Rasheer Fleming has arrived. With a rookie season full of G League games and garbage time minutes, he's finally gotten a real opportunity in the NBA, and he's cementing himself a role in the Suns' rotation.
The Suns have always held high hopes for Fleming. They traded up in the 2025 NBA Draft to get him with the first pick of the second round.
As excited as they were, they've been patient with him. He's spent most of his rookie season so far with the Valley Suns. He is averaging 17.1 points on 50.4 percent shooting from the field and 37.3 percent on his 3-point attempts. He is also putting up 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 34.1 minutes per over nine contests.
Before entering the Suns' rotation, he was playing just 6.5 minutes per (mostly garbage time) across 29 (out of a possible 54) Suns games. His role on the Suns was nonexistent, and his rookie season was focused solely on his development.
Rasheer Fleming is breaking out thanks to Suns opportunity
That all changed in early February, as the Suns faced a plethora of injuries, and an opportunity arose for Fleming. Coach Ott and the Suns were relying on him to step up, and he has made the most of it.
In 18.3 minutes over his last 6 games, he's averaging 5.5 points (including shooting 45.0 percent from 3-point range on 3.3 attempts each night) and 3.5 rebounds. Diving deeper into the stats, over this stretch, he has a DFG% of 29.6 on 5.4 DFGA, best of any Sun.
All of his minutes in these games have been impactful, too. Over this stretch, he's the only Sun without a negative +/- in any of those games (a total of +42 across all games), and that included 4 blowout losses to the Thunder, Spurs, Blazers, and Celtics. His contributions go far beyond the numbers, but all the stats back it up; the Suns have themselves a 3-and-D star in the making.
Now that he's proven himself as an NBA-caliber talent, it's time for the Suns to go all-in on him. Not only has he displayed all the tools to be an impactful player, but he also fills a position of desperate need for the Suns.
Outside of the Suns' three bigs (Mark Williams, Oso Ighodaro, and Khaman Maluach), Fleming is the tallest player on the roster. With a rotation that clearly lacks size on the wing, the addition of Fleming comes as a much-needed infusion of length and athleticism. And with how well Oso Ighodaro has played, Fleming's size helps mitigate the inherent risk of playing a smaller center like Oso.
With such unique skills and physical tools, it's hard to even fathom what Rasheer Fleming's ceiling is, and the only way to find out is by letting him play.
Khaman Maluach's breakout could be next
We're in the midst of Fleming's breakout, and it may be Khaman Maluach's turn next. The 19-year-old was the tenth overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. He is the Suns' top prospect. Phoenix has been patient in his development, but recent showings may have proven he's outgrown the talent at the G League level. Maluach's last two games with the Valley Suns: 24 PTS on 52 percent shooting from the field with 17 rebounds and 2 blocks, and 20 PTS on 75 percent with nine boards and two swats. This included an incredible self-lob off-the-glass into a monstrous dunk.
Keeping his recent NBA-level contributions and the Suns' future in mind, now's the time to give him a real shot. He has a unique skillset that separates him from other Suns bigs, and Mark Williams' injury opens the door for minutes at center. The Suns are focused on winning this season. They've been understandably patient with their young talent, but that doesn't mean the rookies can't help achieve that goal. They're ready.