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With a top-five pick and five players with star potential, the Suns are in a good place. But how has each selection shown success?
Wochit
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Suns star guard Devin Booker went to Navarrete Elementary School to surprise student Noah Smith with a trip to the NBA draft lottery in New York City on Friday. Patrick Breen/azcentral sports
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LaVar Ball won’t affect whether the Lakers select his son Lonzo in the upcoming NBA draft, Lakers president Magic Johnson told ESPN’s Jeff Goodman.
Time_Sports
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Lonzo Ball’s signature shoes garnered a lot of attention when they were first released. But the sales numbers suggest the sneakers aren’t selling as well as the Big Baller Brand would like.
USA TODAY Sports
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As the Suns look to rebuild through the NBA draft, they are looking to Golden State and Oklahoma City as examples of how to do it right.
Wochit
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azcentral sports’ Jay Dieffenbach and Doug Haller discuss how Boston Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas has become one of the best players in the NBA and who the Suns want in the NBA draft.
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azcentral sports’ Jay Dieffenbach and Dan Bickley talk about the possibility of the NBA draft lottery is rigged and an updated on Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington on Friday. Diana Payan/azcentral
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azcentral sports’ Jay Dieffenbach and Dan Bickley discuss the Rockets’ explosion against the Spurs and a possible pitching implosion for the Diamondbacks.
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The Suns are guaranteed to have a Top 5 NBA draft pick. Here are some players they could take.
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azcentral sports’ Jay Dieffenbach and Dan Bickley discuss Kevin Durant and the Warriors as well as Zack Greinke’s start against the Padres.
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Several former Phoenix Suns players are in the NBA playoffs.
Wochit
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Take a look at the Suns players that have guaranteed contracts for next season.
Wochit
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Suns coach Earl Watson takes questions from the press at an end-of-season gathering at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Wednesday, April 12, 2017. Tom Tingle/azcentral sports
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Suns guard Devin Booker discusses the 2016-17 season and how his team can improve throughout the offseason on Wednesday at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Video by Tom Tingle/azcentral sports
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Doug Haller sums up interviews with Phoenix Suns management and players at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Wednesday, April 12, 2017. || Tom Tingle/azcentral sports
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Breaking down the top five moments in Suns guard Devin Booker’s season.
Wochit
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Jay Dieffenbach and Dan Bickley disagree on the NBA MVP and share their thoughts on the D-Backs’ hot start.
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Phoenix Suns’ Dragan Bender talks about the team’s win over the Dallas Mavericks in the last home game of the season, April 9, 2017. (Doug Haller/azcentral sports)
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Suns guard Devin Booker on why the Suns didn’t want Russell Westbrook to get a triple-double on their home floor.
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Thunder guard Russell Westbrook entered Phoenix on pace to average a triple-double for the season.
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Warriors star Stephen Curry talks about Wednesday’s win over the Suns.
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USA TODAY Sports’ Sam Amick discusses the struggles plaguing the defending champions.
USA TODAY Sports
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Suns guard Devin Booker discusses earning respect from officials and his early aggressiveness in a loss to the Clippers on Thursday at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Doug Haller/azcentral sports
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The arguments for and against Rockets star James Harden winning the MVP award.
USA TODAY Sports
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Ball and Fultz are two of the top prospects for the 2017 NBA draft.
USA TODAY Sports
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Suns forward Jared Dudley discusses the Suns’ winless road trip after a loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday. Doug Haller/azcentral sports
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A look at how far NBA players once made it in the NCAA tournament.
USA TODAY Sports
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In the latest NBA Power Rankings, the Warriors are rolling, even without Kevin Durant. Meantime, the Clippers are struggling at the wrong time and the Nets are playing their best hoops of the season.
Time_Sports
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Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker talks about his team’s loss against the Charlotte Hornets, March 26, 2017. (Doug Haller/azcentral sports)
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Suns guard Devin Booker discusses his 70-point game against the Boston Celtics.
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Suns coach Earl Watson discusses his team’s shortage of players and how that is starting to weigh on them after Thursday’s loss to the Nets in Brooklyn. Doug Haller/azcentral sports
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Suns forward Jared Dudley discusses recent team injuries and how that impacts a team resting a few star players, following Tuesday’s loss to the Miami Heat. Doug Haller/azcentral sports
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Dan Bickley and Mark Faller discuss the Indiana job opening, which could pull Steve Alford away from UCLA, and whether the Bruins would pursue Suns’ head coach Earl Watson. Video: azcentral sports
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NBA players who have tallied the most points, assists, rebounds, blocks and steals in a single game this season.
USA TODAY Sports
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In this week’s NBA Power Rankings, Russell Westbrook is leading the Thunder to a strong finish in the regular season.
Time_Sports
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Suns point guard Tyler Ulis reacts to Friday’s home loss to the Magic.
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Kent Somers and Jay Dieffenbach discuss the Suns’ decision to shut down Eric Bledsoe for the season and the possibility of them getting UCLA’s Lonzo Ball? Video: azcentral sports
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USA TODAY Sports’ Sam Amick tells us why the Spurs will be hard-pressed to secure the top seed in the Western Conference.
USA TODAY Sports
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HoopsHype writer Alex Kennedy discusses some of the players who will be free agents this summer.
