BROOKLYN, N.Y. – As Duke center Khaman Maluach stepped his 7-foot-2 frame on the 2025 NBA draft stage to shake commissioner Adam Silver’s hand, tears of joy rolled down his face as he thought back to his stunning journey from Africa.
“I just had emotions in the moment,” Maluach told Andscape from Barclays Center on Wednesday night. “I’m still flashing back. I’m still enjoying it because this is my day. I’m just excited and ready to go to work. I’m flashing back to the tough moments I had. The moments where I had to push myself. The moments where I had the wall in front of me where will was the only way through.
“I was just telling myself, ‘Thank you for being delusional in your dreams. So, stay true to yourself. Never change it.’ ”
The Houston Rockets selected Maluach with the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft. As part of the Kevin Durant trade, the Rockets are sending the draft rights to the South Sudan native to the Phoenix Suns. Maluach made history in Africa, becoming the highest draft selection who ever participated in the NBA Academy Africa and the Basketball Africa League.
Maluach hoped that his former NBA Academy Africa teammates stayed up late in Saly, Senegal, to see him get drafted.
“To my brothers at the Academy, keep working hard, bro,” Maluach said. “I’m so happy. You guys inspired me. I believe I’ve paved the way to all of y’all. Just keep working hard, man. Your time will come.
“It’s history, but there are a lot of Africans out there. And three to five years from now there will be a lot of Africans getting drafted.”
The Suns also added another former Duke center in veteran Mark Williams via trade on Wednesday night. Maluach was excited to go the Suns where he will get reacquainted with star guard Devin Booker. Maluach said Booker was very complimentary and nice to him when he visited with him a couple times during the 2024 Paris Olympics. The South Sudan center also played against Booker and Team USA in an exhibition game in London and during the Olympics last year.
“We had a dinner and I went to say what’s up to him because he had his own table. He said to, ‘Go do it,’ and then I shook his hand. He told me, ‘I’ll see you in a year.’ But when he said, ‘See you in a year,’ I know he meant the NBA. Now, I’ll see you with the Phoenix Suns. I will be his teammate.”
Khaman Maluach (standing, second from left) in Kampala, Uganda, in 2021.
NBA Academy Africa
Maluach was born in Rumbek, South Sudan, on Sept. 14, 2006. He was raised most of his youth by his mother with his siblings in nearby Kawempe, Uganda, after arriving there as refugees during a civil war. His mother actually dreamed of one day bringing her children to America for a better opportunity in life.
There was a lack of basketball facilities and interest in the game in Uganda. Maluach, however, still became interested in the game after seeing kids as tall and taller than him playing basketball. He used to walk 45 minutes to the nearest court to play. Maluach’s interest in the sport grew while playing in former NBA All-Star Luol Deng’s basketball camp in Uganda at the age of 13.
“Khaman’s story is going to inspire men and women basketball players on the Continent,” NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, who is heavily involved with the NBA’s Africa efforts, told Andscape.
In 2021, then-NBA Africa associate vice president Franck Traore was watching one of numerous videos given to him from one of his African scouts when he was drawn to this tall kid playing on an outdoor red clay court in Kampala. The kid was Maluach, then 14, who stood 6-foot-9 and was still growing. What drew interest was his athleticism and fluidity for someone of his height. But like most young African kids, he wasn’t very skilled.
Just four years ago, Maluach reflected on that moment when he was shown a picture of himself on the red clay court in Uganda.
“I remember that picture,” Maluach said. “I was standing the whole time because they had no space on the bench and I wasn’t playing a lot of minutes. So, I had to stand and the guys were playing a lot of minutes got to sit down. But then I just remember at that time I was just having fun. I was just enjoying the game.
“Sometimes when I think about it, it’s crazy, but sometimes it’s not too crazy. I put the work in. It’s not like I’m very surprised because I took the right steps. I never cheated the game. I just did everything the right way. I just stayed in the gym and walked hard so that I can be here today.”
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Traore invited Maluach to try out for the NBA Academy Africa in Saly, Senegal, for what would be a life-altering roster spot. Maluach said his mother didn’t want him to go initially.
“I was a little bit scared, but my mom didn’t want me to leave at that age because she was worried,” Maluach said. “But I told her, ‘This is what I love and this is what I’ve decided to do, so let me go.’ And my mom was able to let me go. My elder brother was able to convince her and I ended up going to the Academy.”
The NBA Academy Africa is top-notch basketball training center that opened in November 2018 for Africa’s top male and female prospects. It resides in the resort town of Saly, Senegal, which has beautiful beaches off the North Atlantic Ocean and is popular with French tourists. For Maluach and any African colleagues used to limited basketball resources, this academy was a dream come true with two indoor basketball courts, a multidimensional activity center, a swimming pool, a weight room, conference rooms, dormitories and educational facilities. Back in 2021 there were also similar NBA academies in Australia, India and Mexico.
