All eyes are on Rasheer Fleming as Suns fans wait for his first Summer League minutes.
Summer League brings with it a cocktail of excitement, hope, and just enough basketball to quiet the withdrawals.
Think about it. The Phoenix Suns haven’t played basketball since April 13. That’s nearly three full months without watching your team take the floor. For fanbases whose playoff runs were cut short, this isn’t just Summer League. It’s a reunion. A glimpse of what’s to come. A fix.
It doesn’t matter that the games don’t count. They feel like they do. And after weeks of silence, rumors, and roster shuffling, we finally get movement. Jerseys on backs. Coaches pacing sidelines. That sweet sound of sneakers on hardwood. Placing some bets on FanDuel, perhaps?
This year’s Summer League carries no shortage of intrigue. With so many rookies and sophomores on display, fans are spoiled for choice. Everyone has a different reason to watch; different names they’re keeping tabs on.
But when we asked the community one simple question, “Who are you most excited to see?”, the answer came through loud and clear.
Rasheer Fleming.
A staggering 65% of voters cast their lot with him. Not the highest pick. Not the flashiest name. But something about Fleming — his motor, his mystery, his rawness — has captured the imagination of Suns fans.
And honestly, I think that’s a good answer.
Sure, I voted for Ryan Dunn, and I did so because I’m curious. I want to see if he’s ready to take that next step. If he’s going to evolve from a defensive disruptor into something more complete. But Rasheer Fleming? He’s a different kind of curiosity. He’s the unknown.
Drafted with the first pick of the second round, after the Suns moved up aggressively to get him, Fleming carries the weight of investment and intrigue. We want to see what that looks like. We need to see what that looks like.
We already have a sense of what Ryan Dunn brings. We’ve watched Oso Ighodaro run the floor. And yes, Khaman Maluach was left off the poll intentionally, because let’s be honest, that’s the guy everyone was already circling in red ink.
And while Koby Brea lit it up in the opener, it was Fleming who carried the most quiet anticipation.
Why?
Because we don’t know what he is yet. Because we want to find out. Because we want to see how his energy, his instincts, his chaos translates to the NBA game.
Now, Summer League might not be the best environment to showcase someone like Fleming. He’s not a “run a set for him” kind of player. He’s more situational. More reactionary. More rhythm than structure, like Shawn Marion, or even a bit like Ryan Dunn. He thrives in the margins. He finds his game in the mess.
But still, we want to see him. On the court. In the mix. Operating within this new system that Jordan Ott and his staff are putting into motion. Because we’re not just watching to see stats. We’re watching to see fit. To see flashes. To see how the Suns are building something new, and who belongs in that blueprint.
But alas, for game one, Rasheer Fleming remained a mystery. Knee soreness kept him off the court, and honestly, there’s no reason to rush a player in a game that doesn’t count.
Rasheer Fleming is out for the Suns tonight due to right knee soreness, per Suns
— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) July 12, 2025
So we wait.
Over the next four Summer League games, we’ll watch closely to see if he suits up, and more importantly, what he looks like when he does.
But here’s the key: hold your horses. Don’t rush to judgment on a young player still carving out his identity. Fleming isn’t the guy who’s going to pull up off the dribble and drain threes. He’s not a highlight-reel rebounder. He’s not the flashy star.
What he is, what the Suns saw in him, is someone who wins on the fringes. The gritty plays. The dirty work. The moments that don’t show up on the stat sheet but swing the game. That’s why Phoenix targeted him with such conviction.
The Suns’ next Summer League game is tomorrow at 12:30 against the Atlanta Hawks. We’ll be watching. And hopefully, we’ll finally see Fleming out there too.
Listen to the latest episode of the Suns JAM Session Podcast below. To stay up to date on every episode, subscribe to the pod on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music, Podbean, or Castbox.
Please subscribe, rate, and review.