The Phoenix Suns knew who they wanted on day two of the NBA Draft.
And there was only one way to guarantee they'd get St. Joe's big man Rasheer Fleming. If they got to the No. 31 pick, the first spot in the second round, they'd have their guy for sure.
So on Thursday before the second round got underway, Phoenix pulled off a pair of trades, and the end result was that they got to open proceedings at No. 31.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported about an hour before the draft resumed that the dealing was done to take Fleming.
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At the NBA Combine, Fleming measured at 6-foot-8 but with an imposing 7-foot-5 wingspan.
When you couple that length with his 39% 3-point shooting in his final year of college, Fleming can play the 3 or the 4 offensively but guard anyone you want on the defensive end.
Overall in 2024-25, Fleming averaged 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.4 steals and 1.3 assists per game.
Those defensive averages show just how disruptive Fleming has the potential to be.
He sounds like the prototype of a modern 3-and-D guy.
If Fleming reaches his potential, he can certainly outgrow the No. 31 pick.
Reports throughout Thursday indicated other teams wanted No. 31 from the Timberwolves, too, but it was the Suns who leapfrogged their way to the spot, and with it, the right to take Fleming and continue their moves forward after dealing away Kevin Durant.
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