Upon arrival, Maluach struggled to connect with his teammates because most of them didn’t speak English as he did. But after earning a roster spot, there was no way he was going to let the language barrier deter him.
“I knew it was going to be a challenge leaving home,” Maluach said. “I’m going to a whole different country and I didn’t even know they spoke a different languages in there. So, I’m going to Senegal thinking, ‘Oh, I’m going to be able to communicate with everybody. I will try to be close to them.’ So, I get to the Academy in Senegal and they don’t speak English. They speak Wolof and French. I don’t know a single word in French and I’m just there confused. And I go to Academy, a couple of guys speak English, but not everybody. Other people speak Arabic, other people speak French, Portuguese, different kids from different places in Africa.
“And we had to be together. So, it was kind of hard at the Academy. I left home at a very young age and I had a lot to learn. But when I saw they had indoor courts, they gave me shoes, they had basketballs and coaches, I never looked at leaving. Even whenever stuff was tough for me outside, missing my family and stuff like that, I’m not going back because I have what I need here.”
City Oilers center Khaman Maluach looks to pass during the game against the Bangui Sporting Club during Basketball Africa League play on April 26, 2024, at Hassan Moustafa Sports Hall in Cairo, Egypt.
Nacer Talel/NBAE via Getty Images
Maluach was able to travel the world playing for NBA Academy Africa, including playing at youth showcases during NBA All-Star Weekend. Through NBA Academy Africa, Maluach and fellow African teenagers were able to grow together toward their dream of playing at American colleges, in the NBA or internationally. The NBA Academy Africa’s first NBA player was center Ibou Badji, who went undrafted in 2022 but, following a G League stint, played 22 games for the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2023-24 season.
Maluach received his first opportunity to play professionally in the Basketball Africa League as every player in the NBA Academy Africa is assigned to a team during the season as part of the BAL Elevate Program. The NBA-ran league that debuted in 2021 played a 12-team tournament in four African cities on the Continent. He made his BAL debut with the South Sudanese Cobra Sport on April 9, 2022, at the age of 15, then played for Senegal AS Dounes, which advanced to the 2023 BAL Finals.
The 2023 Africa Basketball Without Borders Most Valuable Player showed strong promise in his third season with BAL, playing for Ugandan City Oilers in 2024. He averaged 17.5 points, a league-leading 13.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game in six games. Looking back, Maluach says he is “forever grateful” for his time in the BAL.
“The BAL accelerated my game so fast because now I’m playing with older guys, professional guys, guys who are stronger than me and it was my first time playing professional basketball,” Maluach said. “So, I go there, I’m a kid, I’m like 15 and I just watch how they do things, how they recover, how they move and how they take care of their bodies — the small stuff — and how they bounce back from games because the gap between games at the BAL was a short period of time. And I just saw that mental health and how strong they were mentally.
“It gave me a clear view on how professionals are at a very young age. When I went back to the Academy, I came back the next year and still learned more. I’m forever grateful for the BAL and hopefully one day, whenever I get time, I go back and support the BAL and give back to everybody there. It’s a big thing for Africa. It’s going to take time. For the past three years I’ve been in the BAL, it got better — whether it’s the players, whether it’s the coaching and the competition itself and the fans showing up, it got better from year to year. And I believe 10 to 15 years from now, the BAL will be big.”
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Said BAL president Amadou Fall to Andscape: “The establishment of the BAL completed the pathway for elite talent development on the African continent from the grassroots to the professional level. Khaman is the perfect example of the impact the BAL Elevate program can have. Having the young prospects play at the top pro level on the Continent fast-tracks their talent maturation.”
Maluach’s connection with Deng came full circle when the general manager of the South Sudan national team selected the teenager to play in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup at age 16. Maluach was the youngest player on the roster and he became the third-youngest player to appear in a World Cup game. He also was named to South Sudan’s 2024 Paris Olympics team.
Maluach was able to play against USA Basketball, a team filled with NBA stars like LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, in an exhibition game in London and also during the Olympics. South Sudan made history by winning its first Olympic men’s basketball game in its debut against Puerto Rico. Maluach played sparingly during the Olympics with two points in 13 minutes in three games, but the experience was invaluable.
“The Olympics now was the next level because now I’m playing Team USA, Serbia, Puerto Rico,” Maluach said. “We’re playing good teams that they have great players, Hall of Famers. Me being able to watch them, being able to step on the floor with them and see the gap I have and what I need to do to get where they are, showed me I’m on the right path. And me playing in the Olympics showed me that whatever I’m doing is right and I should keep on doing that.”
After committing to Duke’s storied men’s basketball program, Maluach represented South Sudan on the World team during the 2024 Hoop Summit pitting the top American high school seniors against the top international youth players. It was there that he first met Duke teammate Cooper Flagg, who was selected No. 1 overall tonight by the Dallas Mavericks. With Flagg leading the way, Duke lost to Houston 70-67 in the NCAA tournament semifinals during the Final Four.
