{"id":143236,"date":"2025-09-14T19:22:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-14T19:22:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/143236\/"},"modified":"2025-09-14T19:22:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-14T19:22:12","slug":"player-preview-rasheer-fleming-has-a-chance-to-be-impactful-early","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/143236\/","title":{"rendered":"Player Preview: Rasheer Fleming has a chance to be impactful early"},"content":{"rendered":"

Power Forward, 6\u20199\u201d, 240 pounds, 21 years old, rookie out of St Joseph\u2019s University<\/p>\n

Going into the second day of the 2025 NBA draft, it did not look like the Phoenix Suns were going to be in a position to select Rasheer Fleming. It was somewhat of a surprise the forward dropped to the second round, and the Suns were slated to draft in the backend of the second.<\/p>\n

However, as the day went on, the Shams notifications kept coming in, the Suns found themselves with the first pick in the second round and selected Fleming, something that he said he appreciated on draft night.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a great feeling for me, because it\u2019s kind of that same feeling I had with St Joe\u2019s coming in, coming into college. It\u2019s a team that really sought out for me and think I could contribute just to the team and organization overall, just as a person, as a player, kind of everything. So I really appreciate them taking that chance on me, and I can just go out there and do,\u201d Fleming told Bright Side on draft night when asked what it meant to him that the Phoenix traded a lot of their minimal draft assets to draft him.<\/p>\n

With Kevin Durant now on the Houston Rockets and the Suns taking a more developmental approach than previous seasons, the 21-year-old has the chance to play meaningful minutes for the Valley this season.<\/p>\n

Fleming played three seasons for Saint Joseph\u2019s University in Philadelphia. In his freshman year, he was a part-time starter and an inconsistent three-point shooter, averaging just 5.8 points per game. By his junior year, his final season of college, he was a full-time starter shooting 39% from three, averaging 14.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest.<\/p>\n

With a 7\u20195\u201d wingspan, he was very productive in transition, and his lateral quickness gives him the ability to guard multiple positions. Averaging nearly 3 stocks (steals and blocks) per game, his agility and hands helped St. Joe\u2019s achieve their best record in nine seasons.<\/p>\n

After being drafted 31st overall, Fleming signed a four-year, $8.7 million deal with nearly $6 million guaranteed, according to Spotrac<\/a>. For the 2025-2026 season, his base salary will be about $1.3 million. The Suns have a club option for Fleming for his fourth season that doesn\u2019t become fully guaranteed until 2028. He\u2019s set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2029.<\/p>\n

His 7\u20195\u201d wingspan makes him able to guard multiple positions and protect the rim at an above-average level for a forward. With his length, he\u2019s also able to be disruptive in the passing lanes.<\/p>\n

While he averaged a block and a half his junior year at St. Joe\u2019s, his 27-inch standing vertical ranked just 52nd out of 72 participants at the NBA Combine. Fleming is also a strong rebounder. He averaged 8 boards a game his last two seasons of college.<\/p>\n

What makes Fleming an enticing rookie, and how he could crack the rotation, is his shooting. He shot just 31.3% his first two seasons of college, but last season he shot 39%, averaging nearly 2 more threes per game more than he averaged his first two seasons. If he\u2019s able to continue his shooting development over to the NBA and be a steady shooter, he has an opportunity to not just be an impactful player in the second unit, but also alongside the starters.<\/p>\n

If Royce O\u2019Neale is traded, something that has to be considered a real possibility considering the years left on his deal, his age and the direction the Suns appeared to be heading in, Fleming could naturally see more playing time, especially at the power forward spot.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Not only do they play a similar position, they both project to play similar roles on the court for the Suns this year. Both play both forward spots and are known for their ability to defend and space the floor. O\u2019Neale is obviously the better player at this point, but Fleming is younger and more athletic.<\/p>\n

Likely playing with the second unit for the majority of his minutes, playing alongside a floor spacer like Grayson Allen could help him have more room to operate, but the team lacking a true, reliable point guard, could cause him to struggle to get open looks, especially as he gets acclimated with speed of the NBA game.<\/p>\n

Just like his college career, I see Fleming improving as time goes on. His size and ability to space the floor, tied into the youth movement the Suns appear to be taking apart in, I see him carving a solid role for himself on the team, especially if Royce O\u2019Neale is traded. There will definitely be some bumps, but his skill set should carry him to some solid stretches.<\/p>\n

Stat Prediction: 70 games played, 8.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.9 BPG, 0.7 SPG on 42\/33\/74 shooting splits<\/p>\n

The Suns invested a ton of their limited draft capital to get Fleming: expect them to invest a lot of time in developing him as a result. With Ryan Dunn the only other young forward on the team, he has a real chance to solidify himself as a member of the team\u2019s core for not only the future, but also for this season.<\/p>\n

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