Normally, Duke basketball players who are going to enter the draft do so in a very orderly manner, with each guy getting his moment of glory. For Khaman Maluach, circumstances did not allow that to happen.
Maluach put his name in at literally the last moment, 11:59 on April 26th.
Why?
Because of the uncertainty about his immigration status. As we discussed previously, the government’s crackdown on South Sudan visa holders puts considerable uncertainty about his legal status in the US, not to mention his draft status.
Talent-wise, there is no controversy: Maluach is a desirable player. At 7-2 and with a 7-6 reach, Maluach is a very mobile big guy with huge upside. And he’s only been playing basketball for about five years.
There are still big questions for the team that drafts him. He’s almost certainly been advised not to leave the country right now, which means that a) Toronto will be reluctant to draft him and b) he probably won’t be traveling to play the Raptors because there’s a chance he won’t be able to re-enter the U.S.
So there are going to be issues, at least in the short-term. However, you can’t ignore what we’ve already seen and his potential to improve dramatically is also quite high.
Keep in mind that he’s 7-2 and 18 and that big guys typically take longer to physically mature. Also keep in mind that he’s been described as a “sponge.”
He’s coming, and if you let short-term issues affect your draft decision here, you’re making a serious mistake.