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Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea make their introductions

Phoenix Suns general manager Brian Gregory introduces the team’s 2025 draft picks: Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea.

  • Suns rookie Rasheer Fleming is day-to-day with right knee soreness.
  • Fellow rookies Khaman Maluach and Koby Brea performed well in their summer league debuts.

LAS VEGAS – Phoenix Suns rookie forward Rasheer Fleming is day-to-day with right knee soreness heading into Sunday’s NBA Summer League game, July 13, against the Atlanta Hawks at Cox Pavilion.

Fleming participated in practice July 12 with the hope he’ll play at some point during Phoenix’s summer league action. The second-round pick out of Saint Joseph’s missed the Suns’ 103-84 victory on July 11, over the Washington Wizards at Thomas & Mack Center.

“We’re just trying to be cautious with him,” Suns summer league coach DeMarre Carroll said after the win. “We’ve been playing that way in practice up-and-down the court, a lot of scrimmaging. We’re just trying to be cautious.”

The Suns will play a total of five summer league games with the third being Monday, July 14, against the Sacramento Kings and the fourth one Wednesday, July 16, versus the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Carroll later said the 6-foot-8-inch Fleming has been “working out” and doing individual work after practices. Fleming was the last player to leave the gym after practice on July 10, his 21st birthday.

At the time, Fleming was eager to establish himself in his first summer league game.

“Really just show my ability to compete,” Fleming said that day. “Like I was saying before, if anything goes wrong, I can always know that I played hard and gave it my all on both ends of the floor. Just making sure I show effort.”

Suns first-round pick Khaman Maluach and Koby Brea, a second-round selection, had strong summer league debuts as Phoenix led by as many as 26 points.

Brea scored a team-high 19 points, going 4-of-5 from 3.

“It was great just to be out there finally living the dream,” Brea said after the game. “Finally playing on an NBA court with an NBA team. Just really happy with what we did out there.”

Maluach added 14 points and five rebounds.

“It felt great being back and playing 5-on-5 basketball again,” he said. “I was excited to be out there, especially with this group of guys. I had to figure everything out. It’s a new game. It’s a new playing style. It’s a professional game. More spacing.”

Brea and Maluach appreciated seeing several Suns players and front office personnel attend the game and sit courtside.

“It’s dope man, it’s dope because we talk about building a new culture,” Brea said. “Things like that is what helps do that. So for them just to be there and support us and show us that this is important to them as well is really big for us.”

Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Royce O’Neale, Mark Williams and Collin Gillespie were at the game as well as Suns general manager Brian Gregory, CEO Josh Bartelstein, head coach Jordan Ott and assistants Jesse Mermuys and Brian Randle.

“It’s great to have our vets sit courtside and watch us,” Maluach said. “We’ll probably go back to the hotel and they’ll give us some feedback on what they think and tell us more and keep on teaching us and guiding us.”

Maluach’s agent, Rich Paul, sat beside Gregory during the game.

Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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