The Phoenix Suns made 2 trades Thursday to acquire the No. 31 pick, which they used to select Rasheer Fleming.
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BROOKLYN – On what is now Day 2 of the NBA Draft, everyone is hoping for a Taco Bell miracle of their own, after the Nuggets famously drafted Nikola Jokić at No. 41 during a commercial break in 2014.
Draymond Green’s selection at No. 35 (2012) played a key role in four Warriors championships, while Manu Ginobili (No. 57, 1999) did the same in four for the Spurs.
Sometimes, even the hits end up as misreads: the Mavericks landed an NBA talent in Jalen Brunson at No. 33 only for him to flourish into an All-Star, an All-NBA player and the 2024-25 Kia Clutch Player of the Year as a Knick following his free-agent defection in 2022.
Yet it’s that unprecedented selection of a future (three-time!) Kia Most Valuable Player which represents the extreme of success and an eternal fan ambition to have their front office be the one to outsmart all competition.
Will multiple starters, an All-Star, or – dare we hope upon hopes – a future MVP sneak out of these final 29 selections? The average NBA career is roughly 4.5 seasons. Many of Thursday’s picks will spend July trying to leverage any level of Summer League success into the guarantee that gets them there.
Thursday at Barclays Center, some teams spent the evening chasing intended targets, with others taking advantage to stack assets for the future.
The second round hadn’t even tipped when the NBA insider trade winds began blowing. The Suns, antsy about roster renovation, reportedly continued churning through options, striking a deal with the Nets to claim the No. 36 pick … which they flipped to the Timberwolves in a package to score No. 31.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are trading the first pick in tonight’s NBA draft — No. 31 — to the Phoenix Suns for No. 36 and two future second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. Suns continue rebuild by moving up to 31 and 41 in draft — send out 36, 52, 59 and two future seconds.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 26, 2025
Opening the action after four minutes on the clock, they tabbed St. Joseph’s product Rasheer Fleming – who led ESPN analyst Jay Bilas’ best available board entering Thursday’s action.
“I heard it a little bit before I walked out there,” Fleming said. “So at least I had a little idea of what was going on. It’s crazy. Nothing is guaranteed, so I was hearing it and taking heed of everything.
“That’s all I can ask for, a team to really, really want me to be there. I’m very grateful.”
Shortly after, with time ticking on the Celtics at No. 32, word came through that France’s Noah Penda would instead be routed to Orlando for Nos. 46 and 57, as well as 2026 and ’27 second-rounders.
The Hornets held firm at Nos. 33 and 34, selecting Sion James (Duke) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton); the 76ers drafted Johni Broome out of Auburn for additional optionality behind Joel Embiid. And then the Nets, original owners of No. 36, drafted Arkansas forward Adou Thiero … on behalf of the Suns Timberwolves Lakers as deals further compounded. The final cost: two future seconds (from the Suns), the No. 45 (Australian Rocco Zikarsky) and cash (from the Lakers), with the Wolves picking up a pair of seconds along the way (as they traded down from No. 31).
“Feels good, you know?” Thiero said. “Dream come true, and I’m just happy to be here. Playing for the Lakers, too? That’s a blessing.”
He acknowledged hearing trade chatter, but kept focused until the ultimate destination confirmed, which was all that mattered to him.
On a night that featured eight reported trades – though several could end up combined by the time deals are finalized – it was the Suns keeping the draft board fluid throughout; they added Kentucky wing Koby Brea at No. 41 (in a deal with Golden State).
“I started to get a little idea about it yesterday,” Brea said. “And then today, it was while they were on the clock – I realized, ‘OK this is going to happen.’ It was just unbelievable to know that such a great organization wanted me. I’m excited to get over there and get to work.”
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Ben Couch is director, editorial content for NBA Digital at TNT Sports.
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