DraftExpressdirector of scouting JonChepkevichshared his thoughts about the Phoenix Sunsgoing into the 2026NBADraftina recent Q&A with The Arizona Republic.Question:Looking back at Suns draft last year, who else was interested inRasheerFleming, and whois hecomparable to now in terms of projection in getting more minutes?Answer:Fleming's pre-draft workout schedule was kept relativelyunder wraps, with only his Portland workout being publicly reported. It was also reported that heinterviewed withCharlotte at the NBA combine, which makes sense given that they were selecting at 29, 33, and 34. It's safe to say that he had a wide breadth of interest in the latefirstto earlysecondround.I think a Trey Lyles-equetrajectory Fleming could view a realistic path to carving out a sustainable NBA career.What grade would you give Suns'2025 draft class a yearlater?Answer:Perhaps a C+/B- for now, but I'm generally not one to definitively grade a draft just one year in, as there's still plenty to play out over the next 2-3 years to have a better grasp of who these players will be over the long haul.What kind of player should Suns be looking at if they only end up using thatsecond-round pick(47thoverall)?Answer: The Suns have a clear identity now, steering into players with toughness, defensive pride and a competitive edge.Who areoptions/targets at that spot?Answer:At pick 47, potentially available prospects that fit this mold include Jaden Bradley(Arizona), Maliq Brown(Duke), Tamin Lipsey(Iowa State), Dillon Mitchell(St. Johns), Izaiyah Nelson(South Florida) and Kylan Boswell(Illinois).Are you expecting the Suns to be as active in the draft as they were a year ago in this year'sdraftorno?Answer: I'msurethey'lldo their due diligence evaluating the market if any interesting opportunities happen to arise, but Idon'texpect them to benearly asactive this time around.If the Suns are somehow able to land a first-round pick in the draft, who arethe playersthey may have a shot to land.Answer: That obviously depends on where it might fall, but I'd similarly expect them to look at prospects that fit their aforementioned identity, some of whom could include(Michigan big)Morez Johnson (mid-1st) or(St. Johns forward)Zuby Ejiofor (late 1st).Were you expecting more fromKhamanMaluach this rookieyear?Answer: Iprobably expecteda little bitmore, butwouldn'tbe sounding any alarm bells. The team was much better thananticipated, and the competence of the Mark Williams / Oso Ighodaro platoon (who are 4-5 years older) pusheda very youngMaluach into a more developmental rookie season. Heremainsa good bet toemergeinto a very promising piece given his physical profile, defense and intangibles.What do you think of the 1-2-3Lotteryand can this be along-termanswer to tanking?Answer: I'minterestedto seehow it plays out.It seems it'll at leastbea viableshort-term patch to curb the ugliest tanking at the bottom of the standings, butI'mnot particularly optimistic that this is the long-term answer.Have opinions about the current state of theSuns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin atdmrankin@gannett.comor contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at@DuaneRankin.Support local journalism: Subscribe toazcentral.comtoday.This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Expert offers list of potential Phoenix Suns draft prospects