Khaman Maluach gets real on how Duke prepared him for NBA Draft
Few teams routinely produce more top NBA Draft prospects than Duke. Consensus top pick Cooper Flagg leads the Blue Devils' 2025 draft class, but center Khaman Maluach is not far behind.
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Maluach was one of three Duke freshmen to enter the 2025 NBA Draft, joining Flagg and Kon Knueppel. Despite playing a complementary role with the Blue Devils, Maluach feels his lone collegiate season helped prepare him for the next level.
'I feel like we had a great year at Duke,' Maluach said in an interview with Andy Katz. 'I feel like I did my role, did my job. Being able to affect the game without having the ball in my hands. I feel like I did a lot to prepare [myself] for this. The practices, the reps, the film, stuff I'm learning from coaches and teammates. I feel like that prepared me and helped me be in this position where I'm at today.'
Maluach started all 39 games in 2024-2025, averaging 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 21.3 minutes per game. The South Sudanese prospect had a career-high of just 19 points but is still considered the top center of the draft due to his size and length.
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Despite playing in the shadows of Flagg and Knueppel, Maluach was still one of the most important assets of Duke's ACC championship season. The lanky big man anchored the team's defense and was a large part of the Blue Devils' top-10-ranked paint defense.
Khaman Maluach's 2025 NBA Draft projection
David Banks-Imagn Images
Despite concerns about his foul trouble and footwork, Maluach is widely expected to be a top-10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. In a class that lacks many frontcourt prospects, Maluach is inarguably the top pure center of the group.
Of those picking early in the lottery, the Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls are the most center-needy teams. The Houston Rockets were another potential option at No. 10, but they are seemingly headed in another direction after extending Steven Adams.
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Behind Maluach, Maryland's Derik Queen is generally viewed as the second-best center in the draft. However, unlike the Duke product, Queen is an athletic, perimeter-oriented big man with guard-like skills. There is a wide gap between Queen and the third-best center of the class, whether it is Georgetown's Thomas Sorber, France's Joan Beringer or Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner.
Related: NBA news: Jalen Suggs, Tyrese Haliburton cousin truth has fans losing their minds
Related: Lakers' LeBron James bluntly puts potential coaching future to bed
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