Phoenix."

The Suns likely still have plenty of moves ahead of them as we prepare to enter free agency. They'll likely look for any way possible to get Bradley Beal and his massive contract off their books ahead of next season, especially with the current logjam at the shooting guard position.

It will be interesting to see how Maluach adapts to the NBA. He was a rim-runner and paint defender primarily at Duke, but showed the ability to step outside and hit the 3-point shot in workouts with a shooting stroke that isn't bad. If they can figure a way to put him and Williams on the floor at the same time, the Suns could be intriguing.