On today's episode of Locked On Suns, Evan and Brendon recap the Suns' 120-97 loss to the Pacers on Bright Side Night.

By the way, thanks to everyone donating. We sent 2,100 underprivileged children to their first NBA game, so that's awesome!

We gave our takeaways from Sunday's matchup (hello, Josh Jackson!), but also spent the last 30 or so minutes of the podcast discussing our chat with Vice President of Basketball Operations James Jones.

He was surprisingly open about a lot of current situations, so we gave our thoughts on that. Jones touched on the draft, Booker at PG, future team building ideas, and plenty more.

Also, we looked ahead for the Suns as they begin a tough stretch up until the end of January. How will it go for the league's youngest rotation?

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On today’s episode, we dissect the latest Wizards rumors and decide whether it moves the Suns any closer to a trade with Washington.

John Wall reportedly cursed at coach Scott Brooks at practice over the weekend, and young star guard Bradley Beal responded, according to reports, by expressing anger over the last SEVEN YEARS of his career. Not great.

Can (and should) the Suns swoop in and grab one of these guys?

Finally, a quick reaction to Terry Rozier’s Tuesday morning tweet and Devin Booker liking it.

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On today’s episode live from Talking Stick Resort Arena, we recapped the Phoenix Suns’ 2019 draft haul. It was totally unexpected featuring three trades and them somehow having less cap space afterwards.

First, the Suns traded T.J. Warren plus the No. 32 pick to Indiana for cash considerations. Why did Phoenix have to attach their second-round pick to offload Warren’s remaining salary? The Pacers ended up trading this pick for three additional second-round picks later on.

Next, Phoenix pulled off an absolute stunner. Before the draft even started, Phoenix traded No. 6 to Minnesota for Dario Saric and No. 11 overall. Saric will be the Suns’ starting power forward next season, but little did they know both Jarrett Culver and Coby White would’ve been available in their original position. Phoenix selected Culver for the Timberwolves, but the Suns selected ... Cam Johnson? Arizona Sports’ Kellan Olson quickly stopped by to give his thoughts on the Johnson selection, too.

Finally, the Suns’ final move of the 2019 NBA Draft featured them trading the 2020 Bucks pick via the Eric Bledsoe trade to Boston for the rights to Ty Jerome and Aron Baynes. Why did the Suns do this, and what does this mean for names like Elie Okobo, De’Anthony Melton and Richaun Holmes?

Fireworks were indeed delivered by the Suns, but how does it look immediately afterwards?

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Merry Christmas, everybody!

On today's special episode, we are going to go back toward right before training camp for a special interview.

Before Evan took over as the new host of Locked On Suns, he had a chance to speak with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowksi about all things Suns on his own platform, BrightSidery.

For our nearly 40-minute discussion, we did a complete State of the Suns, looking at their current crop of young players (Devin Booker, Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss, etc.) and then-head coach Earl Watson.

Woj is a big believer in Josh Jackson, so his recent struggles should leave you feeling a little better after hearing him discuss the former Kansas Jayhawk.

A quick reminder if you never heard it the first time around, Woj does not have a Skype account. This means, at points, his audio could be a little murky because I had to record off of the TapeACall app, but for most of the time, it was completely fine to me.

Happy Holidays, Suns fans, and enjoy this flashback one-on-one discussion with Woj and me!

Note: Brendon and I will bring you our thoughts on the last two games, including the recent Mike James / Isaiah Canaan news in our next episode tomorrow, so stay tuned!

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On today’s episode, we run through all the interesting connections taking place between the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans with special guest Mason Ginsberg of Bourbon Street Shots.

What type of coach are the Suns getting in Monty Williams? Ginsberg remembers the days in New Orleans, plus suggests why he will be a vastly different coach this time around. Also, how was Jeff Bower’s tenure in the Bayou?

We also go over David Griffin poaching longtime Suns head trainer Aaron Nelson. What does it mean for the Pelicans franchise to finally have stability with Griffin?

Finally, our final predictions and thoughts less than 24 hours before the NBA Draft Lottery. Will Zion Williamson end up in Phoenix, New Orleans, or elsewhere? We shall find out soon enough.

