Here are a few more prospects to put on your radar this March.
Selection Sunday is now just days away. Are you ready for the Madness?!
In case you missed part one, I broke down Johni Broome, Carter Bryant, and Maxime Raynaud and their fit in Phoenix here.
Now, let’s highlight three more prospects that should be on your radar this March and that should be within the Phoenix Suns’ projected draft range.
This piece will highlight Nique Clifford, Kam Jones, and JT Toppin.
Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images
The Suns would hold the 30th and 56th picks in the 2025 NBA Draft if the season ended today, as they hold Cleveland’s and Denver’s picks in the first and second rounds, respectively.
The Prospects?
Here are three players that could fit what the Suns’ brass is looking for in the short and long term. Let’s dive in!
Nique Clifford — 6’6” G/F (Colorado State)
Nique Clifford is a 23-year-old senior guard/wing from Colorado State. He is in his fifth season of college, which may raise red flags for some front offices. If you zoom out and focus on the on-court production (on both ends), he seems more than capable of being an instant impact role player.
He is an excellent rebounder for his position and plays bigger than his size due to his athleticism and lateral quickness.
Colorado State is one of the “first four out” in ESPN’s latest Bracketology, and they are in the thick of a Mountain West Championship run as they face Nevada in the quarterfinals today on CBSSN at 6 pm.
Clifford is athletic, versatile, and possesses complementary skills and intangibles that should translate well at the next level. His fit in Phoenix makes sense as a plug-and-play wing who can contribute to winning from day one.
Kam Jones — 6’5” Guard (Marquette)
The Maqruette product was teammates with Suns rookie Oso Ighodaro a year ago. Kam Jones is a walking bucket with plus size for a guard.
He is a shifty lefty who can get downhill and finish tough shots with the best of them. His playmaking has taken a leap this year with Tyler Kolek out of the picture. Jones moves well off the ball and operates well out of the pick and roll. His defense at the next level is a concern for several scouts.
The biggest red flag with his game is that he is currently shooting 30% from three-point range. Which, for a guard seems far from ideal, but when you look at his career 36% shooting from deep and see how efficient he is despite the downturn in shooting, there’s reason for optimism.
Jones and Clifford are both seniors and have been too good to ignore as legitimate NBA prospects. If they were any younger doing what they’ve done, they would not be (potentially) available at the end of the 1st round.
Marquette looks to be an 8 or 9-seed as things stand, so keep an eye on his tournament run.
JT Toppin — 6’9” Forward (Texas Tech)
Toppin is an athletic four who has been on a tear as of late, seeing his stock gain momentum at the right time. And no, he is not Obi Toppin’s brother, for those wondering.
He has scored 20+ points in four of his last five games, including a 25-point, 11-rebound, 3-block game against the Sun Devils in Tempe last Saturday.
The Suns could desperately use an athletic four with a high motor and relentless pursuit of the basketball. He has a 7’2” wingspan and can move well for his size. Does that description above remind anyone of someone the Suns drafted and traded away semi-recently? Anyone? A slightly bigger Camara sounds good to me.
He has a nice bag of smooth post moves and may be less perimeter-oriented for that to be a perfect comparison, but either way, Toppin feels like a great fit for the Suns. He could offer a lot of what this squad doesn’t have right now.
Players covered so far:
- Johni Broome (Auburn)
- Carter Bryant (Arizona)
- Maxime Raynaud (Stanford)
- Nique Clifford (Colorado State)
- Kam Jones (Marquette)
- JT Toppin (Texas Tech)
Who do you want to see next, Suns fans?
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