By Gerald Bourguet

The Phoenix Suns will get their first taste of 2026 NBA Summer League action on Friday. With so many key youngsters on the roster, there’s no better time to go through some of the main players that fans will want to keep an eye on over the next two weeks.

From the Suns’ four second-year players to the incoming rookie, here’s a quick rundown of what to watch for in Las Vegas.

For all the flak that a certain local radio personality got recently, his comments about Khaman Maluach weren’t completely out of pocket: Maluach didn’t get consistently meaningful minutes as a rookie, and if he’s unable to do so again in Year 2, there will be slight cause for concern.

The minute Phoenix drafted him, everyone knew Maluach would be a project who takes some time to develop, but if his impact remains confined to flashes in more limited minutes, a little concern would be more than justifiable.

Man Man showing out in Summer League would go a long way in assuaging those doubts and proving that the flashes we saw in the second half of last season were real. The 19-year-old recently spoke about his offseason work ethic, so hopefully this stint in Vegas will give him the opportunity to show how much it’s paying off by dominating lower-end NBA competition:

 

We have to reiterate that Summer League is hardly an infallible indicator of NBA talent. There are plenty of players who struggled in Summer League and went on to become great NBA players, just like there are plenty of guys who balled out in Summer League but flamed out in the pros. But it definitely is more reassuring to see a second-year player who was drafted 10th overall look the part, especially against lesser competition.

To that end, hopefully Malauch is able to showcase more shot-blocking as part of his rim protection. In his rookie year, Maluach only tallied 33 blocks in 46 appearances, though it’s worth noting that from March onward — when he got consistent minutes due to Mark Williams’ absence — he had eight games with multiple blocks. And though he only defended 106 field goals at the rim, per NBA.com, he held opponents to a staggering 19.8 percent worse shooting markthan they’d normally post at the rim.

Seeing Maluach deter and spike shots around the basket is just the starting point, though. Ideally, he can also showcase elite finishing around the basket (which can be a challenge in Summer League, due to the quality of point guards setting those bigs up); better hands when it comes to catching passes in the lane, lobs above the rim and defensive rebounds; a more confident handle if the Summer Suns ask him to operate a bit on the perimeter like last year; and the same crash mentality he showed on the offensive glass whenever he saw the floor as a rookie.

If Maluach can also knock down a few 3s here in there, or even a few midrange jumpers, that would be an added bonus. For now, the Suns would probably just be happy to see him do the essential “big man” things — and do them in dominant fashion — to show how he’s progressing physically and from a skills standpoint.

Fleming was the closest thing this roster had to a consistent Suns’ rotation player last year, and that remains the case going into Year 2. Plenty of people (myself included) were disappointed to see Fleming phased out of Jordan Ott’s playoff rotation, but even with the questionable Miles Bridges trade and the drafting of Koa Peat, this long-armed wing is poised to see a substantial bump in minutes this upcoming season.

Bearing that in mind, Fleming feels like the most likely candidate to thrive in however many games the Summer Suns allow him to play. He and Maluach will probably be limited to two or three games in Vegas, max, but during those stints, it’ll be fascinating to see how this 3-and-D wing fares against lesser competition after looking like a legitimate rotation piece as a rookie.

Don’t forget the numbers Fleming put up from Feb. 12 onward, which is when he first became a consistent part of Ott’s rotation: 6.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 40.5 percent from 3 and leading the Suns in total plus/minus at +117 (with the next-closest being Maluach’s +70).

Do those numbers scream “superstar in Year 2”? Obviously not. But considering he was only playing 18.4 minutes a night during that stretch, and the fact that the Suns don’t need him to put up huge numbers, they speak to his positive impact just by filling his 3-and-D role.

So as a starting point in Vegas, we’ll be keeping an eye on Fleming knocking down whatever catch-and-shoot 3s come his way, swarming opposing ball-handlers, wings and even bigs with his all-encompassing 7-foot-5 wingspan, and being a positive contributor on the glass on both ends.

In terms of growth areas, it’s worth noting that Fleming is up to 250 pounds and has gotten bigger and stronger. He talked about the need to get bigger after encountering so many strong players in the league last year, and he’s focused on slowing the game down and not getting sped up. That last bit will be a key evaluation point in Vegas, since coach Chaisson Allen said the Summer Suns will be putting the ball in his hands more often and letting him make decisions:

 

If Fleming able to showcase an improved handle that helps him get to the rim more, rudimentary playmaking skills, or even starts busting out iso moves in one-on-one situations to tease future upside in creating some of his own offense, Suns fans will be foaming at the mouth.

