2025 NBA Draft: Khaman Maluach Preseason Scouting Report
Khaman Maluach, the South Sudan and Duke Blue Devils center, is my preseason top ten.
Birthday: September 14, 2006
Team: Duke Blue Devils
Measurements:1
Height: 7-foot-2
Weight: 250 pounds
Wingspan: 7-foot-5
Standing reach: 9-foot-8
Physical comp: Mark Williams (per youngwizzyDFS’s NBA Draft Tool)
Offense:
One of the youngest prospects in the 2025 draft. Doesn’t turn 19 y/o until next September.
Only started playing basketball in 2019 and joined the African NBA Academy in 2021. But has surprising experience already. Most importantly, already went to the 2024 Olympics, the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and has 3 seasons in the Basketball Africa League (BAL).
There is a straightforward role that he can play as a big. Has a pathway to success screening and rolling, catching and finishing, rim running, throwing down lobs, etc.
Speed north-to-south pops when he is running the floor. Aggressive with long strides and velocity.
Above the rim presence on both ends. On offense, can play in the pick-and-roll and finish lobs. Really benefits, especially in the short term, from steady guard play.
Good communicator with a consistent motor. Plays hard and, when I’ve evaluated live, very vocal calling out defensive coverages, encouraging teammates, etc. Appears to be very well-liked by NBA Academy staff and teammates.
Impactful rebounder. Makes multiple efforts and leverages his dimensions to create second plays.
Quick second jump at 7-foot-2 with a 9-foot-8 standing reach. Body will keep improving even more, although he should be commended for the progress he’s already made there (Duke has him at 250 pounds).
Tip dunk and tip-in threat. Tracks misses/plays and genuinely pursues the ball.
14.2 rebounds per game in 9 BAL games last season as a 17 y/o. Has developed and produced with this skill outside of the NBA Academy over the last two years or so.
Needs to improve short-range touch close to the rim. Displays some touch from longer distances, but can fluff too many shots near the basket. If not confident in this shot yet, needs to go up and dunk (has the tools to do so).
Has always shot threes on low-mid volume, but needs to prove that he can space the floor at the next level. Willing spot-up shooter with pick-and-pop potential. 31.6 3P% on 18/57 attempts in his 24 BAL games. 71 FT% last season.
NBA teams are probably not going to want him shooting a lot of threes right off the bat unless he’s really knocking them down at Duke. Even then, I’d have some questions despite buying the upside long term.
At 7-2 and with his length, hard to bother his shot when it’s falling.
Reasonable to question how valuable Maluach’s shooting is if he only makes threes in the low/mid-30s on low volume. Doesn’t possess much versatility as a shooter.
Shot prep can get rushed on catch-and-shoots if he needs an extra second to reorganize or facing a tight closeout. He can knock down spot-ups, but needs time and space for the most part.
Has flashed a turnaround jumper out of the post towards the left baseline. Has some touch and consistency with this shot. In the future, Maluach has potential out of the blocks and elbows. But cannot demand these reps yet.
Better when dribbles and seconds on the ball are limited. Doesn’t have many counters to turn to yet. But there is a base to work with here.
Some interesting flashes driving and even passing at the BAL level — hard to see this translating up, but worth monitoring just in case. If he can do some things out of (D)HOs, that would be cool. Has a few instances on tape of pushing and scoring/passing on the break, even at the South Sudan national team level. Again, short-range touch needs to get better, though.
Defense:
Has all the tools, but needs way more consistency —especially in the pick-and-roll. This is vital as a big and, honestly, a swing skill for Maluach maybe even as early as the college season.
Angles in the pick-and-roll need major improvement. Finds it tough to play the cat-and-mouse game of taking away the ballhandler’s pass or lob and finish at the same time.
Hand/arm placement, verticality, and body shape are still works in progress — but this can be coached. Too reactive and jumpy at times, despite being at his best when he stays down on his feet. Game has to keep slowing down for him.
Everything points towards Maluach getting plenty of run for Duke and I believe he should — but Maliq Brown and even Cooper Flagg can take minutes at the 5 for Duke. It seems too early to know whether Pat Ngongba will be a factor this season, as he’s currently dealing with another foot injury4.
