Welcome to the Phoenix Suns: Khaman Maluach!

[lilfishi22]

https://www.nbadraft.net/players/khaman-maluach/
NBA Comparison: Jacob Poeltl / Ivica Zubac

Strengths: A rim protector, rim runner extraordinaire … A smart, coachable player who has shown steady improvement through the course of his freshman season at Duke … Conditioning and body have improved over past 6 months … Runs the floor well for a 7-2 player and converts in transition at a high rate … Anchored the Blue Devils defense and alters as many shots with his presence as he blocks … Shows potential to wreak havoc on defense at the next level with his massive 9’8 standing reach, 7’5 wingspan and 7’2 frame … Some of his impact does not show directly on the box score … Impacts opposing team’s FG% and flow offensively … Has become a dominant defensive presence, in stretches, at the college level … Has some innate shot blocking ability, reacting well and not biting on fakes too easily … Has a good level of energy and desire for a big man …. Extremely efficient converting FGs, granted many of those are allyoop dunks … Highly efficient converting 71% of his FGs … Has shown a solid ability as the roll man in pick and roll situations … Knocked down 4-of-16 three pointers, which is encouraging, but not a big enough sample size to draw a conclusion from … A solid rebounder with good strength … An enticing, upside pick, but would come with a great deal of risk if taken high. The gamble is that his offensive game still has a great deal of development left and he will become an starter that can impact the game at both ends … Very mature individual with high character … Intelligent, focused and shows a lot of attention to detail, which explains his improvement in a short period of time …

Weaknesses: Could be relegated to being a specialist and may struggle to stay on the floor in late game situations due to match ups … While shooting shows potential with his form and (76%) FT percentage, still has a long ways to go and has not proven the ability to score or create offense for himself on the perimeter … Was not really asked to create offense from the low post, so that aspect of his game remains extremely limited … Ball handling ability not really a part of his game at this point either … Has improved on stamina but still gets winded quickly and has to have his minutes limited to a degree … Respiratory system can sometimes be an issue for players his size and cardio struggles have popped up at times. Had one incident where he vomited while in the game … Foot speed hurts his ability to switch and guard quick opposing players on the perimeter … While he had a clear impact as a defensive rim protector, His 1.3 blocks per game (50 in 39 games) are slightly low considering his abilities … 21 minutes per game are a good start for a freshman player his “age”, but leaves some uncertainty about his ability to play heavy minutes throughout an NBA schedule … Lack of readiness and being perceived as a “project” that needs a few years to impact will likely make him a mid to late first rounder, as opposed to a mid lotto pick … Despite being an obvious standout with a great deal of potential on the defensive end of the floor, at times his inexperience show with blown assignments and spacing issues … Safe to call him raw and inconsistent on defense, despite possessing the ability to completely disrupt an opposing team’s offensive scheme … Long legs and big torso make him a little top heavy and not as balanced …

Notes: Khaman Maluach measured 7′ 0.75” barefoot, 252.8 lbs, 7′ 6.75” wingspan, 9′ 6.00” standing reach with a 24.0 no step vertical and 30.0 maximum vertical at the 2025 NBA Draft Combine. … Measured: 7’0.75″, 9’8″ standing reach, 250 lbs, 7’4.5″ wingspan, 28.5″ max vert at the 2024 Basketball Without Borders … Measured: 7’1″, 9’5″ standing reach, 250 lbs, 7’5″ wingspan at the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit …Native of South Sudan … Played in at the 2024 Nike NBA Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon … Developed before Duke in the NBA Academy and NBA Africa programs …

[lilfishi22]

A postmodern rim-protecting titan with all the tools to be the perfect pick-and-roll finisher.

SCOUTING REPORT BY Danny Chau
Calling Maluach’s rise over the past four years meteoric feels like an understatement. Four years ago, the South Sudanese refugee became the youngest-ever enrollee at an NBA Academy, at just 14 years old. It was his first time playing organized basketball. At 16, Maluach became the third-youngest player ever to play in a FIBA World Cup. The following summer, he was—by a wide margin—the youngest competitor in men’s basketball at the Olympics. He’s had several lifetimes of experience in these past four years alone. Yet we’re still just at the ground floor.

