Pat Spencer didn’t waste much time making his feelings known about Khaman Maluach at Phoenix Suns media day. The 30-year-old guard, speaking publicly for the first time, lit up when asked about his new teammate and delivered the kind of praise that sticks.
“Best energy of anyone I've seen in the league so far.”
That’s no small compliment coming from someone who has shared a locker room with Stephen Curry. And it tells you plenty about the early impression Maluach has made in Phoenix.
The 20-year-old big man was a constant talking point around media day. General Manager Brian Gregory said Maluach will get a chance to compete for a starting spot, while others around the team pointed to his eagerness to learn. Devin Booker even spent part of the offseason working with the South Sudanese international.
For Spencer, though, the buzz around Maluach matters for another reason. He’s a two-way guard trying to carve out his own place in Phoenix, and when a player in that position goes out of his way to speak that highly about a teammate, it carries weight.
Maluach’s path to a bigger role has opened up after the injury to Mark Williams, and the organization does not seem shy about the idea of him stepping into that opportunity sooner rather than later. If he can hit the ground running, that only helps Spencer too. A strong interior presence gives a guard like Spencer a better chance to thrive when he’s not in the G League, especially if the two can build a reliable two-man game.
Spencer’s approach also fits what the Suns need. His grit and physicality are the kind of traits that can matter over the grind of a full regular season. There are even echoes of Collin Gillespie’s first run with the team, with both players earning their way by working hard and filling a backcourt need.
And if Spencer can mesh quickly with Maluach while also fitting alongside Booker, his role could expand. In the process, he’d also be backing a young teammate with real size and presence in the paint.
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Rasheer Fleming is starting to look like one of those prospects who earns his keep the old-fashioned way, by showing up, putting in the work and letting his body and tools do the talking. For the Suns, that matters. Head coach Jordan Ott and teammates have taken notice of the second-year forwards physical gifts and the steady growth that has followed, and there is a growing sense that Phoenix may have something worth developing for the 2026-27 season.
Flemings path only adds to the appeal. He was not a heavily recruited high school player, which makes his rise feel less like a sure thing and more like a player who has had to build his way into the conversation. His ceiling is still hard to pin down, but the Suns have reason to believe he can grow into a useful rotational piece if the development keeps trending in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Are Asking Khaman Maluach For More Than They Wanted
With limited future assets and a mandate to stay competitive around Devin Booker, the Suns are treating Khaman Maluach less like a slow-burn project and more like a player they may need sooner than planned. The second-year center logged only limited minutes as a rookie, but his Summer League showing offered enough promise to keep him in the middle of the conversation as Phoenix maps out its frontcourt plans.
Booker has already been supportive of Maluachs development, and the Suns appear willing to bet on the young big man in a larger role if he can handle it. The question now is whether Maluach can absorb everything that comes with starting on a team trying to win right away, because Phoenix does not have much margin for error if he is not ready. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Should Avoid One Backcourt Mistake Around Devin Booker
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Rob Dillingham has been floated as a possible answer in some circles, but the more practical path for Phoenix appears to be staying with the guards already in the building and avoiding a move that does not clearly raise the level of the group. Jordan Goodwin fits that conversation better, while Collin Gillespie remains part of the backup mix, and the Suns can only benefit if the next decision is about clarity rather than chasing another name that complicates the rotation. [Read more 🡒]