South Sudan native Khaman Maluach has tearful reaction after Rockets select him in NBA Draft
The Phoenix Suns' roster will look vastly different this fall.
Just a few days before the 2025 NBA Draft, reports of a trade involving Kevin Durant surfaced. The deal is expected to send the two-time NBA champion to the Houston Rockets, ESPN reported Sunday.
The Rockets held the tenth overall pick in the draft and selected 7-foot-2 Khaman Maluach Wednesday. The former Duke standout was subsequently sent to Phoenix as part of the package of players and picks included in the Durant deal, according to ESPN.
Maluach was visibly emotional moments after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced his name from the draft stage.
Maluach was raised in Uganda after his family fled Sudan when the nation was ravaged by conflict.
He didn't start playing basketball until he was 14 years old, when a cab driver stopped and acknowledged his stature.
Maluach was a member of the South Sudan national basketball team that pushed Team USA to the brink at the Paris Olympics. Before landing in Durham, North Carolina, Maluach competed at NBA Academy Africa. He is now the highest-drafted player from the academy.
"I'm here representing the whole continent," Maluach told ESPN moments after he walked across the draft stage and shook Silver's hand at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
"Living in Africa, I had the whole continent on my back, giving hope to young kids, inspiring young kids and the next generation of African basketball."
Maluach averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game during his lone season at Duke. He started 39 games for the Blue Devils, who advanced to the Final Four in April.
Maluach wore a Rockets hat on the draft stage because the reported transaction he was included in has yet to become official. Maluach wore a Suns hat during a press conference after he was drafted. He expressed excitement about heading to Arizona.
"I'm excited to put on the Phoenix jersey that has my name, that has 'Maluach' on the back," he told reporters. "I'm excited to play for the Suns and step on the floor."
Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Is South Africa vs Barbarians on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Springboks
The Springboks are in action for the first time in 2025 as South Africa host the Barbarians in Cape Town. The world champions enjoyed a highly successful 2024, winning the Rugby Championship and showing off their strength in depth on an unbeaten November tour of Europe. Advertisement It is an intriguing start to the year for Rassie Erasmus's side, with this uncapped game and Tests against Italy and Georgia providing an opportunity for the coach to look at the wider options within his squad as he continues to tinker with the Springboks. They will take on an intriguing Barbarians bunch including a couple of retiring Irish icons, several of those who just missed out on the All Blacks squad and a pair of England exiles. Here's everything you need to know. When is South Africa vs the Barbarians? South Africa vs the Barbarians is due to kick off at 4.10pm BST at DHL Stadium in Cape Town. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Action, with coverage from 4pm BST. A live stream will be available via Sky Go and NOW. Team news Rassie Erasmus has given chances to four uncapped players amidst plenty of experience in a strong South Africa side. Giant tighthead Asenathi Ntlabakanye and explosive flanker Vincent Tshituka both start as they pull on Springboks shirts for the first time, with front-rowers Marnus van der Merwe and Neethling Fouche also set to be used off the bench. Advertisement There are familiar faces elsewhere: Jesse Kriel captains the side after injury struck Siya Kolisi in the week, while Cheslin Kolbe, Damian de Allende and Malcolm Marx are among the other stars on show. The retiring Peter O'Mahony skippers the Barbarians line-up, with fellow old Irish stager Cian Healy joining him in saying farewell. Ex-All Blacks captain Sam Cane joins O'Mahony in the back row and has plenty of Kiwis for company in a side full of New Zealanders young and old. Mark Telea is an eye-catching inclusion after his omission from Scott Robertson's latest squad while there is also a significant contingent taken from the Top 14, including lock David Ribbans and centre Joe Marchant, both part of England's 2023 World Cup squad before moves to France left them ineligible. It's a six/two bench for the BaaBaas. Line-ups South Africa XV: 1 Ox Nche, 2 Malcolm Marx, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye; 4 Jean Kleyn, 5 Lood de Jager; 6 Marco van Staden, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 8 Jean-Luc du Preez; 9 Morne van den Berg, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu; 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 12 Damian de Allende, 13 Jesse Kriel (capt.), 14 Cheslin Kolbe; 15 Aphelele Fassi. Advertisement Replacements: 16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Kwagga Smith; 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Andre Esterhuizen. Barbarians XV: 1 Cian Healy, 2 Camille Chat, 3 Paul Alo-Emile; 4 Ruben van Heerden, 5 David Ribbans; 6 Peter O'Mahony (capt.), 7 Sam Cane, 8 Shannon Frizell; 9 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 10 Josh Jacomb; 11 Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, 12 Peter Umaga-Jensen, 13 Leicester Fainga'anuku, 14 Mark Telea; 15 Melvyn Jaminet. Replacements: 16 Ricky Riccitelli, 17 Hassane Kolingar, 18 Will Collier, 19 Josh Beehre, 20 Hoskins Sotutu,; 21 Santiago Arata, 22 Joe Marchant; 23 Lachlan Boshier.