One can assume Maluach’s role on the floor from one glance at his measurements. Maluach has a 9-foot-8 standing reach—1 inch longer than Victor Wembanyama’s and 1 inch shorter than Rudy Gobert’s and Duke alumnus Mark Williams’s. He has an unlimited catch radius on lobs; he can cordon off the painted area simply by spreading his arms. But it’s 2025—the NBA is no country for plodding bigs. There are interesting wrinkles in Maluach’s profile that suggest a possible deviation from the Gobert archetype. For one, his touch is exceptional for his size: He’s a good free throw shooter, he can gently guide lobs into the basket as routinely as he can flush them home, and he has the coordination to catch passes from uncomfortable angles. His screen craft is nuanced for a teenager, and his scoring efficiency as a finisher out of the pick-and-roll is astronomically high compared to just about every lottery big man of the past decade.

Players of Maluach’s archetype are typically seen as floor raisers on defense, but his unique style of pick-and-roll defense could be more of a ceiling play. His arms are constantly in motion, moving up and down like he’s an anthropomorphic mini-golf windmill that follows you around the fairway. He can get absurdly low in his defensive stance without losing his range of motion or velocity moving backward and laterally. Because of this, there is almost a hubris in Maluach’s defensive tendencies—he plays at the level of the screen in pick-and-rolls because he thinks he can; he dances on the perimeter with guards because he thinks he can. And if he can’t, he’ll bet on his own recovery speed and ridiculous reach to get back into the play. His ability to blow up plays in unconventional ways is something that Duke has consistently put to the test. The technique isn’t always sound, and the results aren’t always there. When he’s lost on a play, it can look really bad. But confidently defending in space requires both a skill and a mentality that players of his ilk rarely demonstrate with the same enthusiasm. It’s something NBA teams will want to see him test the limits of—if he figures it out, he could be the rare defensive anchor who raises both the floor and the ceiling of a team.

It does skew some of his data, however. Because of the amount of time Maluach spends defending outside the paint, his defensive rebounding numbers are unexceptional (he has one of the highest offensive rebounding rates in college basketball, though). His block percentage, while solid, doesn’t reflect his outlier tools. He wouldn’t be the first Duke center posting underwhelming numbers to get drafted in the lottery—Dereck Lively II’s counting stats were paltry, but his defensive influence was never in question. (To be fair, Lively’s block percentage was an order of magnitude higher than Maluach’s.) How teams reconcile the ho-hum numbers with both Maluach’s on-court context and his absurd potential will determine just how high he can go in the draft.

[lilfishi22]

Watch on YouTube

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[lilfishi22]

https://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=khaman-maluach--dereck-lively-ii--jalen-duren--mark-williams--clint-capela

Coincidently, Mark Williams and Maluach is both 7'2 with a 7'6 wingpsan and about 240-250lb coming into the league...

[Mr Puddles]

Maluan standing reach 9-8 ( longer than Wemby), Mark Williams standing reach 9-9 (same as Gobert).

Suns added a lot of length to the squad.

[sunsbum]

Love the pick!

[lilfishi22]

https://www.nbadraft.net/players/khaman-maluach/
NBA Comparison: Jacob Poeltl / Ivica Zubac

Didn't even see this comp lol

Two guys that have been discussed recently. Poeltl more so than Zubac

[sunsbg]

High risk, high reward. Nbadraft.net grade is A-/D-, nothing in-between.

Can't teach size and good FT shooting suggests he may develop on offensive side so I like the pick.

[lilfishi22]

High risk, high reward. Nbadraft.net grade is A-/D-, nothing in-between.

Can't teach size and good FT shooting suggests he may develop on offensive side so I like the pick.

I expected him be like a 50-60% FT shooter which is usually the case for these types of bigs so I was pleasantly surprised to see him shooting just under 77% at the line. Low-ish volume a 2FTA and 77 overall attempts across 39 games but still impressive. Also maybe worth noting he didn't miss a game in college.

[lilfishi22]

Some draft grades:

Bleacher Report: A

The Suns needed to nail this pick after making it one of the primary pieces in their return package from the Houston Rockets for Kevin Durant. The draft board allowed the Suns to do exactly that.

