As several 2025 NBA rookies like Derik Queen, Cedric Coward and Danny Wolf begin to showcase their skills in the pros, some Phoenix Suns fans are starting to worry that yet another draft pick could be a flop.
Khaman Maluach, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 draft, has yet to find a place in head coach Jordan Ott’s rotations this season.
That in itself should not be a big surprise. The Suns traded multiple first-round picks in June to acquire center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets. Nick Richards, another former Hornet, joins him on the depth chart along with NBA sophomore Oso Ighodaro.
Maluach’s lack of playing time early on is rooted in the fact that Phoenix still has three senior big men on the roster so Ott can get minutes. As a result, Maluach was instead drafted into the NBA G League with the Valley Suns. His performances there should help calm fans who already believe the Duke product is an irredeemable failure.
Since late November, Maluach has posted three flashy double-doubles in the G League. His most recent appearance for the Valley Suns was a Dec. 11 win against the San Diego Clippers in which Maluach scored 22 points, ripped down 19 boards and added four blocks to the ledger.
Before that, Maluach (and rookie teammate Rasheer Fleming) posted a personal-best 27 points on 10-of-14 shooting (71.4%) to go with 15 rebounds and four more blocks in a December 3 game against the Santa Cruz Warriors.
The obvious answer here is, “Well, it’s the G League.”
That’s completely fair.
But we can acknowledge that while Maluach’s performance faces less competition compared to the NBA, the level at which Maluach dominates on the glass while shooting above 70% in his past two outings is meaningful.
That applies to any player of any age, but Maluach is only 19 years old. In fact, he celebrated a birthday in September of this year, so he won’t be turning 20 until his rookie season is long over.
For direct comparison to the aforementioned rookies who were drafted after Maluach and are already performing well in NBA games: Queen turns 21 later this month. Wolf is already 21 years old and Coward turned 22 before his rookie campaign.
So while fans may be frustrated watching other rookies play breakout games at the highest levels, Maluach remains one of the youngest of the bunch.
Even former Suns Rookie of the Year winner Amar’e Stoudemire – who was drafted out of high school – turned 20 in November of his rookie year.
As with everything in life, context matters. Pieces of Maluach remains a raw talent, but that is to be expected for a player of his age.
He doesn’t get minutes above the veterans of Williams, Ighodaro and Richards, but there is still plenty of season left to play.
There’s also a decent chance the Suns will opt to trade Richards, provided he’s in the final year of his contract. If he is sent elsewhere, it could certainly mean some minutes for Maluach in the coming months.
Ott is clearly committed to winning games and getting Phoenix into the playoffs, but he also recognizes the need to go deep into his bench to keep the guys fresh.
It’s now up to the Suns’ organization and coaching staff to develop the Sudanese big man into a difference-maker when he gets extended NBA minutes. It’s a long season and even if Maluach doesn’t get the chance to shine, there’s still a lot of upside for the fans to rely on.
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