The Phoenix Suns selected three players during the 2025 NBA Draft, with center Khaman Maluach their lone lottery pick. The South Sudanese big man was taken 10th overall by the Houston Rockets, before being part of the package that eventually landed them Kevin Durant. He's also 18-years-old, and that was painfully apparent at Summer League.
That's not to say there was nothing to like about the glimpses we got to see of the big man, and defensively that massive frame is going to come in useful right away. He will also have a teammate in Dillon Brooks who will be quarterbacking the defense each night, which will be a huge help to the youngster as he learns the ropes and is told where to go and when.
It is going to take years for Maluach to contribute regularly.
Sam Vecenie was back with his always excellent Game Theory podcast alongside Bryce Simon having had the chance to digest Summer League play, and he certainly had some thoughts on Maluach. All fair criticisms as well, and Vecenie perhaps put it best when he said that "it's going to take time... for him to become the automatic play finisher that people want him to be."
It is also clear why the Suns took him in the first place - and after having had some bad luck at the center position even before they gave up on Deandre Ayton - both raved about the sheer size of the player. That alone is reason to believe he can one day anchor a defense at a borderline elite level, while taking four 3-pointers per game was also encouraging.
But where fans need to be patient is at the intersection between Maluach's inability to finish plays in the short-term, paired with the Suns' continued point guard woes. Chris Paul is not walking through that door again - even if Devin Booker hoped that he would - and we know how brilliant a pairing that could have been. Paul once had Bismack Biyombo looking like a Hall of Fame big man out there.
Instead it is Jalen Green who might just be running the show, and that sounds like a problem. A 23-year-old shoot first two-guard and an 18-year-old center is not exactly a recipe for success in the brutal Western Conference. Which will also take another year of Booker's prime away from him without contending.
It is also clear that Maluach doesn't have the softest hands or touch around the rim, and even the shots that fell for him at Summer League came off clunky moves and frayed plays. The front office clearly believes in him though, and that is going to be tested as he takes his first steps in the league.
The final piece of the puzzle here is the addition of Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets. A great get if he can stay healthy, but somebody who has never managed more than 43 games in a season. With Nick Richards currently available, Maluach may be pressed into action sooner than he'd like if Williams does go down for any stretch of time. It's going to be a bumpy ride.