Oso Ighodaro and the Reality of the 40th Pick: Why the Suns Are Getting Exactly What They Bargained For
Let’s be honest-NBA fanbases are wired for restlessness. Even when things are going well, there’s always that one player, that one rotation decision, that one “why is he still getting minutes?”
debate lighting up group chats and message boards. Right now, in Phoenix, that conversation is circling around second-year big man Oso Ighodaro.
The 6-foot-9 forward-center out of Marquette has become a bit of a lightning rod. He’s not flashy.
He doesn’t stretch the floor. He’s not putting up eye-popping numbers.
And with a lottery pick like Khaman Maluach sitting behind him, fans are asking the obvious question: why is Ighodaro still getting these minutes?
It’s a fair question. But it also comes with a necessary reminder-Oso Ighodaro was the 40th pick in the draft.
That matters. Because when you’re evaluating a player like Ighodaro, it’s not just about what he isn’t doing.
It’s about what you should have realistically expected in the first place.
Resetting the Bar
There’s a tendency to project upside onto young players, especially when they flash in spurts or get real minutes early. But context is everything.
Ighodaro wasn’t drafted to be a star. He wasn’t even drafted to be a starter.
He was drafted to be a developmental piece, someone who might grow into a rotation role over time.
Well, here we are in year two, and that’s exactly what he is: a rotation player on a competitive team. He’s soaking up minutes while the Suns manage injuries, develop rookies, and figure out how to stretch a top-heavy roster across 82 games.
That’s not a problem. That’s the plan.
The 40th Pick in Perspective
To really understand Ighodaro’s value, you have to zoom out. What does the 40th pick usually give you? To answer that, let’s look at the last 10 players taken at No. 40 overall:
- 2014: Glenn Robinson III
- 2015: Josh Richardson
- 2016: Diamond Stone
- 2017: Dwayne Bacon
- 2018: Rodions Kurucs
- 2019: Justin James
- 2020: Robert Woodard II
- 2021: Jared Butler
- 2022: Bryce McGowens
- 2023: Maxwell Lewis
It’s a mixed bag, and that’s being generous. Four of those ten didn’t even make it to 90 career games.
That’s the bar. That’s the reality of the 40th pick.
You’re hoping to find a guy who sticks. Not a franchise-changer.
Not a breakout star. Just someone who belongs.
Now, let’s talk production. Through his first 90 games, Ighodaro has logged:
- 4.4 points
- 3.8 rebounds
- 1.4 assists
- 17.5 minutes per game
Compare that to the average for 40th picks over the last decade (factoring in the guys who barely played):
- 4.8 points
- 1.9 rebounds
- 1.0 assist
- 14.1 minutes per game
He’s not lighting up the scoreboard, but he’s rebounding at a higher clip, playing more minutes, and showing enough versatility to stay on the floor. In fact, he leads this group in total rebounds (340) and ranks third in assists (122), trailing only Jared Butler and Josh Richardson-who, by the way, is the clear standout from this list with 704 points in his first 90 games.
What the Suns Are Actually Getting
Here’s the part that tends to get lost in the noise: Oso Ighodaro is a net positive when he’s on the floor. Among all players taken 40th in the last ten years, he’s the only one sitting at +30 in plus-minus through his first 90 games.
That doesn’t mean he’s dominating. It means he’s not hurting you.
And for a second-year big in a rotation role, that’s a win.
He’s not a scorer. He’s not a floor-spacer.
But he rim-runs, defends, rebounds, and moves the ball. He’s active.
He’s engaged. He stays within himself.
And most importantly, he’s not taking possessions off or dragging down the team’s energy.
Could Maluach eventually take his minutes? Sure.
Could the Suns look to upgrade the backup center spot down the line? Absolutely.
But right now, Ighodaro is doing exactly what a second-year, 40th overall pick is supposed to do-contribute in a limited role, stay ready, and give the team enough to justify continued development.
The Long View
This is what smart teams do. They give young players real reps.
They let them fail. They let them grow.
And they evaluate with context in mind. The Suns aren’t asking Oso Ighodaro to be their missing piece.
They’re asking him to hold down his minutes, stay solid, and give them a reason to keep investing.
And so far, he’s doing that.
Will there be frustrating possessions? Of course.
Will fans still groan at missed rotations or blown layups? Probably.
That’s part of the journey. But when you stack Ighodaro up against what history tells us about the 40th pick, one thing becomes clear: the Suns are getting more than most teams do at that spot.
He’s not just a body. He’s not just a placeholder.
He’s a rotation player. And for pick No. 40, that’s a quiet win.
Let’s not confuse “not a star” with “not valuable.” Oso Ighodaro is earning his minutes-and in this league, that’s no small feat.