The 2025 NBA Draft is in the books and grades for each team’s draft class are out.
How did the Phoenix Suns fare with their picks in the first (Khaman Maluach, No. 10 overall) and second rounds (Rasheer Fleming, No. 31 overall; Koby Brea, No. 41 overall)?
It depends on which site you read, because some of the writers have very different opinions on the team’s 2025 NBA Draft class, with Phoenix’s marks ranging from an A overall to a C-.
Some writers were high on the Suns’ selections, while others questioned some of their choices.
Check out early reviews for the Suns’ 2025 NBA Draft class, which are mixed. Which of these grades do you agree with (if any)?
CBS Sports: Suns get an A for 2025 NBA Draft picks
David Cobb writes: “Phoenix completely remade its frontcourt in a matter of minutes by trading for Mark Williams and drafting Khaman Maluach. Getting the towering Duke center at No. 10 was a steal for the Suns, who also moved off the No. 29 pick in the move for Williams. Though Malauch’s offensive game is limited to finishing at the rim for now, it would be no surprise if he ends up as the top rim protector in the class. The Suns also capitalized on Rasheer Fleming’s availability at No. 31 by moving up five spots in the second round to snag an intriguing, lengthy forward with first-round upside.”
ESPN: Suns land a B for 2025 NBA Draft class
Kevin Pelton writes: “A Duke center fell to the frontcourt-needy Suns, who also strangely traded to acquire former Duke center Mark Williams in a deal graded separately. It’s worth wondering, particularly in that context, whether Phoenix could have gotten the valuable trades down that teams just behind them made. But as Maluach was the top prospect on the board, standing pat made more sense for the Suns. Phoenix used future picks to move up to the top pick in the second round and No. 41. Teams were competing to take Saint Joseph’s forward Rasheer Fleming, 12th in my stats-only projections. Fleming gives the Suns another quality shot blocker, this time with more range. Though Brea is another shooting guard on a team overloaded with them, Phoenix could use his shooting — he has the highest skill projection as a shooter of any player in my database — particularly if Grayson Allen is traded.”
The Score: Suns earns a B- for 2025 NBA Draft choices
It writes: “The Suns went all in on upgrading their frontcourt. Phoenix first landed Duke standout Maluach with the 10th overall selection and then moved up to the top of the second round to select Fleming. That duo gives Phoenix a pair of above-the-rim lob threats that’ll also strengthen a weak interior defense. However, getting Mark Williams from the Hornets counteracts their draft selections. Williams and incumbent Suns center Nick Richards were teammates in Charlotte and struggled immensely as defenders despite producing offensively, and it’s a questionable decision to reunite them in Phoenix. The Suns rounded out their draft class with the addition of Kentucky 3-point sniper Brea.”
USA TODAY Sports: Suns receive a C- for 2025 NBA Draft selections
It writes: “There’s no question: the Suns have wanted a center for a long time. They traded Jusuf Nurkić to the Hornets in the middle of the season and struggled to find a presence down low. Duke’s Khaman Maluach at No. 10 — part of the trade that sent Kevin Durant to Houston — is actually great value. But, minutes prior, the Suns also reportedly completed a trade to get another former Duke center, Mark Williams, from the Hornets. This reeks of a team that didn’t think Maluach would be available, got impatient, and fired off a trade. Now, Phoenix has the opposite issue: it has one big too many.”
More NBA Draft 2025 grades for Phoenix Suns
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Suns’ NBA Draft grades 2025: Mixed reviews for team’s class