2020 NBA Mock Draft: Is Arizona freshman point guard Nico Mannion option for Suns?

Phoenix Suns have been searching for a backup point guard all season.

Could they find one and their future starting one right in their own backyard?

Tankathon has the Suns drafting Arizona freshman Nico Mannion with the 10th overall pick in its latest NBA mock draft simulator. The 6-3 guard out of Pinnacle High in Phoenix is second on the team in scoring at 13.7 points a game and leads the Wildcats in assists (147) and turnovers (72) in 27 games.

ESPN also had the Suns taking Mannion in its latest NBA mock draft.

Mannion is shooting just 39.6% from the field, 32.6% from 3. He’s taken 303 shots with 132 coming from 3. The five-star recruit hasn’t made nearly as big a splash in college, but he’s a talent.

The Suns (24-33) are 4½ games out of the eighth and final playoff spot behind Memphis (28-29), losers of its last three games. The Grizzlies own the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Suns, but they’ll be without Jaren Jackson Jr. for two weeks with a knee injury.

Phoenix begins a six-game homestand Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers (38-19). The Suns are coming off a 131-111 win at Utah, have won their last two, but Kelly Oubre Jr. has been ruled out Wednesday’s game with a knee injury.

Monty Williams has been playing Elie Okobo and rookie Ty Jerome at the one and using Jevon Carter at the one and two. None of them have solidified themselves as a consistent backup to Ricky Rubio, but considering Phoenix made moves to get a second first-round pick to acquire Jerome indicates it sees something special in him.

The Suns are the third-youngest team in the league behind Minnesota and Memphis according to realgm.com. They could easily trade the pick in a package and acquire a more experienced player.

Rubio will turn 30 in October. He signed a three-year, $51-million deal. He’s their present at the position, but is Jerome, Okobo, Carter, rookie Jalen Lecque, someone else or perhaps Mannion their future one?

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.

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