South Sudan native Khaman Maluach has tearful reaction after Rockets select him in NBA Draft

The Phoenix Suns’ roster will look vastly different this fall.

Just a few days before the 2025 NBA Draft, reports of a trade involving Kevin Durant surfaced. The deal is expected to send the two-time NBA champion to the Houston Rockets, ESPN reported Sunday.

The Rockets held the tenth overall pick in the draft and selected 7-foot-2 Khaman Maluach Wednesday. The former Duke standout was subsequently sent to Phoenix as part of the package of players and picks included in the Durant deal, according to ESPN. 

Maluach was visibly emotional moments after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced his name from the draft stage.

Maluach was raised in Uganda after his family fled Sudan when the nation was ravaged by conflict.

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He didn’t start playing basketball until he was 14 years old, when a cab driver stopped and acknowledged his stature.

Maluach was a member of the South Sudan national basketball team that pushed Team USA to the brink at the Paris Olympics. Before landing in Durham, North Carolina, Maluach competed at NBA Academy Africa. He is now the highest-drafted player from the academy.

“I’m here representing the whole continent,” Maluach told ESPN moments after he walked across the draft stage and shook Silver’s hand at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 

“Living in Africa, I had the whole continent on my back, giving hope to young kids, inspiring young kids and the next generation of African basketball.”

Maluach averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game during his lone season at Duke. He started 39 games for the Blue Devils, who advanced to the Final Four in April. 

Maluach wore a Rockets hat on the draft stage because the reported transaction he was included in has yet to become official. Maluach wore a Suns hat during a press conference after he was drafted. He expressed excitement about heading to Arizona.

“I’m excited to put on the Phoenix jersey that has my name, that has ‘Maluach’ on the back,” he told reporters. “I’m excited to play for the Suns and step on the floor.”

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