![2025 Wimbledon: Mochizuki [146th] vs. Zeppieri [353rd] Prediction, Odds and Match Preview](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gannett-cdn.com%2Fauthoring%2Fimages%2FDataSkriveSportsbookWire%2F2025%2F04%2F16%2FSSBK%2F83117401007-16686351.jpeg%3Fauto%3Dwebp%26crop%3D1199%2C675%2Cx0%2Cy0%26format%3Dpjpg%26width%3D1200&w=3840&q=100)
![2025 Wimbledon: Mochizuki [146th] vs. Zeppieri [353rd] Prediction, Odds and Match Preview](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fall-logos-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fusatoday.com.png&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
USA Today
43 minutes ago
- USA Today
2025 Wimbledon: Mochizuki [146th] vs. Zeppieri [353rd] Prediction, Odds and Match Preview
In the Round of 128 at Wimbledon on Monday, Giulio Zeppieri (ranked No. 353) faces Shintaro Mochizuki (No. 146). Mochizuki has -220 odds to win this match against Zeppieri (+170). You can tune in to watch Wimbledon on ESPN from June 23 - July 13. Tennis odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Friday at 10:38 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Shintaro Mochizuki vs. Giulio Zeppieri matchup info Watch Wimbledon and more tennis on Fubo! Mochizuki vs. Zeppieri Prediction Based on the implied probility from the moneyline, Mochizuki has a 68.8% to win. Mochizuki vs. Zeppieri Betting Odds Mochizuki vs. Zeppieri matchup performance & stats
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
ESPN analyst says Ace Bailey was hoping to avoid Utah at all costs: "This was not one of his preferred destinations"
ESPN analyst says Ace Bailey was hoping to avoid Utah at all costs: "This was not one of his preferred destinations" originally appeared on Basketball Network. The first round of the 2025 NBA Draft is officially behind us. Cooper Flagg went No. 1 to Dallas, as everyone expected. There weren't any major shakeups at the top, no last-second trades or blockbuster picks to derail the board, at least not until we got to No. 5. Advertisement That's when things got interesting, to say the least. Ace Bailey, the ultra-talented Rutgers wing who'd spent the past year projected as a sure-shot top-three pick and, at one point, even made a serious case for going No. 2, unexpectedly slid down the draft board. It wasn't just about his game, at least not for the most part. The buzz leading up to draft night was that Bailey's camp had discouraged or outright declined workouts with several teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 3. That move sparked speculation that Bailey had been given some sort of assurance that he is going to one of his preferred destinations, namely the Washington Wizards. Bailey's reaction spoke more than a thousand words When NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the Utah Jazz were selecting Bailey with the fifth pick, the room didn't exactly explode with celebration. In fact, the broadcast cameras quickly caught Bailey's face and let's just say he didn't look thrilled to be heading to Salt Lake City. Advertisement ESPN's Jonathan Givony didn't sugarcoat the moment either. Shortly after the pick was made, he gave a straightforward explanation of the situation. "This was not one of his preferred destinations… Utah… He was hoping to get to either Washington, New Orleans or Brooklyn," the ESPN analyst said with a touch of surprise. It was clear as day: this wasn't what Bailey or his team had envisioned. And yet, the Jazz front office didn't flinch. They still went ahead and drafted him anyway. That's just how this business works sometimes, especially when a front office believes it has a star in its hands, regardless of how excited that player may be to join the program. "The Utah Jazz selected Ace Bailey knowing that. This is a bit of a stunner. But if you think about it, this is an outstanding place for Ace Bailey. They have a wide open wing situation, they have a huge need for a star at this moment. I think Ace Bailey is going to recover from this really quickly," Givony added. Advertisement The Jazz clearly see something worth betting on. A raw but high-upside talent who hasn't even come close to scratching the surface of his potential. And while Bailey might not be thrilled right now, this could easily be the kind of low-pressure environment he needs to evolve into a legitimate two-way threat. Related: Tracy McGrady believes he was never put in the situation to win a ring: "Replace me with Kobe with Shaq... You don't think I can carry the Lakers to a championship?" Trader Danny has the vision Let's be clear: Utah's not exactly a free-agent destination, and they're a long way off from contending in the Western Conference. But they do have pieces. With Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, and Walker Kessler already in place and Lauri Markkanen still in his prime, the Jazz have quietly assembled a roster that might surprise some people sooner than later. Advertisement At the top of it all sits Danny Ainge, the man they call "Trader Danny" for a reason. Ainge built his front office rep during his Boston Celtics days, where he pulled off one of the most lopsided trades in league history and drafted future cornerstones. Now, he is looking to do the same in Utah. He's got a vision, and he clearly believes Bailey fits it. Bailey might not feel like a Jazzer right now, and honestly, it showed. But if history has taught us anything, it's that Ainge doesn't make moves without thinking three steps ahead. Whether Ace believes it at this moment or not, Utah could end up being the best thing for his career. We will just have to wait and see what the future holds for this promising talent. Related: "I don't think there has ever been someone that played this hard as him all the time" - Cooper Flagg reveals the one thing he admires most about Larry Bird This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
