Phoenix Suns forward Ryan Dunn, right, rehearses a movement with Suns NBA Summer League coach DeMarre Carroll at the end of a practice at Verizon 5G Performance Center in Phoenix on July 8, 2025. (Photo by Payne Moses/Cronkite News)

PHOENIX – Before DeMarre Carroll was popularly known as “Junkyard Dog” for his fearless approach to guarding the NBA’s best, he was just another unproven player clawing for a roster spot in the Summer League. Now, as a Suns assistant and the head coach of the team’s 2025 Summer League squad, Carroll returns to where his journey began — only this time, he’s the one leading the charge.

Carroll’s own path – from late first-round pick to journeyman to respected NBA role player – mirrors that of many young Suns players hoping to earn their place in the league. His connection with new Suns head coach Jordan Ott, who helped prolong Carroll’s playing career during their time together in Brooklyn, adds another layer of continuity and trust within the organization.

“I’ve seen DC in multiple spots, as a player and now as a coach,” Ott said. “You’re going to see it, you’re going to feel it. When he talks to guys, he has a different way about him. He has a positive outlook on life. … I’m lucky to have him here. We’re lucky to have him here.”

Carroll’s own coaching journey started just a few years ago as an assistant for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2022. But, his shift in mindset was shaped before that – thanks in part to Ott.

“He was actually my player development guy when I was in Brooklyn,” Carroll said. “He helped my career, helped me extend it a little bit longer. … He gave me a real, genuine conversation.

“You know, every NBA player – when you get to the end – you think you’ve still got it. Sometimes you’ve got to help the next generation. He kind of talked me off that limb.”

That conversation didn’t just help Carroll accept the end of his playing career, it planted the seeds for his transition into coaching.

“It all lined up, right,” Carroll said. “(Ott) changed my way of thinking. … He’s thinking outside the box. I used to be kind of a traditional thinker, but now being around him, you’ve got to think differently. The NBA changes all the time. He tries to change before it changes.”

Years later, that connection with Ott has carried over to Phoenix. Carroll is now taking on a leadership role in the Summer League – a proving ground he knows intimately.

“I just told (the players) there’s going to be a lot of information thrown at you in a short period of time,” Carroll said. “You’re going to make mistakes. You’ve just got to play as hard as you can. I always live by the quote: ‘Hard work is a talent.’”

Carroll once occupied a similar position to many of the Suns’ Summer league players: fringe rotation guys, late draft picks and young athletes looking to leave a mark. And with Carroll now guiding them, that shared struggle resonates.

“I’m excited,” said Oso Ighodaro, a second-year forward on the Suns. “Anytime you get a vet – a winning player – that can come back and give more to the game, I’m trying to pick his brain as much as possible.”

The Summer League players are learning a lot from Carroll, Dunn said.

“He’s a very chill, laid-back guy,” Dunn said. “He’s also a trash talker, which I like. Him and coach Ott have been giving us tips on the fly.”

Carroll is using that credibility to push players such as Rasheer Fleming and Khaman Maluach, an explosive wing and a developing big, as they try to establish themselves in the league.

“Rasheer, he’s a freak athlete,” Carroll said. “I’m just trying to help him along the path: help him with his shooting, help him understand the game, help him on the defensive side of the ball. The sky’s the limit for that kid.”

And Maluach?

“Khaman’s been great,” Carroll said. “Even when he’s tired, he’s communicating on the back line. He’s been great for this group.”

That’s the exact kind of intangible Carroll himself used to build his own career. Ott still remembers how Carroll made himself valuable with his mastery of the little things – cutting, defending, rebounding, doing the dirty work that doesn’t usually make highlight reels.

“His path – not only his style on the court, but first-round pick, really didn’t get much playing time during his rookie deal. He had to find his own way,” Ott said. “Then he was able to have some playoff success, and his career really took off. So his path is easily relatable to these guys. … He took a couple of bounces.”

That relatability, coupled with Carroll’s authenticity, has made a strong impression in Phoenix. As he prepares to lead the Suns into the Summer League, Carroll is determined to instill the same grit that earned him his nickname all those years ago.

“I know I’ve been in their position before,” Carroll said. “So I just try to tell them: Go out there and compete, be who you are. Just try to play as hard as you can.”