Phoenix Suns' head coach Jordan Ott is trying to do everything he can to get his side back into the series with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and that has involved thinking outside the box.
This has included playing rookie centre Khaman Maluach a surprising 34 minutes across the first two contests, and this is going to impact the franchise's offseason as a result.
Suns will have no need to add another known big this summer
Maluach remains incredibly raw offensively, but his large frame and increasing awareness on where to be on the defensive end has annoyed the Thunder at times in this series.
Given they are the defending champions, it stands to reason that the 19-year-old will be given more of a chance to prove himself in year two. But the numbers below are already encouraging.
OKC attempted 46.5% of their shots in the paint during the first three quarters of Game 2 and made 67.7% of them (21-of-31). In the fourth quarter, that number fell to 35% of their attempts and 50% (3-of-6)
— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) April 23, 2026
Khaman Maluach played all 12 minutes of the fourth.
The Maluach Effect pic.twitter.com/igxZKUIHJq
This also has the positive impact of ensuring the organization don't have to try and find a Nick Richards type to be there so the rookie can come along slowly.
The Suns also have Oso Ighodaro and although he has struggled at times playing at the five this season, he has also shown he is willing to play minutes there when required.
That alone is hardly an acceptable center rotation, but it just means that the Suns can go looking at bargain options to fill out the end of their bench if they want to.
Ighodaro being more comfortable at the four, and that versatility is exactly what Phoenix needs if they want to stay out of both aprons and bring Collin Gillespie back despite his recent struggles.
Coach Ott's trust in Maluach also calls into question the future of Mark Williams, with the 24-year-old yet to appear in this series as a result of a foot issue.
The Suns are going to bring him back this summer, you don't give up a pair of firsts just to let him walk 12 months later, but they are likely more open to trading him after that happens than at any point this season.
This is a cruel twist for Williams who easily turned in a career year and would be of real use in this Thunder series. Maluach is in no way ready to step in and be the starter on a good team either.
But if the plan was to draft Maluach as a long-term prospect and see what they could get out of Williams, then the South Sudanese big man has shown in this series that he is already ahead of schedule and ready for a bigger role next season. A good problem to have.
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