Every day, we’ll take a closer look at another member of the 2026-27 Phoenix Suns, examining what they bring to the roster and what their role could mean for the season ahead as we count down to training camp and the preseason.
Rasheer Fleming
Power forward, 6’9”, 240 pounds, 22 years old, 2nd season
Ah, Rasheer Fleming. He’s a player with much promise, and someone you can’t help but get excited about when you project who and what he could be. Expectations must be tempered, of course. He was taken with the 31st pick
in the 2025 NBA Draft, meaning 30 teams passed on him for a reason. But when we watch him play, as he glides with his condor-like wings, your heartbeat starts to spike. He looks like an NBA player, which sounds like half-assed scouting. But when you see it, you know it.
After a freshman year in which he showcased promise, the true test begins. The sophomore year is typically when we see the largest developmental jump, as prospects no longer are taken aback by the inaugural sights and sounds of the Association and have had an entire summer to focus on strength training, film study, and routine.
For an organization that needs its young talent to pop, Fleming represents the possibilities for the next phase of Phoenix Suns basketball. While the expectations that sit upon his broad shoulders aren’t nearly as heavy as those of his fellow draftmate Khaman Maluach, a season in which he plateaus developmentally would hurt the long-term viability of the franchise.
Last Season
Rasheer made his NBA debut last season in the second game of the season, and scored his first NBA points in the team’s third. And while the stat sheet says he played in 55 games last season, his usage in the rotation was sporadic. Such is life for a rookie drafted in the second round. It wasn’t until late February that we began to see Felming with regularity, and with repetitions, we began to see what he could be as a player.
In the Suns’ final 25 games, Fleming played in 24 of them, averaging 18.9 minutes, 6.6 points, and 3.4 rebounds. He shot 40.2% from three-point range while averaging 1.3 stocks (steals + blocks). He was displaying his ability as a true 3-and-D player, impacting both sides of the floor. You couldn’t help but smile seeing him deny someone on one end and pump a three-ball in on the other.
He scored 10+ points in only 5 of his appearances, which is fine when you consider the role he was being asked to fulfill as a reserve. If you’re looking at box scores in an effort to define the productivity of a rookie, you’re certainly going to walk away disappointed. If you were to look at his only start of the season, game 82 when the team rested all of their regulars, there was a fortification of the promise Fleming brings. He scored 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 4-of-7 from deep, adding 6 rebounds, 3 stocks, and 2 assists.
Fleming was pretty much a non-factor in the postseason as the Suns were swept by the Thunder, although he could have been if he had been provided more opportunities. I know, I know…the ‘Disease of What If’. What if he had more run? It would’ve made sense, as one of the ways to jam up two-time MVP is to throw length at him at the point of attack. It’s something the Suns chose not to do, and SGA made them pay. When Collin Gillespie guarded him for 71.9 partial possessions, he scored 30 points on 58.8% shooting and 40% from deep. Fleming guarded him for just 1.8 possessions. The result? A block.
We’ll never know what would have happened if Fleming played more than 18 minutes in the postseason. And at this point in time, we don’t have to. What’s done is done, and we’re looking forward to what he could be, not at a series that was ultimately sealed before the tip ever occurred.
Contract and Roster Context
Fleming is entering year two of a four-year, $8.7 million contract. It is guaranteed through the end of next season, with 2028-29 being a team option.
What He Brings
Hope. That is, from a fanalyst perspective, what Fleming brings first and foremost. Effective rosters are built upon the prospects that flourish within the system. These are the players who become fan favorites. Not the mercenaries, not the veteran minimums. It is the players you draft and develop who have your heart the most. Mikal and Cam. Rasheer and Khaman. That thread of “they are ours” is what endears them to a fanbase.
Exploring the traits Fleming possesses fortifies that hope. He can shoot. He can defend. He has length, athleticism, the ability to rebound, the ability to play small-ball five, and adds size. From a prospect perspective, you salivate over the upside. From a realist perspective, you know that continued development and patience must be practiced in order for him to maximize when you believe he ultimately could be.
He should see more opportunities this season, slotting in as the backup power forward. And I assume that his versatility will put him in some unique rotations where he will shine as an ancillary player. The injury to Mark Williams should open the door for him to play center in lineups when speed and spacing are prioritized. I’m interested to see him in as a small forward as well, in lineups that emphasize size and rebounding.
What Needs to Improve
For any sophomore, the goal is not to plateau. To continue to grow and develop. What does this look like for Fleming? It starts with consistency and decision-making.
Consistency can only occur when opportunity is provided, and we witnessed this in the final 25 games of last season. That needs to carry over into this season. Consistency in shooting, consistency in positioning, consistency in rebounding, effort, and defensive discipline. If you look at who Rasheer was during Summer League in 2025 and who he was a season later, you see growth. But that needs to carry over into the minutes he will be provided this season.
Decision-making is another opportunity for Fleming. There are times you can feel him thinking just a half-second too long, and processing speed needs to become instantaneous rather than processed. That ability to react quickly is the difference between a rotation player and someone sitting on the bench.
Prediction
This is a big year for Fleming, with plenty of opportunities. His versatility should give him numerous looks in different lineup combinations, and I believe he will thrive. What does thrive mean? It’s not necessarily statistical dominance, rather, it’s someone who can contribute to the greater good of the team in a multitude of ways. The skill set is there. It’s time to see the execution.
I feel that we’ll look back at the 2026-27 campaign for Fleming as one in which growth occurred. Where confidence grew. Where he impacted the game with regularity. Will there be hiccups and mental lapses? Of course. But by the end of this season, we will have confidence that this is a rotational piece moving forward, if not a core piece.
Stat Prediction: 71 games, 7.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 48/37/72 splits
Final Word
If there is one thing that is clear, it is that I am a Rasheer Fleming Stan. I believe he has the ability to be the Suns’ version of Kawhi Leonard, without all the cap-circumvention crap. He may be quiet and unassuming, but he’s an absolute beast on the hardwood. He can lock you up and hit you with a dagger three on the other end. Does he possess the upside that Kawhi does? Probably not. He possesses the intangibles that every team needs in order to be successful. It now comes down to what happens between the ears.
