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The Phoenix Suns are in the middle of a landmark offseason which has seen them part ways with two huge stars in Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. Now firmly in rebuild mode, the Suns have made several cap-conscious moves in order to kickstart their post-superstar era.
In the historic seven-team trade that saw Durant leave, the Suns also acquired the draft rights of Khaman Maluach, who they are hoping to immediately integrate into the first team. Maluach, expected to straightaway provide cover to Mark Williams at Center, played three games in the NBA Summer League. However, his outings showed exactly why he may not be NBA-ready just yet, with plenty of concern over his efficiency and hand-eye coordination.
The Suns' Khaman Maluach had a mixed time during NBA Summer League
Maluach showed flashes of potential during the 2025 NBA Summer League, but his biggest concerns remain his shooting efficiency and free-throw conversion, the latter even being reminiscent of Shaquille O’Neal.
Maluach converted just seven of his 16 free-throw attempts over the three games, and shot at just 35.7% from the field while converting just 23.1% of his three-point attempts. While his overall averages of 10 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks across just 23.1 minutes per game scream good things, his efficiency issues were compounded by shaky hand-eye coordination, per NBA.com.
Maluach fumbled passes, dropped simple rebounds and missed plenty of easy finishes at the rim. He looked out of depth at times due to the pacing of the game, and will need to improve quickly in order to emerge as a serviceable big man in the NBA.
The Suns obviously see the 18-year-old as a long-term piece with a high ceiling. However, early signs point to him being a raw prospect who will need to work on multiple aspects of his game in order to become the player the Suns need. Maluach has the athleticism and the size, but his struggles with the finer aspects of the game were all too prominent to ignore during the summer league.
The Suns were outscored by a whopping 39 points during the time he was on the court, and Maluach seemed desperate to make an impression. This was obvious due to his high-volume shooting. He attempted 4.3 three-pointers per game and had a total of 28 shots in his three appearances, converting just 10.
While the confidence to take on shots despite missing them is admirable, the player looks some way away from becoming a reliable NBA big, and will need to be smarter with his offensive decisions. This was also evident due to his high turnover rate; Maluach committed 2.3 turnovers per 0.3 assists during his time on the court, alongside foour fouls per game.
In such a scenario, Maluach may be a long way away from becoming the superstar he has the potential to be. Of course, the 18-year-old has age on his side, and considering the acquisition of Mark Williams, will have the luxury of easing in as he attempts to find his footing in the big league.
The Suns, however, may need to alter their plan and understand that their lottery pick is a long-term prospect and will need time in order to start contributing on a regular basis.
