The Phoenix Suns opened preseason in Detroit on Monday looking inward for size and rim protection, with young bigs pushed to the front of the line after veteran center Mark Williams underwent shoulder surgery and is out indefinitely, according to Cronkite News.
That vacancy is the pivot point. Second-year center Khaman Maluach and third-year Oso Ighodaro are battling daily for the starting job, Suns coach Jordan Ott told Cronkite News. It is a high-stakes competition for a team that went 45-37 last season, survived the play-in, then was swept by Oklahoma City.
The consequence is straightforward: if Phoenix gets competent minutes at the five from its kids, the rest of the rotation stabilizes. If not, last year's progress stalls. Ott said Maluach and Ighodaro are "ultra-competitive" and understand the physical standard, per Cronkite News.
Maluach arrives with momentum. He averaged 19.5 points, 12.8 rebounds and two blocks in Summer League, led the event in boards and made second-team All-NBA Summer League, Cronkite News reported. He also sought out Devin Booker in the offseason to train, saying the Suns star is "kind of like a coach himself."
Ighodaro, a Phoenix Desert Vista product entering Year 3, framed the competition as cooperative. He told Cronkite News he and Maluach trade pointers even when they run pickup on opposite teams. That sort of peer accountability is how young frontcourts grow up fast.
Rookie forward Koa Peat is the other headline. Drafted 30th after the Suns sent the 47th pick, two future seconds and cash to the Knicks, Peat arrives with a winning resume at Gilbert Perry High and helped Arizona reach a Final Four, per Cronkite News. Dillon Brooks said Peat is "a little shy," but worth breaking through that wall.
General manager Brian Gregory said the club had Peat "much higher" on its board and maneuvered to get him at 30, according to Cronkite News. Suns guard Jalen Green added that veterans like Booker and Miles Bridges will shepherd Peat's mid-range game and overall development.
Second-year forward Rasheer Fleming is also in the mix. Ott praised Fleming's work, care and clarity about his role, noting his physical gifts, Cronkite News reported. Green echoed the gym-rat habits, saying he sees Fleming in the facility morning and night.
Booker credited the entire youth group for showing up first, bringing energy and asking the right questions. "I haven't seen a bad rookie or a bad young fella in a while now," he said, per Cronkite News. For a roster that needs dependable size by November, that matters more than a flashy preseason box score.
Phoenix improved by double digits in the win column last year. The next step will not come from Washington theatrics or a trade rumor cycle. It will come from whether Maluach, Ighodaro, Peat and Fleming turn daily reps into reliable screens, rebounds and vertical defense while Williams heals. The Suns have staked that answer on development, and as camp opens, the kids have the floor.
