LAS VEGAS — The first time around, everything felt unfamiliar. The speed. The noise. The weight of expectation when nobody tells you what normal even feels like. Khaman Maluach was 18 and figuring it out in real time. Rasheer Fleming was anxious, worried he’d step wrong before he’d even touched the ball.
That was last summer. This one is different.
The Phoenix Suns are back in Las Vegas for NBA Summer League, and their two most important second-year pieces — Maluach and Fleming — aren’t treating this like a do-over. They’re treating it like a job they already know how to do.
From uncertainty to ownership
Last year, Maluach and Fleming walked into Summer League not knowing what the next few months would bring. They were rookies trying to prove they belonged. But a full season of G-League reps and call-ups to the main roster changes things. Multiple stints with the Valley Suns and minutes in Phoenix gave them something rookies don’t have: a baseline.
“I know what it looks like now,” Maluach said. “I know what somebody is gonna be like. I know what it’s gonna feel like after you play, after you have a bad game or a good game. I know the process, and I’m confident.”
Fleming said the anxiety he felt last year is gone. “I was a little anxious to get on the floor last year because I wasn’t really sure what to expect,” he said. “Last season I was able to play with the G League, able to play with the guys here on the Suns. I got to both, and I feel that prepared me to just go out there and play comfortably.”
Added size, same quickness
Fleming quietly had one of the more encouraging offseasons on the roster. He’s put on 60 pounds since his rookie year and now sits around 250. The goal was to add that weight without losing his ability to move laterally. So far, so good. The team has even experimented with him as a small-ball center in limited stretches, and that role could expand this season.
Maluach, the former Duke big man, is a matchup problem already. Rim protection, underrated shooting range, and that 9-6 standing reach make him a constant lob threat. He’s the kind of center who doesn’t need plays drawn up for him to affect a possession.
Continuity and a familiar face
One thing that stands out about this Suns Summer League squad: the roster hasn’t been torn down and rebuilt like some teams do every year. Phoenix re-signed its free agents. Koby Brea, another second-year guy, got another two-way deal. That continuity matters when you’re trying to build actual habits instead of just running through drills.
Chassion Allen, who worked with both players during the season as a development coach, will coach the Summer League team. His directive for Fleming and Maluach was straightforward: get the ball in their hands more, and let them make plays. Not just defend. Not just finish. Create.
Maluach said the whole group has been putting in gym time consistently. “The hard work will pay off,” he said. And with most of the main roster expected to be in the building watching, there’s no better stage to show what year two really looks like.
Leave a Comment