Khaman Maluach is one of the most promising youngsters in world basketball and has been tipped as a potential top-five pick at the 2025 NBA Draft. The 18-year-old has risen to stardom in the past year with the Duke Blue Devils and the South Sudan national team. According to Pro Football Network’s latest draft, the New Orleans Pelicans are projected to select Maluach.
Maluach’s Incredible Rise to Stardom
Maluach was born in Rumbek, a Lakes State, South Sudan town. The 7 ft 2 center was the youngest player in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the third-youngest in the tournament’s history when he represented South Sudan aged 16. He then featured for them at the Olympics and played against the star-studded Team USA before and during the tournament the following year.
The 18-year-old contributed an impressive 7 points, three rebounds, and one block against a side featuring LeBron James, Steph Curry, Jayson Tatum, and Joel Embiid in a friendly game before the Olympics as they upset Team USA with a narrow 101-100 win.
Will Maluach Grow Into a Star?
The South Sudanese’s career significantly changed when he joined Duke University. Maluach has played a key role at Duke and contributed substantially to the team’s success. His impact was particularly evident during the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament, as he led Duke to the championship.
Maluach has been widely tipped to become a star. The physical freak with all-defensive upside finished 40 games below .500 (21-61). The 18-year-old knows how big he is and is very good at using his size to his advantage to cut off angles and contest on the interior. However, Maluach still has much to improve in his offensive game, especially with his hands and overall feel for the game.
Maluach doesn’t always appear to come down with contested rebounds, as was seen in Duke’s Final Four game against Houston, when he played 20 minutes and had zero rebounds. But this isn’t expected to stop the 18-year-old from becoming a big.
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His agility, instincts, and defensive versatility make him an interesting upside pick for New Orleans. He has the potential to develop into a key player for them. The 18-year-old has accelerated development despite being relatively new to organized basketball.
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