Oct 14, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns center Khaman Maluach (10) against the Los Angeles Lakers during an NBA preseason game at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Suns Top Rookies Assigned to G League - Why That's Smart

Originally posted on Phoenix Suns on SI | By Donnie Druin | Last updated Nov 14, 2025 1:41 PM ET

The Phoenix Suns have assigned Rasheer Fleming and Khaman Maluach to the Valley Suns of the NBA G League, as made official by the team.

The Suns move into the weekend with an 8-5 record and a five-game winning streak.

Maluach (No. 10 overall) and Fleming (No. 31 overall) have barely played their rookie seasons, averaging five minutes each per night on seven appearances.

Their lack of usage emerges from a few different factors, as the Suns have outperformed expectations thus far and as a result haven't needed to emphasize player development of Maluach and Fleming - at least not yet.

For the mean time, the move down to the G League is smart.

Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming Need to Play

To be clear, this isn't a permanent move, The Suns can bring those guys back up at any time. And with two days off between now and Sunday's game against the Atlanta Hawks, there's ample opportunity for both rookies to get some serious run.

The best way for basketball players to improve is to - no surprise - play basketball, which is something neither Maluach or Fleming have been doing much of in the NBA.

So, the bump down to the G League makes sense. Phoenix is currently have solid success with their corps of veterans, and it just doesn't make much sense for both to rot on the bench.

Maluach, a top-ten pick, was widely viewed as a project with massive upside entering the NBA while the second-round selection in Fleming was a coveted name many teams were trying to snag after the first round ended.

“One of the things that is critical for us that we’re always looking at is do guys have any obstacles in their way to stop them from continuing to develop?" Suns GM Brian Gregory offered before the season.

"… Player development has to be critical, so you have to bring in guys that want to develop, want to be coached, want to work hard."

Both rookies now join Koby Brea, the third and final pick for Phoenix in the draft this past summer.

Their likely temporary move to the G League shouldn't be viewed as negative - in fact, it should be viewed as a big win for everybody involved.