Khaman Maluach could’ve gone three or four picks earlier, and no one would’ve batted an eye. He has tremendous long-term potential, particularly if you think he can add a long-range shot to his arsenal at some point. Fortunately for Phoenix, which needs to win sooner than later to maximize Devin Booker’s prime, Maluach has the physical tools and motor to step into a potentially high-minutes role right now.

This feels like one of those moments where the best player available and the biggest need-filler were the same name. That’s what you hope happens with any pick.

Maluach is enormous (7'1" with a near 7'7" wingspan) and still both agile and explosive for his size. The potential for him to become an enhanced rim-runner is obvious. If he can't crush a lob, he has a soft enough touch to guide it in. His consistent foul shooting (76.6 percent at Duke) offers hope for range expansion down the line. Plus, he has shown the willingness (if not always the ability) to defend in space.

The Suns selecting Maluach and trading for Mark Williams on the same night is interesting, since they’re unlikely to share the floor any time soon (if ever). Center was an obvious need, though, and having Williams around will make it easier to avoid throwing too much too quickly at Maluach.

That’s important, because Maluach could require patience and plenty of seasoning. He picked up the sport in his teens, and that will surface in everything that requires more than just being big and playing hard. He also needs to get stronger and better with his hands to be more of a presence on the glass.

SI: A+

After re-acquiring the rights to the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft as part of the Kevin Durant trade, the Phoenix Suns found tremendous value for a roster that lacks youth. Even though he isn’t necessarily the best player in the class, the Suns have to feel like they got their dream scenario with Duke big man Khaman Maluach still available at No. 10 overall. Maluach is an ideal lob threat to pair with Devin Booker and Jalen Green, adding exceptional length to a team that did not previously have much depth in the frontcourt. Maybe it will take him some time to play meaningful minutes, but they can also move him along slowly with former Hornets big man Mark Williams also traded to the Suns.

SportingNews: A-

The Suns needed a center, and Maluach falling to them at No. 10 is a dream scenario. The 18-year-old has limitless potential as he is still relatively new to the game of basketball, which he picked up just six years ago.

Maluach measures at 7-2 and 250 pounds, and he has great instincts. He can improve as a rebounder, especially on the defensive end, but he will have time to learn and grow now that Phoenix has also acquired Mark Williams. This is a pick that may not pay off in 2025-26 or even 2026-27, but five years from now, the Suns will look very smart for taking Maluach.

CBS Sports: A-

I'm a big believer in Maluach. He has a long future in the league. He's 7-2 with a 7-6 wingspan and is an extreme lob threat. That's what he does best right now. He's exceptionally mobile for his size. He can run end-to-end and also move laterally. He has shot blocking potential but is not a big time shot blocker just yet. Phoenix doesn't have anybody in its frontcourt right now, so he can play immediate minutes and turn into a very good player for a long time. Good value.

Ringer: B+

I expected the Suns to target a stable big man in our past couple of mocks, but I doubt they expected Maluach to be on the board at 10. The Duke behemoth’s ceiling will depend on improving his balance, expanding his counters once he’s caught the ball low in the paint and the defense rushes to the scene to bother him, and growing as a defensive anchor. Right now, he’s a shot blocker who’s on the road toward becoming a rim protector—that is, he’s still a pup when it comes to instinctively reading the flow of the action in real time. Fortunately for him, he’s positively colossal, with a wingspan of 7 feet and 6.8 inches that’s reportedly been mistaken for a multilane bridge. For the immediate future, Maluach’s simplicity on offense should be enough. He rolled to the bucket on 87 percent of his possessions as a screener and scored nearly every time. The Suns pretty much simultaneously traded two picks (no. 29 and a 2029 first) to acquire Mark Williams, another center from Duke. Both players are strictly run-and-jump bigs, meaning this is a lot of resources on one player type, but Phoenix upgrades its interior presence and athleticism immediately.