Came off the bench5 in Duke’s preseason exhibition vs. Lincoln.
The idea to play him in drop makes sense and might be the way to get the most out of Maluach long term. He’s most comfortable near the rim. But this needs a lot of work still.
Can sometimes recover in the pick-and-roll with his athleticism. But not always, and this will gradually be more of an issue as he faces higher level competition. Let’s see how he takes on the challenge at Duke.
Safe base as a defender because of his physical tools, motor, coachability, and youth. Needs developmental time and patience, but I think the investment would pay off.
This is contextual in the draft, but remember — Maluach will still be 18 on draft night. He’ll only have just turned 19 right before training camp and preseason.
At his best, can put a lid on the rim and also has the size and mobility to smother attackers when checking them on the perimeter. All of this is relatively untested against the competition he’ll face from now on, though.
Long term upside on defense is incredibly appealing, but might honestly have a cleaner role on offense right now.
I’ve heard concerns about how recent BAL prospects like Babacar Sané and Thierry Serge Darlan never quite got up to speed with basketball in the G League. I believe Maluach will be in a different context, though, and that he’s a far better prospect than the aforementioned names. I also think he’s more proven already.
Stat profile
Maluach shows me progression among his peers and versus older competition. He’s gotten better with more responsibility at the NBA Academy Africa level, as well as with whichever senior team he’s played with in the BAL.
Basketball Africa League:6
2021-22: Cobra (at 15.7 y/o)
5 games: 11.8 MINS, 10.70 USG%, 2.2 PTS (36.4 FG%) 40.3 TS%, 3.4 REB, 0.6 AST, 0.4 TOV, 0.2 STL, 1 BLK (7.47 BLK%) / 0.4 3PA, 0.0 3P% (0/2), 1.2 FTA, 50 FT% (3/6)
2022-23: Douanes and NBA Academy Africa (at 16 y/o)
7 games with Douanes: 11.5 MINS, 18.67 USG%, 3.4 PTS (34.6 FG%), 41.9 TS%, 4.4 REB, 0.4 AST, 1.3 TOV, 0.3 STL, 0.4 BLK (3.96 BLK%) / 1.1 3PA, 25 3P% (2/8), 0.9 FTA, 66.7 FT% (4/6)
3 games with NBA Academy: 25.6 MINS, 16.36 USG%, 10 PTS (39.1 FG%), 58.5 TS%, 8.7 REB, 1.7 AST, 2 TOV, 2 STL, 3 BLK (12.2 BLK%) / 4.7 3PA, 42.9 3P% (6/14), 2 FTA, 100 FT% (6/6)
2023-24: City Oilers and NBA Academy Africa (at 17 y/o)
6 games with City Oilers: 34.3 MINS, 22.64 USG%, 18.2 PTS (51.9 FG%), 58.1 TS%, 13.5 REB, 0.8 AST, 3 TOV, 0.7 STL, 3.1 BLK (7.07 BLK%) / 2.8 3PA, 23.5 3P% (4/17), 4.8 FTA, 72.4 FT% (21/29)
3 games with NBA Academy: 31.9 MINS, 26.73 USG%, 21 PTS (55.8 FG%), 64.7 TS%, 15.7 REB, 1.3 AST, 4 TOV, 0.3 STL, 3.7 BLK (9.62 BLK%) / 5.3 3PA, 37.5 3P% (6/16), 4.3 FTA, 69.2% (9/13)
2023 FIBA World Cup7:
4/5 games played with South Sudan: 10.3 MINS, 2 PTS (33.3 FG%), 3.8 REB, 0.3 AST, 0.3 TOV, 0.0 STL, 0.8 BLK / 0.5 3PA, 0 3P% (0/2), 0.8 FTA, 66.7 FT% (2/3)
2024 Paris Olympics8:
3 games played with SSD: 4.4 MINS (13 total), 0.7 PTS (50 FG% on 1/2 shooting), 1.3 REB, 0.0 AST, 0.0 TOV, 0.0 STL, 0.0 BLK / 0/1 from three
Per Duke University
Via Pro Insight
The News & Observer: "But Ngongba, who dealt with injuries to both feet in high school, is currently out and Scheyer offered no indication as to when he’ll return.”