Koa Peat, other young Suns prepare for NBA Summer League

Jul 07, 2026 - 01:05

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Koa Peat, other young Suns prepare for NBA Summer League

Phoenix Suns forward Koa Peat is already starting to impress. The rookie has only been with the team for two weeks since being selected with the 30th pick out of Arizona in the first round of the NBA Draft, but is beginning to show why the Suns were so excited to acquire him.

There was high praise for the hometown product from Gilbert Perry High, as the team prepares to head to Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League, which starts for the Suns on July 10 against the Portland Trail Blazers.

“He's a bright, bright young man,” said Summer League coach Chaisson Allen, one of head coach Jordan Ott's assistants, during media availability on July 6. “Throwing a lot at him, a lot's coming at him really fast. And he's honestly one of the leaders already, just as much as the other guys. He's able to pick up on the game; what we're trying to ask of him on the floor has been great, and then just the communication piece, me and him talking back and forth like he understands it.”

Peat said Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd definitely “got me ready to be able to come here and try to impact the game right away.”

That’s showing up after just a handful of practices.

“He's really good,” forward Rasheer Fleming said. “I must say, strong, big brain, vocal. Kind of has everything on the floor. He's really smart for his age. I think that he's a great add-on.”

It’s clear that Peat’s maturity has been on display in Phoenix since arriving from Tucson, with center Khaman Maluach — who is 19 years old himself — referring to Peat as “the old man.”

Joking or not, Peat is endearing himself to his teammates faster than the thermometer rising on a July day in the Valley.

“I mean, I like the old man,” Maluach said. “I watched him in college. I'm happy that we have him here and I am really excited. I'm excited to play with somebody new.”

The ruckus has quieted since the draft for Peat, who is the only player to win the Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year award three times in boys' basketball. Now, he’s shifting focus to Summer League.

Peat has one specific goal in mind.

“Just trying to get better every day,” Peat said. “Get 1% better every day. One goal for me, try to lead Summer League in offensive rebounding. Just trying to be a menace on the glass.”

Fleming puts on weight

One of the biggest differences Allen has noticed this summer is how Fleming has bulked up. Allen, who has worked closely with Fleming since he was drafted in 2025, said Fleming is bigger than last season.

Phoenix Suns forward Rasheer Fleming shoots the ball at the Suns 5G Performance Center in Phoenix on July 6, 2026.

The 6-9 Fleming, who plays the power forward spot, was 240 pounds in his first year with the Suns.

“Yeah, I honestly was thinking about that this morning,” Allen said. “I walked in to greet him, and he's built, man. I think he's up to 250 (pounds) now. So you definitely feel his presence. You feel it when you're just addressing him, but you definitely feel it on the court, especially his body, his frame. And his wingspan, we know.”

There wasn’t any player in particular who made Fleming want to add weight. Rather, it was the totality of the league.

“Everybody in the league is strong,” Fleming said. “I think it will definitely help my game, too, just because I feel like I play at a fast pace a lot of times, and I might speed up, so it will let a lot of the game slow down for me.”

Confidence growing in second-year players

Fleming isn’t the only young Suns player starting to gain confidence heading into Summer League.

So too is Maluach, a 7-footer who entered the NBA at 18 years old out of Duke last year.

Phoenix Suns center Khaman Maluach speaks to the media at the Suns 5G Performance Center in Phoenix on July 6, 2026.

“Just getting better each and every day,” Maluach said. “Just using all the reps. I just got to use every rep. I take advantage of every rep, not wasting any reps. I had confidence in the first year, but my confidence is booming coming into my second year because I feel like I know more now. I feel I got better from that.”

Maluach said players on the team took off one to two weeks before getting back into the gym following the first-round playoff sweep by the Oklahoma City Thunder to end last season.

Since then, for about six weeks now, the Verizon 5G Performance Center has been bustling.

“We all hungry,” Fleming said. “Like, we want more. Everybody's trying to get better, and I think that's what's going to lead us far in the future.”