Hustle and show: Suns praised after busy second round of 2025 NBA Draft, land Rasheer Fleming, Koby Brea
PHOENIX – Suns general manager Brian Gregory stayed busy after bringing in Khaman Maluach and Mark Williams in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft Wednesday night.
Coming into Thursday, Phoenix held pick Nos. 52 and 59 in round two, but by the time evening rolled around, both were out of the team’s possession. That’s because Gregory made three separate deals to move up in the draft.
First, Phoenix traded away two future second-round picks to acquire the No. 36 pick from the Brooklyn Nets – which was used hours later alongside two more future second-rounders to obtain the first pick of the night from the Minnesota Timberwolves, at No. 31.
With the 31st pick, the Suns drafted Rasheer Fleming – a forward who played three years of college ball for the mid-major St. Joseph’s Hawks in Philadelphia.
Minutes before the deal for the 31st pick, the Suns traded pick Nos. 52 and 59 to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for the No. 41 pick – which was used to select Kentucky guard Koby Brea.
That makes four draft day trades once you include the deal made to acquire Williams from the Hornets on Wednesday night.
“The second round is much more difficult than the first round,” Gregory said. “Having things planned, almost like the flow chart – ‘if this happens, we’re going here and then we got to pivot here’ – a lot of phone work.”
Each trade that included a future second-round pick featured one that was obtained by Phoenix via the Kevin Durant trade on Sunday, meaning that the total haul for Durant is Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Maluach, Fleming and Brea.
The Suns’ two-day draft effort was widely praised, with Yahoo Sports and CBS Sports each giving the selections an “A-” grade.
Fleming, who turns 21 in two weeks, was projected by most mock drafts to be a first-round pick – with many even having him as a lottery pick. Similarly to Maluach, Fleming slid right into the Suns lap, giving them two high-ceiling prospects despite only having the 29th and 52nd pick less than a week ago.
At St. Joseph’s, Fleming finished his junior season with a productive 14.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game – shooting an efficient 53.1% from the field and 39% from 3-point range. He also projects to be a great defender at 6-feet-9 with a 7-5 wingspan and the fastest shuttle time of players drafted, Fleming can guard multiple positions, and will fill a huge need for the Suns at the power forward position.
“Every day after practice, he works out, works on something that he needs, even if it’s defense,” former Saint Joseph’s teammate Cameron Brown told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I mean, who wants to work on defense in practice? He’ll do it if it needs to be done. I’m sure he motivates half the team to work after practice, just because we see him working out.”
Fleming will be paired with Ryan Dunn, who was selected with pick No. 28 in last year’s draft, as the wing duo of the future for the Suns. Phoenix hopes both can develop into impactful 3-and-D players.
“You look at the playoffs, and you got to have guys that can do the things that Rasheer can do on the defensive end,” Gregory said. “It’s a must now.”
Throw in Maluach and Williams, the centers of the future, and Green, who is only 23, and you have an intriguing and structured young core to surround superstar Devin Booker. A youth movement was much-needed for a Suns team lacking assets after failing with a 36-year-old Durant.
“When you look at the groundwork that we’re laying in terms of some of our recent action, you’re starting to see the profile of really high character guys that love to play,” Gregory said. “Guys that want to get better, are going to work to get better.
Brea hopes to be a part of that nucleus, too. The 6-7 guard is known for his elite shooting: He led the entirety of Division I basketball with a 49.8 3-point percentage in 2023-24, and led the SEC with a 43.5 3-point percentage in 2024-25.
Even though scouts believe he will need to improve the other aspects of his game to succeed at the next level, adding a 3-point specialist with a mid-second round pick can be valuable for the Suns roster.
“Every year he’s gotten better and added another dimension to the shooting …” Gregory said. “That progression that we were able to evaluate and watch was a big reason for us taking him.”
The Suns rookie class of Maluach, Fleming and Brea will be counted on to make an immediate impact for a team once again flirting with the dreaded second apron. Rookie deals allow the front office to easier control costs, while the rookies’ upside and versatility give Phoenix a chance to stay competitive without sacrificing long-term flexibility or depth at key positions.
“Some of those picks in the 30s and early-40s range, you can really come out with some really good players, and I think we did that today,” Gregory said, adding, “You improve your team through the draft, free agency and trades … the fourth way that we were really going to put even a greater emphasis on (is) player development.”
With the draft complete, the Suns turn their attention to free agency. Armed with a new crop of rookies, but with limited spending power, Phoenix will look to round out its depth chart with affordable veterans who complement its young core and help keep the team in contention in a crowded Western Conference.