The Suns’ Khaman Maluach runs up the court against the Washington Wizards in the second half of a 2025 NBA Summer League game at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 11, 2025 in Las Vegas. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
SCOTTSDALE – When Khaman Maluach opened his suit jacket on draft night, it revealed more than just custom tailoring. Lining the inside were the bold and colorful patterns of the South Sudanese and Ugandan flags, the two countries that shaped him.
Born in South Sudan but raised in Uganda, Phoenix Suns draft pick Maluach has long carried the pride and hopes of both nations. Now, at just 18, he’s carrying them into the NBA.
“I’m here representing the whole continent,” Maluach said immediately upon being drafted. “I had the whole continent on my back, inspiring young kids and the next generation of African basketball.”
Khaman Maluach:
☑️ Born in South Sudan 🇸🇸
☑️ Raised in Uganda 🇺🇬
☑️ Standing tall for the whole continent 🌍#NBADraft pic.twitter.com/UzmCwzdHYV
— NBA Africa (@NBA_Africa) June 26, 2025
Although basketball in Africa has been a staple in the continent for generations, with many natives making and succeeding in the NBA, Maluach does indeed represent a “next generation of African basketball” – thanks in part to NBA Academy Africa, a first-of-its-kind elite basketball training center in Senegal for the top male and female prospects across the continent.
The academy opened in 2017 and Maluach joined when he was 14, only a year after he started playing basketball at 13. By then, the program had grown more structured, competitive and connected to global scouting pipelines, offering prospects like Maluach a clearer and more direct path to professional basketball.
And while the academy gave Maluach the tools and infrastructure to succeed, it was his mindset and maturity that set him apart from the beginning.
“He made it easy to work with him,” said Alfred Aboya, a player development coach at NBA Academy Africa. “He’s so quick to learn and so attentive and detailed. He always knew where he wanted to go, so his focus was off the chain. He just believed in himself and believed in what he could be in the academy.”
From there, Maluach quickly emerged as a top international prospect, standing out figuratively with his discipline, curiosity and work ethic, but also literally with his 7-foot frame and massive wingspan. He played three seasons in the Basketball Africa League as part of their Elevate program – which places an elite group of the best players from the academy on each of the 12 teams in the BAL.
He also shined on major international stages, earning MVP of Basketball Without Borders Africa in 2023, Defensive MVP of BWB Global in 2024 and competing at the Nike Hoop Summit as part of the World Team.
(Data visualization by Elizabeth Agazaryan/Cronkite News)
But nothing compared to the big moments he experienced with the South Sudanese national team.
At just 17, Maluach became the youngest player to represent South Sudan in both the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics. In a pre-Olympic exhibition game against a star-studded Team USA, South Sudan nearly pulled off a stunning upset, falling just short in a 101-100 loss.
In that game, Maluach made the most of his 12 minutes on the floor, scoring seven points along with three rebounds and a block – all while holding his own against a roster of NBA stars.
“It gave him the chance to compete against older, experienced players,” Aboya said. “Khaman is a sponge. Going back to his time in the academy he was always observing and absorbing information that was in front of him … that experience definitely helped. He also has the experience of playing in the BAL, so he’s always present, knowing that those are necessary steps along the way.”
One of those stars Maluach faced? Devin Booker, who, at the time, was just an opponent. Now, the two are teammates in Phoenix, thanks to the Suns drafting Maluach with the 10th overall pick. As fate would have it, the two shared an interaction during that time that now feels prophetic, a brief exchange that carried more weight than either of them realized in the moment.
“I’m so excited to play with (Booker) now,” Maluach said. “Because I remember one night in Paris, I met him at dinner and he was sitting at the other table and I told my agent I want to go say what’s up to him. I shake his hand and he was like, ‘See you in a year.’”
The Suns selection of Maluach nearly didn’t happen. Just three days before the draft, Phoenix didn’t even own the No. 10 pick – they acquired it in a trade with the Houston Rockets as part of the blockbuster Kevin Durant deal. Even then, there was no guarantee Maluach would still be on the board. Leading up to the draft, he was widely projected to go well before No. 10 in most mock drafts, making his unexpected slide a stroke of fortune the Suns didn’t take for granted.
