NBA Draft Scouting Report: Duke's Khaman Maluach

Scouting Report: Khaman Maluach

1. Player Info
2. Prospect Profile
3. Highlights
4. Draft Projection
5. 2025 Big Board

Player Info

Khaman Maluach

Center | Duke

Height: 7'2” | Weight: 250 lbs 

2025 Draft Age: 18.76

Prospect Profile

Standing at 7-foot-2, Maluach has the tools to develop into a dominant big at the NBA level. He’s still fairly raw given how long he’s played organized basketball, but his upside is tremendous. He has a sturdy frame for his height and age, which suggests he could really fill out in the coming years.  

On the offensive side of the floor, Maluach is still a work in progress. He isn’t known for being a primary scorer and is still developing his go-to moves. He has proven to be a decent mover of the ball when an offense gets flowing but certainly isn’t a facilitating big. In fact, he still makes wrong reads and can be turnover-prone at times. 

His jumper, especially from beyond the arc, will be a swing skill for his draft stock in the modern NBA. Maluach is slowly starting to score further from the rim, but isn’t a perimeter threat by any means entering his freshman season. There’s reason for optimism with his fluidity and mechanics, but it’s hypothetical as of now. 

Although the offense still has a ways to go for Maluach, his defense is already phenomenal. He has insane length that we don’t see come through the draft all that often. Furthermore, his foot speed and lateral quickness allow him to defend well in space. Both near the rim and out to the perimeter, the Duke big is able to make plays. Especially in the pick-and-roll, he will really have a chance to be disruptive in the NBA with how frequently offensive sets are predicated around that type of action. 

With his incredible standing reach and natural instincts as a shot blocker, Maluach has the chance to be an elite rim protector in the NBA. Especially as he gets more reps and develops more discipline as a young defensive anchor. 

Maluach is a product of the NBA Academy in Senegal, having really emerged in the past few years. The 7-foot-2 prospect has only been playing basketball since 2019, speaking to how much better he could become. He’s just now scratching the surface of what he could be — which is a very good center prospect. 

A former five-star high school recruit, Maluach helped South Sudan qualify for the 2024 Olympics as a teenager. Furthermore, the experience of playing alongside an absolutely loaded class at Duke, including Cooper Flagg, provides great experience and exposure as he continues to develop his game against top competition.

Highlights

Draft Projection

Early Lottery Pick in 2025 NBA Draft.

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2025 Big Board

Want to know more about other potential 2025 NBA Draft prospects and where they might get selected? Check out our Draft Digest Big Board.

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