As a freshman last season at Duke, Maluach averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 71.2% from the field in 21.3 minutes per game. The 2025 Atlantic Coast Conference All-Freshman Team selection tied a Duke record by starting all 39 games as a freshman.
Maluach loved the “family” environment and his growth as a basketball player at Duke but didn’t arrive convinced he would be a one-and-done player. He ultimately declared for the NBA draft on April 27, just before the underclassmen deadline. Adding to the intrigue with Maluach was his 7-5 wingspan and 9-8 standing reach at the NBA Draft Combine.
“When I went to Duke, I just didn’t think two steps ahead,” Maluach said. “I don’t think 10 months ahead or five months ahead. I went to do what was in my mind that same day. ‘How am I going to get better today so that I can reach my big goal? What do I need to do to get better? And am I doing the right thing? Am I holding myself accountable? Am I disciplined enough to stay consistent with whatever I was doing?’
“So, I never thought ahead so much until maybe the ACC tournament. But sometimes it kicks in and you think about it and I’m like, ‘Wow…’ I’m done with school and I have a chance to play in the NBA.’ So, I thought about that a little bit, but I was focused when I was present in the moment.”
Khaman Maluach speaks with the media after being drafted by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2025 NBA draft on Wednesday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Marc J. Spears/Andscape
One concern for Maluach is that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa and travel restrictions on South Sudan that were implemented ahead of the NBA draft. Uganda, however, is not under the travel ban. Maluach is currently trying to get a Ugandan passport as he spent most of his life living there, according to a source. USA Today previously reported that if Maluach was drafted by one of the NBA’s 29 American teams he would only have to apply for a waiver upon re-entering the United States each time his future team played at Toronto.
The NBA, Duke and the U.S. Department of State have been working on Maluach’s visa issue.
“We’re hopeful it will work out. I’m fairly confident it will work,” the NBA source said. “We are going to transfer him immediately from a student visa to a work visa. We are hopeful that there aren’t any issues.”
Africa has produced some of the NBA’s greatest centers in league history. Hakeem Olajuwon from Nigeria was a two-time NBA champion, a 12-time All-Star and the 1994 NBA Most Valuable Player. Joel Embiid of Cameroon was the 2023 NBA MVP and is a seven-time NBA All-Star. But of all the former NBA star centers and players overall, Maluach hopes to have an impact back in Africa like four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo of The Republic of Congo.
Mutombo, who died in 2024 of brain cancer, will also be remembered for being a tremendous humanitarian in Africa, a BAL investor and ambassador, and an NBA global ambassador. Maluach fondly recalls meeting Mutombo while playing in the BAL.
“We didn’t really have a long conversation because he had somewhere to go and we weren’t able to sit down again. But to me, just watching him do all that he did, it just inspires me and it shows me that I have to do that, too,” Maluach said.
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In 2024, the NBA had its first two-day draft with Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James highlighting the second-round picks. Maluach, however, watched the second round of the 2024 NBA draft at 5 a.m. in Kigali, Rwanda, while preparing for the Olympics to see where his NBA Academy Africa teammate Ulrich Chomche would get drafted. Chomche was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the 57th overall pick in the second round. The Cameroon native was the first player to be drafted from the NBA Academy Africa and BAL.
“I needed to watch it because it’s Ulrich, it’s the first player to be drafted straight from the Academy,” said Maluach, who still keeps in touch with his old teammates playing in the NBA Academy Africa on a group chat. “It’s not like he went to college or anything. He was getting drafted straight from Africa. He is one of my friends and we’ve been in the Academy for three years together. We played together on the same team. We went to every trip together. So, I had to stay up and watch his big day for him.
“African basketball has come a long way and it still has a long way to go. But Africa is coming man, and in the next couple of years there’s going to be a lot of good players, a lot of great players coming out of Africa. And it’s going to be up to us to give back, to have camps, and give back the knowledge we have, the knowledge we get over here and give back to other kids and inspire the next generation of African basketball.”
The 2025 NBA draft was a big day for Maluach and African basketball at-large. With Maluach becoming the first former NBA Academy Africa and BAL player to be selected in the top 10, a higher standard has been set for the next top prospects from the Continent.
“I am super-happy for Khaman and his family for this momentous achievement,” Fall said. “He is a bright young man, who exhibited a strong desire to be great from Day 1, even with very little experience and exposure to the game. His rapid development at the NBA Academy Africa is a testament to his high character, strong work ethic, confidence and humility.”
Said Maluach: “I see my story as a testimony that however much the odds are down on you, it’s never about the odds. It’s not rocket science. It’s like getting in the gym and working hard and staying consistent with whatever you are doing.”
Marc J. Spears is the senior NBA writer for Andscape. He used to be able to dunk on you, but he hasn’t been able to in years and his knees still hurt.