'Natural connections' make Suns and Deandre Ayton a fit, but GM likes others, too

Ayton, Doncic or Bagley?

CHICAGO — Just in case the Phoenix Suns haven’t seen enough of Deandre Ayton to make him the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft next month, USC coach Andy Enfield has some game film to lend them.

Like, say, the one from the Pac-12 Tournament final. The one where Ayton had 32 points and 17 rebounds to help UA beat USC a night after he also had 32 points and 14 rebounds against UCLA.

Enfield probably doesn’t even need video to replay those games. He can do it in his head.

“I think Ayton will be the No. 1 pick and I think he deserves to be,” Enfield said at the NBA combine. “He had a great year and based on the semifinal against UCLA and the championship against us, I think he showed that he deserves to be the No. 1 pick. He took over the championship game in the last 10 minutes. He was virtually unstoppable for a stretch of the game.”

But, as it turns out, the Suns probably don’t need scouting help at the top of the draft. Ayton played two seasons in their backyard at Phoenix Hillcrest Prep, then scooted down I-10 for a year of college at Arizona.

The Suns also know plenty about two other primary options for the top pick: New coach Igor Kokoskov coached highly-regarded European guard Luka Doncic on the Slovenian national team last year while the uniquely skilled Marvin Bagley played a year at Tempe Corona Del Sol before bouncing around the prep school circuit and spending last season at Duke.

All that could come in handy, especially because Doncic may not be available for the entire predraft process depending on how long his postseason goes for Real Madrid.

“No team will have a better feel for Luka’s strength and weaknesses than we will on and off the court,” Suns general manager Ryan McDonough said. “His skills, the personality, the competitiveness, we’ll have all that information.”

Likewise, McDonough said the Suns have watched Ayton plenty in practices at UA and in games, knowing that their on-court play was probably going to earn them a high lottery pick.

“For us, there are a lot of natural connections,” McDonough said. “You say nobody’s seen Deandre Ayton more than the Suns, which is probably true, and the owner (Robert Sarver) went to the University of Arizona.

“But Marvin Bagley is also from Phoenix and is one of the best prep school players of all time. And Luka, the connection with the coach, that is all true. But at the same time you’ve got to get the best players. And for me it’s close. It’s not just two guys. For me personally there’s also Marvin Bagley and Mohamed Bamba. We’re gonna work out between 5-10 guys and say, 'Look we’re wide open,' which we are.”

Ayton didn’t show up in Chicago for testing or interviews with teams and media. McDonough said the Suns expect to bring him in for testing and a workout as the June 21 draft gets closer.

More work ahead

Because he’s the potential No. 1 pick, Ayton may not opt to work out for anyone other than the Suns. But the predraft process won’t be as simple as for former UA teammates Allonzo Trier and Rawle Alkins.

Trier has already worked out privately for the Lakers and said he would stay in Chicago to work out for the Bulls on Monday.

Trier said his schedule also includes Minnesota on May 25, Sacramento on May 31, Brooklyn on June 4 and Dallas on June 8. He said he’s hoping to visit the Knicks around the time that he works out for the Nets, too, but isn’t sure yet who or how many more teams he might be adding.

“That’s probably six for me and we’ll see from there,” he said.

Alkins didn’t name the teams he’s working out for next, but said he had “cool interviews” with the Hawks and Warriors, another good interview with the Pistons, and said he also was interested in working out for the Nets and Knicks.

“They want to have me in for a workout,” Alkins said. “Being a New York kid, that would be cool and both teams are rebuilding so I’m excited.”

Meanwhile, both Alkins and Trier are based in Southern California while they prepare for the workouts.

“It’s like a job every day — from 9 to 4 in the gym,” Alkins said.

Richardson surfaces in Chicago

Former UA assistant coach Book Richardson took advantage of a court order allowing him to travel to Chicago for the NBA combine so he could network for a job.

Richardson didn’t attend the combine itself but was seen repeatedly in and around the NBA’s downtown Chicago hotel. Richardson declined comment when approached by the Star on Friday night, but was seen being greeted warmly by a number of basketball figures. Departing Oregon wing Troy Brown — once a UA recruiting target — even gave Richardson an extended hug.

Richardson was suspended and ultimately fired after he was arrested on Sept. 26 on federal fraud and bribery charges as part of the federal investigation into college basketball. He is out of jail on a $50,000 bond.

Teams eyeing Comanche

The Memphis Grizzlies hold the G League rights of former UA center Chance Comanche, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be playing for their Memphis Hustle team again next season.

Comanche can still sign an NBA contract or a two-way contract with another NBA team, a possibility that Hustle coach Glynn Cyprien wouldn’t rule out.

“What I think he needs to do is continue to develop,” Cyprien said. “He’s got a bunch of teams calling about him. He’s very intriguing. He’s going to some other teams’ minicamps and I think if he shows well in them, his next goal is to get on some team’s summer league team. And from that point on, you just never know.”

Wildcat leapers

Trier and Alkins may have helped themselves more in testing than during the NBA combine games.

Alkins tied for sixth in maximum vertical leap when he reached 40.5 inches, while Trier was just a half-inch behind to tie for 10th place. Trier also finished third in the “shuttle run” in 2.96 seconds and had a 3.14 time the three-quarter court sprint that tied for 16th and was only .01 behind speedy UCLA guard Jaylen Hands.

“People try to question my athleticism but I’m not sure why,” Trier said. “It speaks for itself."