Phoenix Suns: Ranking the last 10 first-round picks

9: Dragan Bender (2016)

It’s hard to rank a guy who played eight games and a pure bust since both picks resulted in failures. So let’s look at the tenth and ninth pick as the similar ranks.

Dragan Bender was drafted fourth overall in 2016. It was completely logical for the Suns to select Bender, especially since he had a ton of upside entering the draft. With comparisons to Hedo Turkoglu, Bender undoubtedly had a great yet raw playstyle, which the Suns were willing to develop.

For the tanking Suns, a young Bender was an understandable pick, and it was reasonable for them to pass on other relevant talents like Jamal Murray and Buddy Hield. At the time, there was truly nothing wrong with taking the bet on Bender.

Boy oh boy, we were wrong.

Bender had three incredibly disappointing seasons in Phoenix, failing to live up to his hype while simultaneously becoming one of the biggest busts in recent memory. Through his three seasons, Bender was able to put up 5.3 points while grabbing 3.8 rebounds 20.3 minutes per match, flopping massively.

Yet the Suns saw something in the young European big man that we couldn’t see, though their vision may have been impaired. Bender was given tons of opportunities, yet he couldn’t capitalize whatsoever. Slowly confirming himself as a bust, Bender eventually signed with the Bucks before making his way to the Golden State Warriors that season.