“Obviously Khaman was number one on our list, (we were) hoping he’d be available there,” Suns general manager Brian Gregory said. “And he was, so there was a lot of excitement in the draft room when that occurred … there was an explosion in the draft room.”
That excitement for Maluach’s big moment was echoed back in Africa, as well.
“We were all at the academy at midnight having a watch party,” Aboya said. “And for them to see one of their friends, one of their brothers, name being called, it makes them believe … It’s just an inspiration. It showed that it is possible.”
Maluach’s path to Phoenix may have been a chaotic and wild ride, but his approach to the opportunity ahead is anything but uncertain. For a player whose development has accelerated through elite environments – from the academy to the BAL to the Olympics and most recently to prestigious Duke University where he played one year of college ball – the focus now shifts to growth at the NBA level and carving out a role as a rookie.
The transition won’t be seamless. The pace will be faster and the competition will be steeper, but if there’s one thing Maluach has learned, it’s how to embrace the grind.
“Staying in the gym and working hard every day,” Maluach said when asked what part of his game he’s most excited to show people. “Work on my overall game and just keep on getting better and keep on doing what I’ve been doing for the past years.”
Despite the challenges Maluach will inevitably face as a raw, 18-year-old rookie in the NBA, the Suns will look to rely on him right away. Coming into the offseason with a glaring hole at center, Phoenix used the Durant trade as an opportunity to fill that hole while also getting younger, and the selection of Maluach with the 10th pick received from that trade was a sign of the potential impact he will have on the roster: a high-energy big man who brings size, mobility and defensive versatility, an asset on both sides of the ball.
“Tremendous on both ends of the court – offensively and defensively,” Gregory said. “But the thing that really drew us to him was the energy and the enthusiasm that he plays this game with. Every single day is a good day for Khaman. And when we talk about identity, the things that are important to us and the habits that you have, and Khaman brings it. He’s exactly what we were looking for in that pick.”
That impact has already been seen in the Suns early Summer League games in Las Vegas. In his debut game with the Suns, Maluach scored 14 points and secured five rebounds to go along with two blocks and a steal in a comfortable 103-84 victory against the Washington Wizards. Like most rookies, Maluach has shown some struggles as well – in his most recent game against the Sacramento Kings, Maluach shot just 33% from the field and the free-throw line, while also turning the ball over three times.
Beyond the numbers, Maluach passed the eye test with his mere presence on the court, with his giant frame and physicality opening up opportunities for his teammates, something he alluded to in his introductory press conference.
“It’s going to be a faster game, but we’re going to have more space,” Maluach said. “That’s going to open up more drives and going to create more opportunities for my team. Sometimes it’s about finding your role quick in your rookie year and being able to be impactful whether you don’t have the ball in your hands, or if you have the ball.”
But perhaps most significantly, Maluach passed the “ear-test”, too. Reports from Summer League say that Maluach has been a vocal leader for the team, especially on the defensive end – in team practices, the game against the Wizards and even in the Suns’ second Summer League game against the Atlanta Hawks in which he didn’t even suit up to play. Being the loudest player on the court as a defensive anchor is a massively positive sign for a Suns team ranked 27th in team defense last season.
I think the Suns hit a gold mine with Khaman Maluach.
He isn’t playing today, but he’s rarely sat down on the bench today with Phoenix playing Atlanta, and he’s been one of the most vocal guys in the arena.
Infectious, positive energy.
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) July 13, 2025
For a player still adjusting to life in a new country, a new locker room and a new level of basketball, Maluach’s voice is already making an impression. His constant communication and command of the floor is not something typically expected for a player of his age and background.
But for Maluach, leadership is instinctual – a way to showcase the lessons he absorbed during his journey and the responsibility he feels he owes to those, like Aboya, who helped get him here.
“It’s a lot of moments that every time I reflect back, just thinking about the people that helped me to be in this position I’m in today,” Maluach said. “And the collective effort they made to push myself through some hard times to be able to make it to this stage.”
Making the NBA is a dream realized, but one he isn’t letting overwhelm him. Despite the buzz surrounding his potential and the spotlight of being a top-10 pick, Maluach’s approach remains simple: stay grounded, stay grateful and stay in the moment.
“I don’t try to think ahead too much,” Maluach said. “I just try to embrace everything that I have ahead of me right now. Just try to be present and enjoy everything that comes with this.”