The calendar continues to inch closer to the NBA regular season.
In less than two weeks, Oklahoma City will meet Houston to begin the 2025-26 campaign, kicking off what should be another entertaining year across the league. For now, teams are still playing preseason contests as squads around the NBA get in their final tune ups ahead of meaningful action.
The preseason continued on Friday as the Phoenix Suns met the Brooklyn Nets in China. Phoenix pulled out a 132-127 win in overtime, led by 18 points apeice from Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks.
Alongside the two veteran wing players, the Suns received solid contributions from a number of players, including rookie big man Khaman Maluach. In 20 minutes on the floor, Maluach tallied 10 points, five rebounds and two assists, shooting 3-of-4 from the field and 4-of-6 from the free throw line.
2025 second-round pick Rasheer Fleming also showed a few flashes in Friday’s game, finishing with 6 points, two rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
Maluach will likely have a more defined role with the Suns this season, though, due to his status as a top 10 pick. The young center’s success on Friday is a good sign for Phoenix, who struggled to find consistent post play in 2024-25.
Despite having a solid roster, the group was held back by its big man rotation, which the Suns’ front office reworked over the offseason. That should give Maluach the ability to see plenty of time on the court as a rookie, especially if he continues to make the most of his minutes.
Still only 19-years-old, Maluach needs to improve in a few areas before becoming a reliable starting big man, but obviously has the potential to be a valuable piece for Phoenix.
At the NBA Combine, Maluach measured at 7-feet and three quarters of an inch without shoes, also recording a 7-foot-6 and three quarters of an inch wingspan. In addition to his elite height and length, Maluach seems to have added a few extra pounds since reaching the NBA.
In his lone season at Duke, the South Sudan product averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 71.2% from the field.
After playing alongside Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and others with the Blue Devils, Maluach joins a Suns’ roster with solid pieces. Booker, Brooks and even 2024 first-round pick Ryan Dunn could be the start of a decent group if Maluach develops into a solid starting big man.
Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.