Not to put too much pressure on Rasheer Fleming, but his rookie season was exciting. His combination of size and scoring ability in limited run meaning he is sure to feature more in year two.
But if Fleming can build substantially on what we saw in 2025-26, and if the franchise is confident enough in those abilities, then it changes everything about how they approach this offseason.
Suns could trade veterans if they believe Fleming will make a leap
The jump would have to be “into the starting five” good, but that is not a crazy thought. If Fleming hits the ground running, then it opens up exciting trade possibilities for the organization. One of Grayson Allen or Royce O’Neale would surely be on the move then.
Allen has been excellent, but if Fleming can replicate some of his shooting and have a similar defensive impact, then it would be a waste to bring him off the bench. That made sense when the Suns were contenders, but having close to $20 million not start games when his trade value has perhaps never been higher is pointless.
The same applies to O’Neale, albeit he’s on less money and appears to be an excellent veteran presence for the younger guys. Perhaps the Suns could get a draft pick or another young player in a bigger position of need to pair with Fleming at the expense of Allen. That all sounds great, unless your name is Ryan Dunn.
He would also surely be on the move with Fleming already the better offensive player. Those Mikal Bridges comparisons have simply never happened, and it looks like he’s out of time to convince the front office otherwise. In truth Fleming is likely to start the season ahead of Dunn on the depth chart regardless, but any real improvement and it’s over for Dunn. In truth it already is.
This will all be music to Devin Booker’s ears, as the only help he is going to get on his quest to contend is going to come from within. Being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder hurt, but it will have been invaluable for Fleming. He even saw some run in the series and made a couple of shots.
The other side of the coin here is that Fleming doesn’t show the Suns enough to think he’s ready for a much bigger role, and so they approach the summer more conservatively. Allen stays, and Dunn gets one final chance to impress. A real swing piece for Phoenix in the coming months.
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