Phoenix Suns media day was a brilliant one for sophomore center Khaman Maluach as everybody raved about him, but Head Coach Jordan Ott has not forgotten about Oso Ighodaro, alluding to him getting a chance to impress in preseason.
Ighodaro confirms various rotations will be used in tune-up games
Coach Ott refused to reveal who will start at the five for the franchise on opening night but did promise they would use different rotations in their five preseason games to give several players a chance to impress. This is just the boost Ighodaro needs after all that was made of Maluach's chances of contributing right away as a starter throughout media availability.
Jordan Ott didn’t commit to a starting center, as you would expect. Mentioned the ultra competitive training camp and how Oso & Khaman will approach it.
— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) September 28, 2026
The 24-year-old is already being forgotten about, despite being one of the Suns’ best performers to close out the season. He did a wonderful job of playing backup minutes at center while also sliding down to his more natural power forward role when necessary and gave a nice account of himself in his first playoff experience.
There was clear growth in his game on the offensive end, while his springy and athletic frame allowed him to successfully guard both bigger and quicker forwards. His ceiling may not be as high as Maluach’s, but right now, he is the more complete player and has proven he can have an impact both as a starter and off the bench.
The Suns would be foolish to stunt his growth in favor of an unproven and raw prospect in Maluach, even if he did spend the summer working out with Devin Booker. Not only that, but Ighodaro has quietly and alarmingly quickly become one of the longest-tenured players on the roster. He deserves his opportunity to show that he improved this offseason.
Ighodaro will thrive in Phoenix no matter the role
It doesn’t matter if Maluach quickly overtakes him as the starting center for the Suns. The injury woes of Mark Williams mean Ighodaro’s importance is only going to grow, whether that is as a starter or off the bench.
Coach Ott is likely to play the two bigs together in certain lineups, which could give opponents nightmares and be music to the ears of Jalen Green. The more high-level defenders he shares the court with, the better chance he has of reverting to being the elite score-first guard he prefers to be, which should only elevate the team further.
Media day might not have been all about Oso Ighodaro, but he will have many chances to make the starting spot his own as the season progresses.
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