For the 10th time in the Tony Bennett era, a former Cavalier was selected in the NBA Draft. Ryan Dunn was selected 28th overall in the first round by the Phoenix Suns and will be going to a playoff team full of All-Star talents in Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Reece Beekman will also be joining the brotherhood of Virginia basketball alumni in the professionals, as he was signed by the Golden State Warriors as an undrafted free agent.
Dunn will immediately receive plenty of playing time, either as the starting small forward or as the sixth man off the bench. The Suns have 92 percent of their 2024 salary cap invested in their All-Star trio and therefore have very little cash to invest in the rest of their roster. This means Dunn has a much easier path to playing time because of Phoenix's minimal roster depth.
The Suns hired Coach Mike Budenholzer — who won the NBA title in 2021 with the Milwaukee Bucks — which should help Dunn as well. Budenholzer has coached in various roles throughout the professional ranks for decades, assisting in the development of several superstars including Tim Duncan and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It is well-known that Dunn’s calling card is his stellar defense, but with the Suns, he will have to face a much greater challenge than even the best ACC stars. Dunn will likely be tasked with guarding an opponent’s best scorer, which means locking down generational talents like LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Paul George. His flexible frame also makes him a potential option against some of the best guards in the NBA like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or big forwards like Zion Williamson. In the Western Conference alone, Dunn will be tested early and often against vetted stars.
An obvious concern about Dunn going into the draft was his offensive abilities. However, that All-Star trio will be consuming at least 75 percent of the team’s field goal attempts anyway, so Dunn will not have to carry any sizable load on offense. Should Dunn find a spot in the closing lineups of tight games though, he will have to find a way to improve his free-throw shooting from around 50 percent in college to around 80 percent, or else teams will intentionally foul him and take advantage of his inconsistent shot.
If Dunn can become an average shooter though, Phoenix could very well return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2021, when Budenholzer beat the Suns as Milwaukee’s leader. A lineup of Beal, Booker, Dunn, Durant and Jusuf Nurkic is an incredible combination of versatile scorers and impact defenders. Factoring in an improved bench led by Grayson Allen and rookie Oso Ighodaro, it certainly looks like the Suns can compete with the Western Conference elites.
Beekman, though he was not drafted, will still get a chance to compete for a playing time as well. Less than 30 minutes after the draft concluded, Beekman signed a two-way contract with Golden State. He will be on the Warriors’ roster but will also spend some time in the G-League with the affiliated Santa Cruz Warriors.
As for his time on the NBA squad, Beekman will get to learn from a quartet of all-time legendary guards. Stephen Curry is arguably the best shooter in the history of basketball, Chris Paul is one of the greatest passers in NBA history and Klay Thompson has also been one of the most impressive shooters — although he may leave in free agency. Coach Steve Kerr also played guard and was a key contributor during the 1990s Chicago Bulls championships. For several seasons now, Kerr has proven to be one of the best active coaches across the NBA. His experience playing guard for multiple championship teams is valuable, and Beekman can learn a lot from the NBA veteran.
Beekman will get a chance to soak up knowledge from those NBA legends as he adjusts to the professional level. However, his time in the spotlight is not too far away. Paul is 39, Curry is 36 and Thompson is 34 and may be leaving this offseason anyway. Therefore, Paul is likely playing in his final season, and Curry might be nearing retirement himself.
If Beekman can play at a high level, he very well may be Curry's heir at point guard for Kerr’s squad. Curry has actually seen Beekman dominate in-person, as the Warriors star attended the Cavaliers’ home victory over Virginia Tech in 2023 alongside former Virginia star Ty Jerome.
Beekman is not a flamethrower of Curry’s level and will have to develop a stronger three-point shot, but his other tools are already NBA-caliber. Beekman is a fantastic passer and a proven inside scorer. Defensively, he is actually the tallest point guard on the undersized Warriors roster and was consistently one of the best defenders in the ACC.
There is a clear path for Beekman to thrive in this ideal professional organization. Like Bennett’s program in Charlottesville, Kerr has led a winning team punctuated by championships in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022. Golden State rarely underperforms and can produce successful seasons with machine-like consistency.
For now, Cavalier fans can expect to see both Dunn and Beekman garner significant playing time with their new teams in the Summer League, which begins in mid-July. The duo will compete against fellow rookies plus a few second-year and G-League players looking to make their respective NBA rosters. And for Bennett and the Cavaliers, watching two alumni sign with strong professional organizations is a cause for beaming pride.
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