NBA analyst John Hollinger has concerns about the Phoenix Suns' draft selection of Khaman Maluach.
The Suns selected Maluach with the 10th overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. He enters the league after a standout freshman campaign at Duke, showcasing his talent as a rebounder and defender.
However, Hollinger pointed out a concern he noticed after Phoenix passed on a doing a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans.
“Could the Suns have done what Atlanta did and walked away from the draft with an unprotected future first from the Pelicans and the 23rd pick instead of staying at No. 10? Discussion over whether Phoenix fumbled the bag by not taking the New Orleans offer will only heighten if Maluach can’t give the Suns a quality big,” Hollinger said.
“Phoenix opted to take the Duke project, and I’ll emphasize the word “project” here; his was a rough entry to professional basketball. The 7-1 Maluach only posted a 13.5 percent rebound rate, took nearly half his shots from 3 and had one assist in 70 minutes. Watching from courtside made me more concerned about his hands, as contested rebounds and alley-oop opportunities escaped him at times.”
What lies ahead for Khaman Maluach, Suns
John Hollinger's concern is reasonable, especially as Khaman Maluach is a work in progress as he adapts to life in the NBA. Despite this, the Suns may be willing to wait.
Phoenix decided to split up their star core for the last two seasons, cutting ties with Bradley Beal and trading Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets. This now leaves Devin Booker, who secured a historic contract extension to navigate the franchise as their top player.
The Suns reached the NBA Finals in 2021, showing how far they have regressed since their rise as a contender in the league. They missed the playoffs this past season, emphasizing the need for them to retool the roster and give Booker the best supporting cast possible.
It might take a while for them to get back into playoff contention, but the decisions they made were necessary to take the new direction they are on now.