Yahoo Sports: A+

Maluach was the highest upside player available on the board. He’s a towering rim protector with switchable mobility, erasing shots at the rim and shadowing quick guards on the perimeter. He only logged 1.3 blocks per game but deterred opponents from even sniffing the basket. Beyond dunking lobs at a frequent rate, he’s a work in progress on offense with a lack of seasoning as a screener, shooter, and creator. Such a raw skill set should come as no surprise since the South Sudan native didn’t start playing basketball until he was 13. Maluach’s upside has him ranked in the top two or three on some team draft boards, and perhaps that was the case for the Suns.

SBNation: A

Maluach was the No. 3 player on my board. I love his combination of length, finishing, and paint protection which gives him a high floor to impact the game. Maluach’s ceiling is dependent on how his three-point shooting and perimeter defense develops, and I’m willing to bet on him in both areas. The fact that he’s only been playing basketball for five years and is already this good is pretty amazing. The Suns badly needed a center, and Maluach falling to this spot is an incredible gift. He has the high upside Phoenix needs to salvage the Devin Booker era. This is my favorite pick of the draft.

[dremill24]

I'm admittedly a little skeptical of the ceiling but either way its important to remember that its going to take a while (years) to see what he really is. I wouldnt be surprised if he plays very little as a rookie (barring injuries), so give him time.

[Qwigglez]

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

[WeekapaugGroove]

Watching some Malauch right now and seems to move well for his size. Damn is he a big MF. 9'6 standing reach is wild. Just standing in the lane with that reach is a deterrent. And dudes not skinny, even at 18 he looks like he can bang with adults.

Its the Suns so who the **** knows but I like the pick.

[Qwigglez]

This kid looks good. Has a background in soccer, did some martial arts stuff, seems to be multifaceted. This bodes well for having a fluid abled-body 7-footer in the league.

To add... he looks very solid in the pick and roll. He doesn't look afraid to catch a body in the paint. Has a nice touch around the rim. Some flashes of offensive potential being able to hit some threes and spread the floor. Can make some flashy blocks that will definitely entertain the crowd and probably teammates.

[sunsbg]

High risk, high reward. Nbadraft.net grade is A-/D-, nothing in-between.

Can't teach size and good FT shooting suggests he may develop on offensive side so I like the pick.

I expected him be like a 50-60% FT shooter which is usually the case for these types of bigs so I was pleasantly surprised to see him shooting just under 77% at the line. Low-ish volume a 2FTA and 77 overall attempts across 39 games but still impressive. Also maybe worth noting he didn't miss a game in college.

Nbadraftroom goes as far as 'bigger Myles Turner' for comparison so there are people who think he'll show further improvement at shooting. Turner-level looks unrealistic, but if he keeps working on his shot, who knows. Turner shot 20% for 3s his first season and is not a great rebounder, which sounds like a concern for Maluach after his 0 rebound F4 game, so maybe not a bad comp.

[lilfishi22]

High risk, high reward. Nbadraft.net grade is A-/D-, nothing in-between.

Can't teach size and good FT shooting suggests he may develop on offensive side so I like the pick.

I expected him be like a 50-60% FT shooter which is usually the case for these types of bigs so I was pleasantly surprised to see him shooting just under 77% at the line. Low-ish volume a 2FTA and 77 overall attempts across 39 games but still impressive. Also maybe worth noting he didn't miss a game in college.

Nbadraftroom goes as far as 'bigger Myles Turner' for comparison so there are people who think he'll show further improvement at shooting. Looks unrealistic, but if he keeps working on his shot, who knows.

Yeah I'm probably not going to go there. It's nice to dream but there just aren't that many NBA bigs that attempted few/no 3's in college and develop into a 3PT shooter at the NBA level. Guys like Brook Lopez, Ibaka, Horford, Cousins, Bosh come to mind. And I suppose maybe the high end example of this would be KAT who took 8 3's in college and is now one of the best 3PT shooting bigs ever

[WeekapaugGroove]

High risk, high reward. Nbadraft.net grade is A-/D-, nothing in-between.

Can't teach size and good FT shooting suggests he may develop on offensive side so I like the pick.

I expected him be like a 50-60% FT shooter which is usually the case for these types of bigs so I was pleasantly surprised to see him shooting just under 77% at the line. Low-ish volume a 2FTA and 77 overall attempts across 39 games but still impressive. Also maybe worth noting he didn't miss a game in college.