Brea was the pleasant surprise of the Summer Suns last year, averaging 12.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 42.9 percent from 3. He was a deadeye 3-point marksman as expected, but he also showed some wiggle off the bounce and an ability to create his own looks from the midrange.

Unfortunately, Brea’s rookie year was largely limited to the G League. He did average 16.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for the Valley Suns, but his trademark efficiency left a lot to be desired, as Brea only shot 39.8 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from 3. In fairness, he was launching 10 3-point attempts per game, but his efficiency needed to be a lot higher for a guy who doesn’t do much at an NBA level yet outside of his lone trademark skill, shooting.

Entering Year 2 of Summer League, it’d be nice to see Brea dominate once again as a catch-and-shoot threat and an off-the-dribble shooter. If he can get to his bag in the midrange, great, but beyond that, Brea needs to prove he can do more than just shoot.

Whether that’s being a positive contributor on defense, helping out on the boards, playmaking a bit, getting to the rim, or something else, the biggest obstacle in Brea’s path to playing time is the perception that he’s one-dimensional. Summer League represents a great opportunity for this two-way contract to start showing he deserves real NBA minutes as well.

We’ve covered the new rookie over at Suns After Dark, both in written and podcast format, but for any fans who weren’t regularly tapped into our analysis or Arizona basketball games, Summer League will provide their first glimpse of Koa Peat.

Ideally, the shooting concerns that caused him to drop all the way to No. 30 in the draft won’t be an issue in this type of lower-stakes environment. Peat only shot 7-for-20 from 3 in college and showcased a revamped stroke during the pre-draft process that not only looked wonky, but produced some brutal results.

His biggest advocates claim Peat is working hard to address that area of his game, and insist that — while it will obviously take time to improve his 3-point shot — the other aspects of his game overshadow his one notable drawback.

“Obviously that was a topic, and I think he’s a guy that’s gonna develop into a very good shooter,” general manager Brian Gregory said. “You know, didn’t shoot a ton of 3s. And it’s just something that I think at this level, as a 19-year-old, through the work that he’s gonna put in, a tireless worker wanting to get better, that that shooting piece is gonna come. When you’re that young, and at this stage, there’s gonna be areas that you need to develop. And you just do your homework on the work ethic and the desire to improve.”

 

Peat’s coach at Arizona, Tommy Lloyd, seconded that sentiment.

“I’ve talked to a lot of people about that, and Koa had made big progress on that this year,” Lloyd said. “I think sometimes you get in this draft process and maybe feel like you have to show things that aren’t your strength and prove to people you can do certain things, and maybe that’s not the case. But at the end of the day, obviously I’ve talked to Phoenix about Koa as a player, and they value Koa for all the things he does. Because I think if you’re doing this draft on impacting winning, and that’s where I like to start, Koa, to me, is a guy that’s a top-10 type pick.

 

“I think when Koa kind of gets with their people and gets with their plan and stays really consistent with that over a long period of time — and this might be a two-year process, and no one could be afraid of that, but during that two-year process where Koa is working on a shooting, he does so many other things well, you don’t want him just to focus on the shooting. Like, if you’re that good of a player, why would you just focus on your weakness? Why wouldn’t you focus on all the good things you bring to the game?”

So what does Koa Peat bring to the floor, aside from the question marks about his shot? For starters, he’s a burly, strong wing with a sturdy frame who likes to get downhill and get into the paint. That element of rim pressure is something the Suns have lacked for years, so it’ll be interesting to see how effective Peat can be as a driver or a slasher who muscles his way to the basket when he’s facing NBA competition for the first time.

“The one thing, again, that we always look at — the versatility piece, the ability to get to the rim that is becoming so critical in the NBA right now,” Gregory said. “Do you have players that are strong enough, big enough, that can get to the basket, can create downhill situations? The one thing that separates him from anybody else that’s 6’8″ and 245 pounds — and has a dad and brothers that played in the NFL so he’s not afraid to knock you on your butt — is his ability to make quality plays off that dribble as well. Not just get to the basket, not just have his head down; he’s got an unbelievable feel for the game.”

