St. Joseph’s Forward Rasheer Fleming Ends Slide, Picked By Minnesota

The Minnesota Timberwolves selected St. Joseph’s University forward Rasheer Fleming with the No. 31 pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday, June 26, stopping his surprising slide out of the first round. Fleming is the first Hawks player to earn a draft selection since DeAndre’ Bembry in 2016.

Following his selection, the Timberwolves traded Fleming to the Phoenix Suns.

Although pundits expected Fleming to come off the board somewhere between picks 20 and 30 — he arrived on location at the Barclays Center on June 25 in anticipation for hearing his name called — he remained unselected during the first night of the draft. Instead, the Timberwolves selected him with the first pick of the second round. A 6-foot-9, 232 pound power forward, Fleming averaged 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.4 steals for the Hawks during the 2024-25 season, his junior year.

Fleming was the only player in college basketball to make more than 40 dunks and 60 three-point shots last season, possessing rare ability from long range for a player of his size and a 7-foot-5 wingspan that is sure to make scouts salivate. However, concerns exist about his vision on the court and playmaking ability, which might have contributed to his slide in the draft.

Assuming no roster shakeup, Fleming will suit up alongside fellow Big 5 product Collin Gillespie, a Villanova alumnus, on the Suns next season. Wildcats forward Eric Dixon is another Big 5 standout expected to come off the board at some point on Thursday night.