Khaman Maluach #10 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half of the NBA game at Mortgage Matchup C...
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 06: Khaman Maluach #10 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half of the NBA game at Mortgage Matchup Center on November 06, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Clippers 115-102. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Friday morning’s news that Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams will miss a significant amount of time after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder leaves the team with a hole at the starting center spot.
Williams was the Suns’ primary starting center a season ago (started 55 of his 60 regular-season games), and was penciled in to do the same in 2026-27 after inking a new three-year, $38 million deal in the offseason. He would’ve played alongside a projected lineup consisting of guards Devin Booker and Jalen Green, and forwards Dillon Brooks and Miles Bridges.
With only two true centers remaining on Phoenix’s roster — Khaman Maluach and Oso Ighodaro — one of them will have to step into Williams’ slot. Both will see increased minutes.
Here are the pros and cons of each option, along with fan reaction to the major roster development.
Khaman Maluach is a breakout candidate
Maluach is the most intriguing option to be the Suns’ new starting center, as he came to Phoenix with high expectations after being a significant part of the return in the Kevin Durant trade as the 10th overall selection in the 2025 draft.
Coming into the league at just 18 years old, he wasn’t ready for a significant role on the team last season. Maluach averaged just three points and 2.9 rebounds in 8.9 minutes per game.
But a year of steady development is appearing to pay off, as Maluach was stellar in the 2026 NBA Summer League. Across four games, he averaged 19.5 points, a league-high 12.8 rebounds and two blocks. He even showed a glimpse of his ability to stretch the floor from deep (shooting 40% on five attempts per game), something the organization hoped he’d be able to do when drafting him.
That upside inspired hope in fans that Maluach would receive a bigger role even before Williams got hurt, but after the news, they are even more eager for it to be “Man Man time” in Phoenix.
It's Khaman Maluach time. https://t.co/pzGohm3YWr
— Phoenix Insurgent (@PhxInsurgent) September 11, 2026
Khaman maluach your time has come https://t.co/IBeuugXoQM pic.twitter.com/Rpi7M7LyFf
— Big Sam😈 (@Sammie_gram1) September 11, 2026
At 7-foot-2 with a nearly 7-foot-7 wingspan, Maluach has the more typical build of a rim-protecting center than Ighodaro does (6-foot-11 height and wingspan), but of course, the main thing holding him back is experience. Maluach began playing basketball relatively late at 13 years old, and after only one college season at Duke, his lack of high-level game reps was a reason head coach Jordan Ott sparingly played him as a rookie in Phoenix.
He was a coach’s decision DNP for a bulk of the season, as he played in just 46 games despite being healthy. However, toward the end of the season he did see an uptick in playing time, including an 18-point, 14-rebound performance in the final game of the regular season.
Oso Ighodaro brings experience and familiarity
Ighodaro is largely an opposite to Maluach when it comes to experience. The 24-year-old Valley native played four seasons at Marquette before being drafted by the Suns in the second round of the 2024 draft.
Despite being a second-round rookie, Ighodaro averaged 17.1 minutes in 61 games, starting six of them, for the then-Mike Budenholzer led Suns. A coaching change didn’t curtail his playing time during his second season, as he started 24 games for Ott while being one of just 18 NBA players to play in all 82 games of the 2025-26 season.
That familiarity could be crucial to Ott when building his rotations, especially early in the season. Among Ighodaro’s biggest strengths is his IQ and feel for the game, so his understanding of the ins and outs of Phoenix’s offensive and defensive systems is a key reason why some believe he can be the starting center over Maluach with Williams now out.
While most of the public's attention will be on Khaman Maluach (and rightfully so) as the breakout candidate in Phoenix, people shouldn't sleep on Oso Ighodaro. He's a defensive beast with playmaking chops. pic.twitter.com/TbKu6MmORb
— Frederick Okocha (@F_rederic_k) September 11, 2026
Every saying Man Man will start. You all know Ott loves him some Oso. 🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/ddMK0W09Ur
— Nick Fulton (@12thmansundo) September 11, 2026
Ighodaro’s earned trust with Ott and chemistry with teammates could make him the frontrunner as the starting center for now, especially with the growth he’s shown on both ends of the ball. But Maluach’s ceiling could make it his job to lose going into training camp.
Regardless of who starts and who comes off the bench, the strengths and weaknesses of both players complement each other in a way that provides a silver lining to the unfortunate news of Williams’ injury.