Phoenix Suns: 3 positives from the Cheick Diallo signing

High potential

Perhaps the best attribute Cheick Diallo brings to the Phoenix Suns is the potential to grow into something special.

After becoming one the top high-school recruits in the nation in 2015, Diallo has struggled to live up to early expectations people placed on him.

The MVP of the 2015 McDonald’s All-American Boys Game, Diallo was recruited by Kansas as a five-star recruit and among the top of the 2015 high school class. That class includes Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram and Jaylen Brown.

Following an up-and-down freshman year at Kansas, Diallo elected to enter the NBA draft in 2016. That got him selected 33rd overall by the LA Clippers, who traded Diallo to New Orleans that draft night.

But in three years in the league, many people have forgotten about Diallo and how highly totted he was coming out of high school. And while he hasn’t budded into a star player just yet, Diallo still has time.

Perhaps, the biggest factor that gets overlooked is the fact that Diallo is still only 22 years old. In comparison, Phoenix Suns’ 2019 first-round selection Ty Jerome is also 22.

That being said, there is a real possibility that head coach Monty Williams and his staff can find the attributes in Diallo had before he entered the NBA.

Should Diallo evolve more during his fourth season, he could find a way to carve some solid minutes out of the Suns rotation.

Overall Diallo stands as a low-risk, high reward signing for the Suns and could blossom into a reliable rotation player for the team. The former second-rounder could finally find the fresh start he needed.