Sometime ago, big men were the most dominant force in the NBA. From George Mikan and Wilt Chamberlain to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal, championship teams were constructed around powerful big men who made their presence felt on both ends of the court.
But this era of basketball is shifting towards “small ball” lineups and three-point shooting. Thus, we are witnessing a reduction in the number of big men in the league, but it still doesn’t diminish their presence or importance. The NBA has had very tall players enter the league recently, but who are the tallest in the 2025 class?
Top Five Tallest Prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft
Victor Wembanyama was the tallest player in the 2023 draft, while Zach Edey topped the 2024 list. Let’s take a look at the mini-giants entering the NBA in 2025.
Khaman Maluach, Duke
Standing at 7’2″, the South Sudanese center is the tallest player in this year’s draft class. Maluach is heading to the NBA after spending just one year with Duke. He recorded 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 21.3 minutes per game last season. He is projected to be a lottery pick.
Rocco Zikarsky, Australia
Rocco Zikarsky is an Australian professional basketball player who last played for the Brisbane Bullets of the National Basketball League (NBL).
In 2024, he led Australia to victory at the Albert Schweitzer Tournament, earning MVP honors. He averaged 18.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game. He is 7’2″ and plays as a center.
Maxine Raynaud, Stanford
Maxime Pierre Raynaud is a French college basketball player for the Stanford Cardinal of the Atlantic Coast Conference. He’s a power forward and he stands at 7’1″.
In 2024, he was named second-team All-Pac-12 and the conference’s Most Improved Player. He was also named First-team All-ACC in 2025.
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
Ryan Kalkbrenner plays for the Creighton Bluejays of the Big East Conference. The Missouri native is 7’1″ and plays center.
KEEP READING: Nine Tallest Players in College Basketball
He was named the 2024-2025 Big East Conference Preseason Player of the Year and won the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar awards for 2025.
Hansen Yang, China
Yang is 7’1″ and roughly 250 pounds. He averages 16.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.7 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game on 58/30/66 shooting splits in the Chinese Basketball Association.
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