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Most of the headlines whenever someone mentions a player from Duke and the 2025 NBA Draft will most likely be about Cooper Flagg. Duke basketball simply had way too many stars on its roster this year, leaving big man Khaman Maluach in the shadow of all the hype and media coverage.
However, he's actually one of the more talented players and possibly the best center of this coming NBA Draft.
Who is Khaman Maluach?
Born in Rumbek, South Sudan, Maluach fled to Uganda as a refugee with the rest of his family.
Life was rough for Maluach growing up, and he never even envisioned himself playing basketball let alone the NBA. Everything changed when he turned 13 and a coach walked up to him as he was coming home from school one day.
The coach told him to give basketball a try. Maluach liked what he saw. It didn't even matter that the nearest court was an hour away from his home or that he had to spend his first few weeks playing basketball in a pair of Crocs since he couldn't find a pair of shoes in his size.
By the time he attended a local camp organized by former NBA player Luol Deng, Maluach impressed everyone that saw him play. The NBA academy in Senegal gave him a scholarship, and he spent the next three years developing his game at the Basketball Africa League.
One of his biggest individual accomplishments to date is winning the Basketball Without Borders Camp (Africa) MVP in 2023, a four-day camp in Johannesburg, South Africa, that was coached by NBA players Darius Garland, Bam Adebayo, Jonathan Kuminga, and Jalen Suggs.
Maluach has a very decorated basketball resume at just 18 years old
By the time he was 16, Maluach was selected for the South Sudan national team to play in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, making Maluach the third youngest player ever to join the tournament. A year later, he also made history for South Sudan by helping his home country qualify for the Olympics.
At 18 years old, Maluach has already played at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, the Paris 2024 Olympics, and the NCAA Final Four. Now, he's ready to develop his talent in the NBA.
Before Duke coach Jon Scheyer molded his game to be more of a defensive-minded, rim-running big man, Maluach's precollege mixtape looked like he was the second coming of Kevin Durant. He had decent handles, a quick release, and no problems shooting from the perimeter.
When you combine his experience, raw talent, and unique skill set, Maluach's best years are by far still in front of him. And now, he's more than ready to emerge from the shadows and be one of the most impactful players to come out of this highly anticipated draft.
