{"id":126651,"date":"2025-06-26T16:26:11","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T16:26:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/126651\/"},"modified":"2025-06-26T16:26:11","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T16:26:11","slug":"day-one-reaction-the-suns-are-establishing-a-new-direction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/126651\/","title":{"rendered":"Day One Reaction: The Suns are establishing a new direction"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Phoenix Suns<\/a> came away with a new center rotation last night in an unexpected turn of events. Entering the night, Phoenix had a center rotation of Nick Richards and Oso Ighodaro. <\/p>\n

They left with Mark Williams and Khaman Maluach, completely shifting the trajectory of the franchise entering day two of the draft. <\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with Khaman Maluach. <\/p>\n

The Suns hoped and prayed that the board would shake out this way, but didn\u2019t actually expect it to happen. Brian Gregory told<\/a> Mat Ishbia on draft morning, \u201cI don\u2019t think he\u2019s gonna be there.\u201d But Khaman Maluach was a guy the Suns knew they would take \u201cimmediately\u201d if he fell to No. 10. Said he\u2019s a special person outside of basketball because of his humility. <\/p>\n

The Suns landed their defensive anchor and big man of the future. Elite rim protection. 7\u20196\u201d wingspan. Maluach moves well for his size, and he has all the tools to be an impactful center for a long time. <\/p>\n

Let the youth movement in Phoenix begin.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Outside of being a defensive anchor and shot disruptor, Maluach brings much more to the table. He is an elite finisher around the rim and a legitimate lob threat. He has a good touch and has shown the ability to shoot the ball from distance occasionally. <\/p>\n

There may be more to his offensive game as he continues to develop and learn the game as he is relatively new to the sport and still very young.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Here is what ESPN had to say<\/a> about the pick: <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Suns\u2019 trade for Kevin Durant<\/a> looks much different after the fall of Maluach to No. 10, which helps Phoenix strengthen a crucial position at center while also adding one of the most talented long-term prospects in the draft.<\/p>\n

Maluach will bring high-level intensity, rim-protection timing, rebounding ability and switchable defense \u2014 qualities the team lacked last season \u2014 injecting much-needed youth and energy into a roster overloaded in the backcourt.<\/p>\n

Most importantly, he is one of this draft\u2019s youngest prospects, with significant potential for growth physically and skill-wise. He is highly regarded by coaches and teammates for his off-court intangibles and should be an excellent pick-and-roll partner for Devin Booker<\/a>, thanks to his lob-catching ability.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mark Williams, anyone?<\/p>\n

The Suns traded the 29th pick and a 2029 first-rounder to the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams. The 2029 pick will be the least favorable of Cleveland\u2019s, Utah\u2019s, and Minnesota\u2019s first-round picks and is 1-5 protected.<\/p>\n

The Duke centers have a preexisting relationship, which is a good sign for a pair of bigs that figure to share minutes. <\/p>\n

Maluach says he has a relationship with Mark Williams, who was just traded to the Suns. Both Maluach and Williams went to Duke.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Bright Side of the Sun (@BrightSideSun) June 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Williams was originally traded to the Lakers<\/a> last season before the deal fell through due to medical concerns. Phoenix was able to get him at a cheaper price than the Lakers did, likely due to the glaring injury concerns. Either way, it\u2019s a risk worth taking for what will likely end up two late 1st-rounders. <\/p>\n

What\u2019s Next?<\/p>\n

The Suns enter day two with two picks at their disposal at numbers 52 and 59. <\/p>\n

Rasheer Flemming is still on the board… can the Suns package 52, 59, and a future 2nd to move up? <\/p>\n

Some of my favorite prospects that are still available: <\/p>\n

(*yes, we are probably tapped out on centers so cross them off)<\/p>\n

Rasheer Flemming
\nAdou Thiero
\nMaxime Raynaud*
\nRyan Kalkbrenner*
\nTyrese Proctor
\nKam Jones
\nSion James
\nRyan Nembhard<\/p>\n

Who do you want in round 2, Bright Siders? Let us know in the comments. <\/p>\n

Listen to the latest episode of the Suns JAM Session Podcast below. To stay up to date on every episode, subscribe to the pod on Apple<\/a>, Spotify<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, YouTube Podcasts<\/a>, Amazon Music<\/a>, Podbean<\/a>, or Castbox<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Please subscribe, rate, and review.<\/p>\n