Khaman Maluach, the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, made history by becoming the highest draft selection to have ever participated in both the NBA Academy Africa and the Basketball Africa League.
South Sudanese center Khaman Maluach etched his name in the history books during the 2025 NBA Draft, when he was selected 10th overall by the Phoenix Suns.
3-pointers this season
Phoenix Suns
NBA
The standout center from Duke became the highest draft pick ever to come out of the NBA Academy Africa and the Basketball Africa League (BAL), per NBA insider Marc Stein.
The NBA Academy Africa, a world-class basketball training facility, opened in November 2018 in Saly, Senegal.
Designed to develop top male and female basketball prospects across the continent, the academy boasts two indoor courts, a multi-purpose activity center, dormitories, a weight room, educational classrooms, and more.
For Maluach and many other African talents, it provided a transformative opportunity, far beyond what was typically available in their home countries.
Through the academy, Maluach traveled internationally, including appearances at youth showcases during NBA All-Star Weekend, gaining valuable exposure and experience.
Alongside fellow prospects, he developed both on and off the court, working toward the dream of playing college basketball, joining the NBA, or forging a professional career overseas.
The academy’s first NBA product was center Ibou Badji, who went undrafted in 2022 but eventually played 22 games for the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2023–24 season after a G League stint.
Maluach’s professional journey began with the Basketball Africa League’s BAL Elevate program, which assigns NBA Academy Africa players to BAL teams each season.
He made his BAL debut at just 15 years old with South Sudan’s Cobra Sport on April 9, 2022. He later suited up for Senegal’s AS Douanes, which reached the 2023 BAL Finals.
In his third BAL season, Maluach starred for Uganda’s City Oilers in 2024, averaging 17.5 points, a league-leading 13.5 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game over six appearances—showcasing his dominance on both ends of the floor. That same year, he was named MVP of the Basketball Without Borders Africa camp.
Maluach also was a part of South Sudan’s national team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he had the chance to face off against a star-studded Team USA.
Credit Matthew Last/ZUMA Press Wire
He capped off his remarkable rise with a strong freshman season at Duke University, one of the premier basketball programs in the United States.
From the beaches of South Sudan to the bright lights of the NBA Draft stage, Maluach's journey is a milestone for African basketball—and just the beginning of what promises to be a special career.
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