Khaman Maluach shares Olympic message from Devin Booker

The Phoenix Suns have been one of the biggest stories of the NBA offseason due to trading away Kevin Durant and receiving many picks and pieces in exchange. Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green were brought in as good complementary pieces, while the best pick, draft-wise, was the 10th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Phoenix picked Khaman Maluach, and he should have an instant impact down low.

Last season, he was a beast for the Duke Blue Devils, but he first caught Devin Booker’s eye at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Maluach played for the South Sudanese national team, the highest-ranked team in Africa, and he crossed paths with Booker in Paris. In a video on the Phoenix Suns’ social feed, Maluach said Devin Booker noticed him immediately and said he would see him in a year.

Maluach said, “I’m so excited to play with him now, because I remember one night in Paris, I met him at dinner, and he was sitting at the other table. I told my agent I wanted to say what’s up to him and shook his hand. He was like, ‘See you in a year.’ I thought he was saying See you in the NBA, and now we will be on the same team.”

South Sudan was the best team in Africa, and Maluach helped the team qualify despite being the youngest player in the 2024 Olympic tournament.

Maluach dominated college basketball last season and was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team. He averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks on 71.2% shooting from the field. He ranked sixth in the country in offensive rebound percentage at 16.5% and 2-point percentage at 75.4%.

He scored in double digits in 17 games and ranked third in the ACC among first-year students in total double-doubles at five. He was a part of the dominant Duke team last season, and he was a part of the run to the Final Four before being upset by the Houston Cougars.

Thanks to the NBA Africa Academy in Senegal, Maluach has rapidly risen in basketball circles. He started playing basketball seven years ago in Uganda, but thanks to his size, NBA scouts salivated over his potential. The combination of his size and versatility is what led him to be an NBA prospect with such high upside.

The Phoenix Suns desperately need help down low. After drafting Maluach, they also made a big trade for Mark Williams, so they should be much better at the center position this season than last.