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Big Khaman Maluach News Emerges Before NBA Draft

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Escarpio | Last updated Jun 5, 2025 9:03 PM ET

Khaman Maluach recently concluded his first season with the Duke Blue Devils.

Maluach committed to Duke as a blue-chip prospect and wound up leading the Blue Devils to a 35-4 record, having won the ACC Tournament title.

Duke also entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed, having departed Mount St. Mary's, Baylor, Arizona and Alabama before losing to Houston.

After the season, Maluach declared for the NBA draft, along with fellow freshman Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel.

As Maluach prepares for the next step in his basketball journey, a recent report revealed that the Duke prospect may be considered for the No. 2 pick in the draft.

Hoops HQ reporter Krysten Peek explained that the San Antonio Spurs have been tied with Maluach, potentially pairing him with NBA star Victor Wembanyama.

"Another buzzy name tied to the Spurs is Maluach, a 7-foot-2 center out of Duke," Krysten Peek at Hoops HQ said. "The Spurs could essentially be building twin towers with Wembanyama and Maluach and there is an appeal to drafting another young big that can learn and grow alongside Wembanyama."

Peek later explained that selecting Maluach early in the draft may come as a surprise, but he would still be in play for the San Antonio Spurs late in the lottery,

"It would be very unlikely that the Spurs would shock everyone and take Maluach with the No. 2 pick but they could be looking to trade down or package the No. 14 pick for a shot at the talented center," Peek added.

Maluach would bring tremendous versatility to a team that's struggled to find postseason success over the past several seasons.

Last season with the Duke Blue Devils, Khaman Maluach posted 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.

He also averaged 0.2 steals and 1.3 blocks on the defensive end.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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