It’d be nice to see Peat come out and knock down a couple of 3s to silence his biggest doubters, but even if that doesn’t happen, his combination of size, strength and skill will hopefully be on full display at Summer League

“Koa’s got incredible versatility, and he’s incredibly skilled,” Lloyd explained. “I know a lot of times people attach shooting to skill, in maybe too heavy of a manner, because there’s so many other things to the game that skilled players do. And skill, Koa’s ability to handle the ball and pass — for his size and the force he plays with — are really unique.”

Aside from the rim pressure and secondary playmaking, how he contributes on the boards and on the defensive end will be other key areas to monitor. Peat has said one of his goals is to lead Summer League in offensive rebounding, and while that’s a bit ambitious, it speaks to his mentality of playing with that “Suns DNA” that Gregory has raved about.

 

On the defensive end, Peat will be looking to prove he’s big and strong enough to guard 4s and laterally quick enough to stay in front of 3s. His college coach seemed confident he’ll be able to do so.

“When you put somebody with Koa’s size and power that has the ability to move their feet the way he does — I mean, he’s so mobile — you put that together, it’s a really unique combination,” Tommy Lloyd said. “He can guard bigger guys, he can guard smaller guys, he can give you different looks in ball screen coverages, he can switch. Koa can get through ball screens, which you don’t see too many guys his size be able to do. And I think when the Suns get their hands on him and kind of get him behind the scenes and really start working with him, they’re gonna be impressed with kind of the what he adds to the floor defensively.”

To that point, coach Allen is already impressed with Peat’s leadership, communication and how quickly he’s picking things up after a few Summer League practices. Even Rasheer Fleming noted how good he is, how he does everything well, and how smart he is for his age. Hopefully all of those intangibles show up in a tangible way during Peat’s first stint in a Suns jersey.

Those are the four main Summer Suns to keep an eye on, but there are several other names on this roster to watch out for.

Appearing in only four NBA games last year, CJ Huntley spent the majority of his rookie year with the Valley Suns, where he averaged 15.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game over his 42 appearances. Huntley shot 63.1 percent from the floor, including 34.1 percent from 3-point range on 2.2 attempts per game.

Huntley is currently the Suns’ third two-way contract, given that he signed a two-year deal last season, but Vegas is a prime opportunity to show he continues to deserve that spot, especially after Phoenix re-signed Koby Brea to one two-way slot and added Pat Spencer to another.

Last year at Summer League, Huntley had a strong debut, but the screen-setting, rebounding and rim finishing didn’t quite hold up as the Suns’ guard play took a turn for the worse. This year, it’d be nice to see him carry over more of that, attack the offensive glass, protect the rim with some blocked shots, and maybe knock down a 3 or two for good measure.

After going undrafted, Sam Hoiberg signed with the Suns on an Exhibit 10 contract, and he’ll potentially shore up the team’s starting five at the point guard spot. The 6-foot Hoiberg made the Big Ten All-Defensive Team and was an All-Big Ten honorable mention last season, averaging 9.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

Hoiberg fits that “Suns DNA” as a scrappy player who forces turnovers and hustles his heart out. He also shot 54.1 percent overall, including 38.1 percent from 3. That latter number came on lower volume, but hopefully Hoiberg can help set the tone and keep the offense humming in an environment where things can get chaotic pretty quickly.

Beyond those two, Corey Camper Jr. out of Nevada is another undrafted free agent guard the Suns signed to an Exhibit 10 deal recently. The 6-foot-5 Camper put up 16.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game last year for the Wolfpack, shooting 45.3 percent overall and 39.9 percent from 3.

Tramon Mark, an undrafted free agent out of Texas, also joins the Summer Suns after Phoenix brought him in for a pre-draft workout. This 6-foot-5 guard spent six years in college, averaging 14.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game last season for the Longhorns. 

Another six-year college product is Devin Askew, a 6-foot-3 guard who spent his last year at Villanova. It was only one season, but you can never count out a Villanova product, and Askew could be the latest to fit that billing, especially as a guy who shot 41.2 percent from 3 over his whole college career.

Finally, a name like Jameer Nelson Jr. stands out, given who his father was. Nelson Jr. went undrafted in 2024 and has spent the last few years bouncing around the G League and professional leagues in China and Puerto Rico. Last year in 24 appearances for the Stockton Kings, Nelson averaged 18.9 points, 3.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game, shooting 47.5 percent overall and 37.5 percent from 3.

For more of Gerald Bourguet’s Suns work, check back with Sports360AZ on a weekly basis, subscribe to his Patreon articles and podcast at Suns After Dark, or follow him on Twitter.





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