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There will be a lot of new faces playing for the Phoenix Suns this season. After trading away Kevin Durant, selecting multiple players in the 2025 draft, and trading for a new starting five, there will be a lot of first-year Suns in the Valley for the 2025-26 season.
While the team isn’t projected to make the playoffs or be a contender, Phoenix has acquired many players that fans in the Valley seem excited to watch. Here’s a breakdown on some of the main new guys and where they’re coming down.
Khaman Maluach: Coming out of Duke, Maluach was the 10th pick in the draft and was the starting center for a Final Four team. With his size, agility, and being one of the youngest players in the league, he projects to be a long-term project for the Suns, but also someone who could be a dominant force inside that demands the ball on offense and protects the rim at an elite level on defense. Coming from South Sudan, his path to the NBA is one of the most unique ones you’ll ever hear.
Rasheer Fleming: A three-year player at St. Joe’s, Fleming is a 6’9” forward who showed flashes as a floor spacer and a strong rebounder in his final season in college. Taken with the 31st pick, the Suns moved multiple draft picks to get the rights to select him, and he has an opportunity to play meaningful minutes at the four spot this year.
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Koby Brea: 6’7” coming out of Kentucky, Brea projects to be one of the team’s best shooters right away. Playing for five years in college, he projects to be one of the oldest rookies in the draft. While he’s not expected to play much in the regular rotation and could spend a lot of time on the Valley Suns, Brea could be a replacement for Grayson Allen if Phoenix opts to trade him during the season at any point.
The Kevin Durant Package Players
Jalen Green: A controversial player, Green has many avid supporters and avid critics. The leading scorer on the two-seeded Houston Rockets last year, Green struggled in the team’s first-round exit to the Golden State Warriors, but showed glimpses throughout the year why he was taken second overall in the 2021 draft, and got a lucrative contract extension just a year ago.
Dillon Brooks: Just like Green, Brooks is a polarizing figure. Loved for his tenacity, grit, and trash talk, he’s the type of player fans say they love if he’s on their team but hate him if he’s not. Now he’s a Sun, and there’s no doubt that he’ll guard the opposing team’s top wings frequently and do so in style.
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Mark Williams: Traded from the Charlotte Hornets on draft night, Williams projects to start at the five for the Suns this year and be Devin Booker’s pick-and-roll partner. After almost being traded to the Lakers back in February until the deal was called off, Williams comes into this season eligible for a new contract. Additionally, he can act as a mentor to his fellow Duke alum Maluach, who said that the two already have a relationship.
What new Sun are you most excited to see this year?
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