Expert offers insight on Phoenix Suns' possible targets in NBA draft

DraftExpress director of scouting Jon Chepkevich shared his thoughts about the Phoenix Suns going into the 2026 NBA Draft in a recent Q&A with The Arizona Republic.

Question: Looking back at Suns draft last year, who else was interested in Rasheer Fleming, and who is he comparable to now in terms of projection in getting more minutes? 

Answer: Fleming's pre-draft workout schedule was kept relatively under wraps, with only his Portland workout being publicly reported. It was also reported that he interviewed with Charlotte at the NBA combine, which makes sense given that they were selecting at 29, 33, and 34. It's safe to say that he had a wide breadth of interest in the late first to early second round.

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I think a Trey Lyles-eque trajectory Fleming could view a realistic path to carving out a sustainable NBA career.

What grade would you give Suns' 2025 draft class a year later? 

Answer: Perhaps a C+/B- for now, but I'm generally not one to definitively grade a draft just one year in, as there's still plenty to play out over the next 2-3 years to have a better grasp of who these players will be over the long haul.

What kind of player should Suns be looking at if they only end up using that second-round pick (47^th overall)? 

Answer: The Suns have a clear identity now, steering into players with toughness, defensive pride and a competitive edge.

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Who are options/targets at that spot? 

Answer: At pick 47, potentially available prospects that fit this mold include Jaden Bradley (Arizona), Maliq Brown (Duke), Tamin Lipsey (Iowa State), Dillon Mitchell (St. John’s), Izaiyah Nelson (South Florida) and Kylan Boswell (Illinois).

Are you expecting the Suns to be as active in the draft as they were a year ago in this year's draft or no? 

Answer: I'm sure they'll do their due diligence evaluating the market if any interesting opportunities happen to arise, but I don't expect them to be nearly as active this time around.

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If the Suns are somehow able to land a first-round pick in the draft, who are the players they may have a shot to land. 

Answer: That obviously depends on where it might fall, but I'd similarly expect them to look at prospects that fit their aforementioned identity, some of whom could include (Michigan big) Morez Johnson (mid-1st) or (St. John’s forward) Zuby Ejiofor (late 1st).

Were you expecting more from Khaman Maluach this rookie year? 

Answer: I probably expected a little bit more, but wouldn't be sounding any alarm bells. The team was much better than anticipated, and the competence of the Mark Williams / Oso Ighodaro platoon (who are 4-5 years older) pushed a very young Maluach into a more developmental rookie season. He remains a good bet to emerge into a very promising piece given his physical profile, defense and intangibles.

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What do you think of the 1-2-3 Lottery and can this be a long-term answer to tanking? 

Answer: I'm interested to see how it plays out. It seems it'll at least be a viable short-term patch to curb the ugliest tanking at the bottom of the standings, but I'm not particularly optimistic that this is the long-term answer.

Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Expert offers list of potential Phoenix Suns draft prospects