Khaman Maluach - NBA Mock Draft Roundup 2.0

Maluach is an imposing presence in the paint and was a fantastic finisher around the rim during his lone season at Duke. He impacted the game defensively despite only averaging 1.3 blocks per game. Maluach still needs time to develop, but going to Toronto would be a great situation for him.

Maluach, born in South Sudan, began playing basketball roughly seven years ago and is still a bit raw but ranked sixth in the country in offensive rebound percentage (16.5) and 2-point percentage (75.4) this past season. He measured in with a 7-foot, 6 3/4-inch wingspan at the draft combine and has a standing reach of 9 feet, 6 inches, which should intrigue teams. Maluach is one of the top defensive big men in the draft and would be afforded the time to develop with the Nets if that is the direction they go in.

With Jakob Poeltl potentially hitting free agency next year, the Raptors could use a long-term answer at center. Many people around the league have connected Duke center Maluach here because of his time at the NBA Academy in Africa and Masai Ujiri's efforts to promote basketball within the region. It's a connection that makes a ton of sense now with the Raptors sliding back to No. 9.

Maluach isn't a monster shot-blocker, but he understands how big he is and is excellent at using his size to cut off angles and contest on the interior. Offensively, there are more questions, largely about his hands and overall feel for the game. He got to basketball a bit late and is still working on how to see the floor around him. He also doesn't always seem to come down with contested rebounds, as was starkly seen in Duke's Final Four game against Houston, when he played 20 minutes and had zero rebounds. Still, someone will take the bet on a player who's 7-2 with long arms and real movement skills.

Pro Comparison: Dereck Lively

Workouts should create a favorable setting for Khaman Maluach to showcase shotmaking touch and on-ball footwork that was mostly hidden by a loaded Duke roster.

At baseline, his 7'2" size, massive wingspan and mobility will draw serious consideration from late lottery teams interested in adding play-finishing and defense. But Maluach pre-Duke tape showed more shooting range and scoring versatility, and flashes of that during the draft process could start to entice teams even further up the board.

Team Fit: The Pels got great mileage out of Yves Missi this past season, but things could go even further with Maluach. He could fill the same rim-running role, ensuring New Orleans always has a bouncy big in the middle, but the hope is Maluach could one day add some element of shot-making to the mix. —Zach Buckley, NBA Analyst

Scouting report: Maluach is the top defensive center prospect in this draft, offering an appealing mix of length, mobility, play finishing and paint protection at a young age. This year's playoffs have served as a reminder for some teams that the ability to rotate size onto the floor still has plenty of value in the postseason, with more traditional centers such as Rudy Gobert and Steven Adams among those turning in big moments.

Maluach's ability to deter opponents around the rim and strong intangibles should give him immediate rotation value with plenty of room to improve. -- Woo

NBA intel and fit: Coming off a difficult, injury riddled-season that led to major changes in the front office, the Pelicans need star power to build around Zion Williamson, who played in just 130 games over the past four seasons because of injuries.

Unfortunately, that task became a lot harder when the Pelicans shockingly dropped four spots to the No. 7 pick, significantly complicating their outlook in this draft. It will be interesting to see whether the Pelicans' shift to a new front office hierarchy gives them a mandate from ownership to pivot toward a true rebuild, with an eye on a loaded 2026 draft class. -- Givony

Maluach didn't start playing basketball until 2019, and he's already competed in the Paris Olympics and helped power a Final Four run during his short time in the sport. The South Sudanese center has elite physical measurements for an NBA big man at 7'2, 250 pounds, with a 9'6 standing reach. Duke had Maluach play a narrow role as a freshman, but it's easy to see his long-term upside if everything comes together. He showcased soft touch around the basket with 73.6 percent true shooting, mostly on rolls to the rim and putbacks. Maluach only made four three-pointers this season, but he was more willing to shoot them when he was playing back in Africa, and it should be part of his game long-term. He's already a solid free throw shooter with a 76.6 percent mark from the line. Maluach should be impactful defensively based on size alone, and he's also pretty quick laterally on the perimeter. His positioning remains a work in progress on the defensive end, and at times he can be a bit slow off the ground as a leaper. The biggest red flag might be his complete lack of playmaking after finishing with only 20 assists in 39 games. If you think Maluach will shoot from deep eventually, he still has a clear path to returning top-10 value when matched with his ridiculous length and interior finishing.

The Wizards took one of the bigger flaming arrows to the heart on lottery night, but now that they're picking at no. 6, they might as well lean all the way into the insane length that they already have. At just 18 years old, Maluach was easily the most dominant gravitational force in college basketball this year—drawing defenders into the paint and deterring would-be finishers who'd entertained misguided ideas of driving to the basket. Some rim protectors are so big and so long that they become deterrents simply by being on the floor, and Maluach is one of them. Concerns about his balance and narrow frame bubbled up during the last stretch of Duke's season, raising questions about whether NBA-level physicality might immobilize him in a way that neutralizes his great size. But this young big guy has a lot of room to get stronger. Will offenses even be able to see through the forest of limbs that Maluach, Alex Sarr, and Bilal Coulibaly will create playing side-by-side? The glimpses Khaman has shown on offense are simple—but they might be more than enough, considering the upside of his total package.

Measuring a 7-foot-6 wingspan at the combine, Maluach's length as a center and projectable role as an above-the-rim playmaker makes too much sense. He could feast alongside Wemby in San Antonio.

Maluach is a towering rim protector with switchable mobility, erasing shots at the rim and shadowing quick guards on the perimeter. In the long term he could be the anchor of the Raptors' defense. But beyond dunking lobs, he's a work in progress on offense with a lack of seasoning as a screener, shooter and creator. He also grabbed zero rebounds in his final game at Duke. Such a raw skill set should come as no surprise since the South Sudan native didn't start playing basketball until he was 13. Patience could pay off for the Raptors though.