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We are joined by J. Kyle Mann of The Dime Drop to discuss his thoughts on Josh Jackson, Deandre Ayton and the rest of the Suns. 

A bit of a longer episode this time but we know you will all enjoy this one!

We also discuss Ja Morant, who Kyle saw in-person at the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament last weekend and how he might fit in Phoenix. 

Finally, some rapid fire discussion on the broader NBA to close the show. 

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We’re now less than two weeks away from the 2019 NBA Draft, which means coverage is going to heat up even more until then. Chris Manning of Locked On Cavs joined the show to discuss plenty of draft-related questions.

Following the Nets-Hawks trade, how does it impact the Cavaliers and Suns? For fans wanting Jarrett Culver on the Suns, Atlanta might be positioning themselves to leapfrog them with Cleveland.

Who are the best options for the Cavaliers at No. 5? Whatever they end up doing will have a direct impact on who the Suns select right behind them. Stay tuned for deep dives on prospects like Cam Reddish.

We close with thoughts on the possibility Cleveland trades J.R. Smith and Kevin Love. Phoenix could be one of the most interesting suitors for Smith due to his unique expiring contract that would essentially be free money.

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On today’s episode, we break down how our predictions differ from Kevin Pelton’s statistical projections at ESPN and the Vegas betting odds. Then, we dive into Devin Booker’s growth and how his improvement will determine how good the Suns will be next year.

Pelton has the Suns at 27.2 projected wins over at ESPN, a number potentially weakened by the tanking Suns’ underperformance last season. Bovada in Vegas has the season line at 28.5 wins for Phoenix.

We are on the record as having the team between 30 and 35 wins assuming relative health, but it’s difficult to argue with models slightly lower on the Suns.

Of course, Booker will make or break this team’s improvement. Is he ready to make the leap to the upper echelon of efficient NBA scorers?

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On today’s episode, we roamed through the latest news as the Suns move into their second round of head coaching interviews.

In an effort to fill the vacancy they created nearly eight months ago, the Suns spoke with around 12 or 13 candidates this summer, but appear to be rounding down that list. Igor Kokoskov earned an in-person interview Monday, while interim coach Jay Triano was informed the team would be moving on.

Unless James Borrego or Steve Clifford return for a second interview this week or a new name joins the mix, it appears the Suns and Kokoskov are on track to be reunited when the Jazz-Rockets second series ends.

We debated what hiring Kokoskov would mean for the franchise, and how might fans react.

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Continuing with our Suns comparisons series, we bring on Tony East of Locked On Pacers to discuss the early years of Paul George’s career, how he developed as a shooter and playmaker and what the keys were to his development.

Bridges already looks like a solid shooter and team defender, but Tony shares some ways that George was able to develop physically and with the ball in his hands to grow into the MVP candidate we’re seeing this year.

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On today’s episode of Locked On Suns live from Talking Stick Resort Arena, we recapped the Suns’ victory over the Knicks. Devin Booker went for a season-high 41 points, which is the most he’s also ever scored in a home game.

Also, Kelly Oubre Jr. continues to blossom in Phoenix with another solid secondary performance adding much-needed energy on both ends of the floor.

Yes, the Suns are going streaking. Three straight wins. Four wins in their last five games.

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On today’s episode of Locked On Suns, Evan and Brendon spent the first half talking about Phoenix’s loss in Houston.

We touched on not only Devin Booker’s first career 30 point, 10 assist game but covered it from all angles related to the main core pieces of #TheTimeline.

Over the second portion of this podcast, we discussed Scott Bordow’s exclusive interview with Suns general manager Ryan McDonough. With the emergences of Booker and T.J. Warren, McDonough believes it’s time to be more aggressive this summer compared to previous seasons.

The co-hosts chatted on a multitude of topics, including how Warren and Josh Jackson will fit long-term alongside how Phoenix can shed contracts for cap space. Keep an eye on Tyson Chandler, Jared Dudley, and Troy Daniels over the next few weeks if they want to exceed over $45 million in room this summer.

How should the Suns not only attack this year’s trade deadline but the summer and moving forward?

It’s safe to say we are finally approaching McDonough’s all-in move.

