From the 28th pick to Rising Stars. Ryan Dunn’s journey to recognition.
Not all snubs are forever, folks. Just ask Phoenix. We’re no strangers to this dance. Devin Booker, remember, has made two of his four All-Star appearances after initially being snubbed. Yeah, that’s right. He was “overlooked” until someone pulled an emergency brake and said, “Wait, this guy’s actually pretty good.” So, it’s not the end of the world when the league overlooks our boy Book.
Speaking of unlikely stories, enter Ryan Dunn. The rookie. Dunn’s out here in the starting rotation, proving every doubter wrong. Who could’ve seen this coming when the Suns snagged him at 28th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft? And yet, here he is, not just filling a spot, but doing actual work, grinding in the gaps this team desperately needs him to.
When the Rising Stars roster dropped a few days ago, Ryan Dunn’s name was nowhere to be found. Maybe he just didn’t have the draft clout to earn a spot. Or maybe that’s what this whole thing really comes down to. Not performance, but perception based on where you were picked.
But, of course, the wrong has been righted. Ryan Dunn is now officially a member of the 2025 Rising Stars roster.
Rookie Ryan Dunn of the Phoenix Suns and second-year NBA players Anthony Black of the Orlando Magic, Toumani Camara of the Portland Trail Blazers and Ausar Thompson of the Detroit Pistons have been named replacements for the 2025 Castrol Rising Stars. pic.twitter.com/rSBjihMMuO
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 31, 2025
Ironically, making an appearance for the sophomore team is Portland Trail Blazers wing Toumani Camara, the former 52nd overall pick by the Suns in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Camara was shipped to Portland as part of the Deandre Ayton trade, and it almost feels like cruel fate to see both Ryan Dunn and Camara heading to the Rising Stars. Suns fans are likely pondering what could’ve been. What if two defensively-minded wings were playing side by side? We’ll never know. Maybe Camara wouldn’t have had the same opportunity to progress. But what we did see in Summer League 2023 was something special, and Camara is proving it now.
So, congratulations to Ryan Dunn for making the Rising Stars, and hats off to Toumani Camara, our favorite young non-Sun in the Western Conference.