NBA Insider Shares Suns Moved Up in Second Round to Jump in Front of Specific Team

The Phoenix Suns have had an interesting NBA draft, starting during Wednesday night's first round when they traded for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams and then selected Duke's Khaman Maluach—another center—just minutes apart. The reshuffling in Phoenix following the Kevin Durant trade continued ahead of Thursday's second round when the Suns made a flurry of trades to move up to No. 31, the first pick of the night.

Phoenix acquired pick No. 36 and then flipped it to the Minnesota Timberwolves to move up even further and select at the top of the first round, which ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania shared was to jump in front of a specific team. When the Suns acquired the pick, Charania quickly reported they were targeting Saint Joseph's Rasheer Fleming, who they ended up choosing.

Ahead of the pick, Charania reported on the ESPN broadcast that the Suns jumped up to the front of the second round because the Boston Celtics—who were set to pick at No. 32—were going to take Fleming.

Reporting for night two of the NBA draft on the team that planned to select Saint Joseph's Rasheer Fleming before the Phoenix Suns jumped to acquire No. 31: pic.twitter.com/MPlDu6bzb4
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 27, 2025

Making a move for another frontcourt player comes off strange, especially after the Suns' first-round moves, but it tells you how much the franchise loved Fleming and prioritized getting some size during this draft.

"The Suns had major issues at center last season and issues with their size," Charania said on the ESPN draft broadcast Thursday. "They've done a good job here of getting two high upside big men."

He also pointed out how Phoenix's new head coach, Jordan Ott, comes from the Cleveland Cavaliers, where they played two prominent big men in the same lineup in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. So, the Suns' front office entered the draft with a new potential scheme in mind, with more consistent size at the power forward and center position.

The new, post-Durant era in Phoenix is officially here.

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