Nbadraftroom goes as far as 'bigger Myles Turner' for comparison so there are people who think he'll show further improvement at shooting. Looks unrealistic, but if he keeps working on his shot, who knows. Turner shot 20% for 3s his first season and is not a great rebounder, which sounds like a concern for Maluach after his 0 rebound F4 game, so maybe not a bad comp.

Maluach lead the ACC in offensive rebounding rate last year. He was a 76% FT shooter so has some touch.

[lilfishi22]

https://www.espn.com.au/nba/story/_/id/45583334/2025-nba-draft-round-1-winners-surprises-teams-picks-questions

Givony: Biggest winners of Round 1

Phoenix Suns
The pick: Khaman Maluach (No. 10)

The Suns' trade for Kevin Durant looks much different after the fortunate fall of Khaman Maluach to No. 10, which helps them strengthen a crucial position at center while also adding one of the most talented long-term prospects in the draft.

Maluach will bring high-level intensity, rim-protection timing, rebounding ability and switchable defense -- qualities the team lacked last season -- injecting much-needed youth and energy into a roster overloaded at the backcourt.

Most importantly, he is one of this draft's youngest prospects, with significant potential for growth both physically and skill-wise. He is highly regarded by coaches and teammates for his unique off-court intangibles and should be an excellent pick-and-roll partner for Devin Booker, thanks to his lob-catching ability.

Annoyingly, Miami made the list too

Givony: Biggest winners of Round 1

Miami Heat
The pick: Kasparas Jakucionis (No. 20)

It was surprising to see Jakucionis -- the No. 11-ranked player on our top 100 big board -- fall all the way to No. 20.

Any temporary disappointment over the money he lost was likely replaced by the realization he landed in arguably the most desirable situation of any guard prospect in this draft -- a team desperate for shot creation and playmaking. He'll also fit in perfectly from a culture and toughness perspective.

Jakucionis' ability to play any of the backcourt positions gives the Heat significant lineup flexibility when operating alongside Tyler Herro in the backcourt.

It wouldn't be surprising to see him eventually emerge as the franchise's future point guard, thanks to the savvy he displays running pick-and-roll and his exceptional feel for the game.

[RaisingArizona]

yay super excited for this pick! can't believe he fell in our laps. thought the dinos we're going to take him

[RaisingArizona]

https://www.espn.com.au/nba/story/_/id/45583334/2025-nba-draft-round-1-winners-surprises-teams-picks-questions

Givony: Biggest winners of Round 1

Phoenix Suns
The pick: Khaman Maluach (No. 10)

The Suns' trade for Kevin Durant looks much different after the fortunate fall of Khaman Maluach to No. 10, which helps them strengthen a crucial position at center while also adding one of the most talented long-term prospects in the draft.

Maluach will bring high-level intensity, rim-protection timing, rebounding ability and switchable defense -- qualities the team lacked last season -- injecting much-needed youth and energy into a roster overloaded at the backcourt.

Most importantly, he is one of this draft's youngest prospects, with significant potential for growth both physically and skill-wise. He is highly regarded by coaches and teammates for his unique off-court intangibles and should be an excellent pick-and-roll partner for Devin Booker, thanks to his lob-catching ability.

Annoyingly, Miami made the list too

Givony: Biggest winners of Round 1

Miami Heat
The pick: Kasparas Jakucionis (No. 20)

It was surprising to see Jakucionis -- the No. 11-ranked player on our top 100 big board -- fall all the way to No. 20.

Any temporary disappointment over the money he lost was likely replaced by the realization he landed in arguably the most desirable situation of any guard prospect in this draft -- a team desperate for shot creation and playmaking. He'll also fit in perfectly from a culture and toughness perspective.

Jakucionis' ability to play any of the backcourt positions gives the Heat significant lineup flexibility when operating alongside Tyler Herro in the backcourt.

It wouldn't be surprising to see him eventually emerge as the franchise's future point guard, thanks to the savvy he displays running pick-and-roll and his exceptional feel for the game.

eh, don't care about the east or miami. bottom line is the suns are much younger, athletic, bigger, and the future looks brighter today than it did on sunday! still more to figure out like pf and pg...