USA TODAY Sports
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Phoenix Suns center Alan Williams watches his mother, Jeri Williams, sworn in as Phoenix police chief in Chesapeake Energy Arena. (Paul Coro/azcentral sports)
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Hosted by head coach Earl Watson, who says the Suns “embrace and celebrate our youth.” Video: Phoenix Suns
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What can Suns expect with top-five pick?
Devin Booker surprises young fan with trip to NBA draft lottery
Lakers say LaVar Ball won’t influence decision on Lonzo
LaVar Ball’s shoe line has poor first week of sales
Suns look to emulate Warriors, Thunder in rebuild
Shot Clock: Ex-Suns player Isaiah Thomas shines
Shot Clock: Is the NBA draft lottery rigged?
Shot Clock: Rockets sizzle, D-Backs fizzle?
NBA mock drafts: Popular picks for Phoenix Suns
Shot Clock: Kevin Durant closer to a ring
Familiar faces: Notable former Suns in NBA playoffs
Notable Suns player salaries for 2017-18
Suns coach Watson wraps up season at press conference
Devin Booker: ‘I want to be a winner’
Doug Haller wraps up Suns’ 2016-17 season
Top 5 Devin Booker moments of 2016-17 season
Shot Clock: NBA MVP and surprising D-Backs
Dragan Bender on Suns win over Mavericks
Booker on Westbrook’s triple-double search: ‘Just didn’t want it to be here’
Russell Westbrook chases history
Stephen Curry on win over Suns
Cavaliers are struggling in a major way
Devin Booker on Suns loss to Clippers
James Harden for MVP: Pros and Cons
Lonzo Ball vs. Markelle Fultz: Tale of the tape
Jared Dudley on Suns loss to Hawks
How far NBA players made it in NCAA tournament
NBA Power Rankings: Warriors surging ahead of playoffs
Devin Booker on Suns’ fall to Hornets
Devin Booker on his 70-point night
Earl Watson after Suns’ loss to Nets
Jared Dudley on Suns’ loss to Heat
Shot Clock: Would Earl Watson leave the Suns if the UCLA job were to open up?
NBA’s best statistical performances so far in 2016-17
NBA Power Rankings: Russell Westbrook continues to carry Thunder
Tyler Ulis on Suns’ loss to Magic
Shot Clock: Eric Bledsoe is out, maybe UCLA’s Lonzo Ball is in?
Why the Spurs desperately need the No. 1 seed
Big-name free agents this summer
Alan Williams watching his mother’s police chief ceremony
Suns ’embrace youth’ in WeArePHX ‘Momentum’ video
Devin Booker had such a great time representing the Suns at last year’s NBA draft lottery, the second-year guard told management he wouldn’t mind doing it again.
As a result, Booker once again will take his place on Tuesday’s stage in New York City as Phoenix learns its fate in the June 22 draft. In addition to his lottery assignment, Booker also asked if he could sit down with potential draftees after their Phoenix workouts.
He feels this is his responsibility.
“I want to be more involved, because at the end of the day this determines all our futures,’’ Booker said. “… I just want to sit down, get to know people. I might like more than one person. I mean, I’m not going to have a say – ‘I want you to draft him,’ or anything like that — but I’d like to participate a little bit in it.”
RELATED: What can Phoenix Suns expect with a top-five pick?
The Suns – who have missed the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons – are guaranteed a top-five pick in the draft. Entering the lottery, they have a 19.9 percent chance of landing the top overall pick, a spot they have not held in their 49-year existence.
As a good-luck charm, Booker will have a special guest at the lottery — Noah Smith, a special-needs student he met last week. Booker did something similar last year.
Any other superstitions?
“Facial hair,” Booker said. “People didn’t notice last year because I didn’t have quite as much, but I’m leaving my facial hair.”
RELATED: NBA mock draft: Doug Haller’s 1st edition | Latest Suns picks
Booker, 20, is coming off a strong season in which he averaged 22.1 points and 3.4 assists. In a March 24 loss at Boston, he became the sixth player in NBA history to score 70 or more points. By season’s end, Booker had become the face of the Phoenix franchise.
For the past month, Booker has kept busy. He participated in a Nike event in Mexico City. For fun, he attended Coachella and the Kentucky Derby. He also sent gifts to a second-grade class in Texas that used him for motivation to reach their reading goals.
“I keep saying: What’s so special about that – it’s in Austin, Texas,” Booker said. “That’s when it really hit me that you can make an impact across the world. I don’t have family there, I don’t have anybody there and some second-grade class loved me. That meant a lot.”
RELATED: Can Phoenix Suns find point guard of future in NBA draft?
Booker also has stayed on the court. He’s run in a few open gyms with Arizona State players. Pretty much anytime someone calls with a game, he goes. Probably next month or early July, Booker’s trainer will come to Phoenix and his workouts will get more intense.
Until then, he’ll focus on the draft. Asked if he had someone in mind he’d like for the Suns to draft, Booker said he still has to do more research. It’s not like last year, when close friend and former teammate Tyler Ulis was among those in the draft pool.
But he understands the draft’s importance, both in the short term and long.
“We’re at that point where we have veterans, we have young guys, and bringing in another top player I think can get us over that edge,’’ Booker said. “We have great veterans around us. We have young players with a lot of experience so bringing him in — whoever it is – I just hope they’re ready to work.”
SUNS DRAFT HISTORY: Ryan McDonough’s first-round picks
NBA DRAFT LOTTERY: Final odds for Suns, others | Suns history
Contact Doug Haller at 602-444-4949 or at [email protected]. Follow him at Twitter.com/DougHaller.
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