Top Suns Players to Watch at 2025 NBA Summer League

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns' 2025 NBA Summer League team could end up catching a lot of people by surprise in Las Vegas starting with their first game Friday night at 6:00 p.m. AZ time against the Washington Wizards.

Phoenix will have four rookies either on standard or two-way contracts playing, as well as its second-year players Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro.

It will be the first opportunity for the Suns to show their new hard-nosed, defensive identity owner Mat Ishbia committed to establish this offseason, and their personnel could very well reflect this.

All six of the players under contract for next season will have something to prove on what their role should be on the 2025-26 team.

This is why they are all our top players to watch on Phoenix's summer league roster ranked below:

1. Khaman Maluach

Mar 23, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Tyrese Proctor (5) and Duke Blue Devils center Khaman Maluach (9) reacts after a play against the Baylor Bears during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Suns have already been raving about what their No. 10 overall pick Khaman Maluach has been showing in practice, especially with his defensive communication and versatility.

The 7-foot-2 center will also have the ability to put his shooting touch on display, which he showed flashes of at Duke, at Summer League. This could be a deadly weapon if the 18-year-old fully develops it in the years to come.

Maluach likely will start his career as the backup center behind new acquisition Mark Williams, but has all the makings of a potential franchise center and the summer league will be the first place to set forth exactly why.

2. Ryan Dunn

Mar 21, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Ryan Dunn (0) shoots against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Dunn shocked everyone last season after being selected No. 28 overall with his improvement on his 3-point shot, which he originally struggled mightily with in last year's summer league and in college at Virginia.

This summer league won't be just about seeing Dunn's 3-point shot develop even more, but he has the potential to dominate after a strong rookie year and could only play a couple games depending on how well he performs out of the gate.

Barring anymore moves, Dunn is slated to be a starter for the Suns next season, and he can show exactly why he should in Vegas, especially if his defense continues to cause problems for opponents and he can take major strides forward offensively.

3. Oso Ighodaro

Jan 16, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Phoenix Suns center Oso Ighodaro (4) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Ighodaro is at a weird spot in Phoenix's rotation after finishing last season as the team's backup center because of the additions of Williams and Maluach and with the Suns still having Nick Richards.

In Vegas, the big man can show that he can either play the 4 or 5 position, which would allow him more avenues to playing time next season. Playing alongside Maluach will demonstrate just how well he can do at the power forward position.

Ighodaro will likely continue to display his elite playmaking and IQ at the summer league, but his touch around the basket and defensive versatility will be key areas to watch with his jump shot still a work in progress.

4. Rasheer Fleming

Nov 20, 2023; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Saint Joseph's Hawks forward Rasheer Fleming (13) shoots the ball during the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Fleming might end up coming off the bench at summer league depending on if Phoenix wants to start Ighodaro at the 4, but he will still get plenty of opportunities to show why he should immediately be in the Suns rotation after being selected 31st overall in June.

At 6-foot-8, Fleming has a ton of potential in all areas of his game, and if he can put it all together, he could end up having some huge performances throughout Phoenix's stint in Vegas and eventually be in a featured role depending on how many games Dunn plays.

Fleming's tape from college showed that he can slot in seamlessly to a 3-and-D role in the NBA, but his athleticism could help him be even more than that. Summer league will be the first opportunity for Fleming to showcase all he can bring to the floor.

5. Koby Brea

Mar 23, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Koby Brea (4) shoots against Illinois Fighting Illini forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Brea was signed to a two-way contract after the Suns picked him 41st overall after he was arguably the top 3-point shooter in the country at Kentucky last season.

Unlike all the players mentioned above, Brea isn't known for his defense, but his IQ and shooting should stand out right away. At 6-foot-6, Brea can also prove that he has taken strides in his defense.

Brea doesn't have a clear role on the Suns currently with Grayson Allen still on the roster behind Devin Booker and Jalen Green, but his development into an NBA player as already an elite shooter will be a storyline to watch throughout his rookie year, and summer league will be where he can show early glimpses of this.

6. CJ Huntley

Nov 15, 2022; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (5) dribbles against Appalachian State Mountaineers forward CJ Huntley (15) during the first half at KFC Yum! Center. Appalachian State defeated Louisville 61-60. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

After signing a two-way deal with the Suns as an undrafted free agent out of Appalachian State, Huntley likely won't start with Ighodaro, Fleming and Maluach all on the team.

At 6-foot-11, Huntley more than doubled his points per game to 15.7 for the Mountaineers his senior year last season, and showed he can be a stretch big man, shooting 35.6% from 3.

The Suns have been searching for a stretch big for a while, and if Huntley can prove he can do exactly that in summer league while holding his own defensively, Phoenix would be happy.

Here is the Suns' full summer league roster:

Suns announce their roster for summer league, which includes Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro. pic.twitter.com/STwI992L3i
— Doug Haller (@DougHaller) July 7, 2025

A few notes on some of the other players:

Yuri Collins averaged 10.7 assists in his second year in the G League last season after leading the country in assists at St. Louis with 10.1 in the 2022-23 season, so look for him to set up Phoenix's key players.

Two of Phoenix's G League Valley Suns players from last season, forward Moses Wood and guard Alex Schumacher, are on the roster.

Khalif Battle (Gonzaga) joins the roster after a decorated college career, while Brandon Angel (Oregon) and Jordan Gainey (Tennessee) enter their rookie years on the team after being key contributors to big-name schools. Boogie Ellis was also a very well-known player in college at USC and will be fighting for an NBA spot in his second summer league.

After the Suns play the Wizards Friday on ESPN, their second game will be against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday at 12:30 p.m on NBATV. They will then play the next day against the Sacramento Kings at 7:00 p.m. on ESPNU before one final preliminary game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, July 16 on NBATV.