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We return to our usual recap format to take you through what you need to know from the Suns’ 108-102 loss to the Rockets on Friday night.

With Tyler Johnson inactive, it was the Devin Booker, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Deandre Ayton show, and the Suns stayed close.

Yet Jamal Crawford remained in the rotation despite De’Anthony Melton being healthy and needing another chance to get playing time heading into the summer.

We break it all down.

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On today’s episode, Brendon hosts and invites on Kellan Olson of Arizona Sports to discuss the Suns’ two weekend losses to the Thunder and Grizzlies.

We discuss the continued playmaking problems, which were intensified without Devin Booker in the lineup, as well as our first impressions of Elie Okobo, who played a season-high 31 minutes on Sunday.

Then, we debate whether Josh Jackson has been the worst player on the team this year after an exciting preseason.

Finally, we give two stats to watch this week in a long homestand.

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On today’s episode, we quickly recap what became an eventful Thursday night for the Phoenix Suns, as the team traded third-year big Marquese Chriss and presumed starting point guard Brandon Knight to the Rockets in a surprise deal.

Chriss’ departure effectively seals Dragan Bender’s fate in Phoenix as the chosen son of the 2016 draft, while Knight moves on to Houston and leaves a Devin Booker-sized hole at the point guard spot.

We hit the deal from every angle — does Booker really start at the one? Is Melton the best player in the deal? What types of lineups are now possible with all of this young wing talent?

You won’t want to miss our giddy initial thoughts to this wild deal.

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On today’s episode, we discuss the reasons for low minutes totals for Mikal Bridges, De’Anthony Melton and Elie Okobo thus far in the young season.

Bridges has statistically been a huge boon for the Suns’ efficiency each time he has stepped on the floor, but coach Igor Kokoskov insists he wants to use him only as a spark off the bench. What gives?

Okobo and Melton, on the other hand, were inactive against the Lakers as they made way for Jamal Crawford to see his first extended run of the year. Is there any chance they see the floor soon?

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On today's episode, Max from the 7SOL pod joins to discuss plenty of topics, including analyzing one of the worst Devin Booker takes we've ever heard from a national writer. Outside of the wrong view of Booker nationally, what's stood out most during his scoring binge since the All-Star break?

Kelly Oubre Jr. seems ready to commit long-term to the Suns, but what will the price be? We go over that while also recapping his impressive season in Phoenix.

Zion Williamson and Ja Morant shouldn't be in the same room, as far as better prospects go, but many Suns fans are trying to make it into a debate. What stands out about both, though, and how could they improve the team? Also, would you trade Morant's rights for Jrue Holiday or keep the pick?

Finally, we quickly go over the growth process Deandre Ayton has endured this season. What should the expectations be for Ayton during his second season?

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We intended to bring on Kellan Olson of Arizona Sports to discuss the biggest questions of the offseason but had to pivot as news broke during recording that the Suns had moved on from Igor Kokoskov.

We break down how and why it came to this and whether this is another signal of instability or somehow part of a bigger plan. With Monty Williams reportedly the frontrunner, we ponder whether new front office executive Jeff Bower, who hired Williams to his first head-coaching position, played a role in the decision.

Take this journey along with us.

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We sift through two strange years of the Josh Jackson experience in Phoenix and discuss why Jackson’s career never got off the ground as he is now headed to Memphis in a salary dump.

Alongside Jackson on the plane to Memphis is De’Anthony Melton, who became the cost of doing business to dump Jackson after it became clear Melton didn’t fit the new identity of this Suns roster.

We close the show with a few thoughts on the Suns’ Summer League roster.

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On today’s episode, we get you ready for the Suns’ battle on Halloween night against the new-look San Antonio Spurs at home with Jeff Garcia of News 4 San Antonio and Locked On Spurs.

Without Devin Booker, the Suns will have an uphill battle to handle DeMar DeRozan’s scoring. It will take a big night from Deandre Ayton, who has his own tough matchup against LaMarcus Aldridge inside.

The Spurs, however, come off two straight wins and somehow have maintained solid play without three projected rotation guards, winning in overtime Monday night against Dallas.

We go through all the news with each team and finish with predictions for Wednesday’s game.

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