The San Antonio Spurs were reportedly impressed by Khaman Maluach’s performance at the NBA Draft Combine and may add his height to an already tall team.
The Duke Blue Devils have been making headlines as the 2025 NBA Draft approaches. The majority of the attention, however, has centered on players Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, both of whom are expected to be selected in the top ten picks.
However, the San Antonio Spurs have recently expressed interest in big man Khaman Maluach, who is expected to be a first-round choice but is unlikely to be one of the first names off the board.
Maluach allegedly wowed the Spurs during the NBA Draft Combine, and the team is interested in adding his 7-foot-2 body alongside “The Alien” himself, Victor Wembanyama.
According to ESPN, Wembanyama stands 7 feet 3 and weighs around 15 pounds less than Maluach.
The Spurs have considered deploying both big guys at the same time, creating a hypothetical “twin towers” in the paint on either end of the floor.
Khaman Maluach College Statistics (2024-25)
39 games, 39 starts.
8.6 points per game.
6.6 Rebounds per game.
1.3 blocks per game.
0.5 assist per game.
0.2 thefts per game.
Maluach averaged close to a double-double during his single season with the Blue Devils, but his 3.8 defensive rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game made it nearly difficult for opponents to score against Duke.
The first round of the 2025 NBA Draft will begin at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 25. The second round will take place the next night.
Duke Blue Devils News: Maluach stock soaring, Zion on the move, Football facing high expectations, and more
With the NBA Draft approaching, more information is becoming available regarding which organizations are interested in which prospects. The Dallas Mavericks will undoubtedly select Cooper Flagg with the first overall pick, but beyond the top two picks, there is no link between clubs and talent.
, a former Blue Devil in the NBA, may find himself in a different city this summer, according to the most recent reports from different Orleans.
Duke football signed Tulane transfer quarterback Darian Mensah to one of the most lucrative National Letter of Intent contracts in college football history. What does it mean for the Blue Devils’ aspirations next season?
Here’s the most recent Duke Blue Devils news.
Maluach draft stock is rising sharply.
Three Duke rookies, Flagg, Maluach, and Kon Knueppel, are expected to be selected in the first ten picks on draft night. However, there has been some new speculation that the South Sudanese center could be valued far higher than previously projected. According to NBA Draft specialist Rafael Barlowe, the Philadelphia 76ers have expressed an interest in Maluach with the third overall pick.
“Another name that’s quietly gaining traction as a potential option for Philadelphia is Duke freshman Khaman Maluach,” according to Barlowe. Now, whether Philly picks Maluach at three or trades down to get him later, that would radically change the Sixers’ and Joel Embiid’s futures. Embiid was once the world’s most dominant center, but he has consistently missed substantial time with injuries.
If the Sixers choose their future center, it may imply significant changes for Philadelphia’s players. As stories emerge of the 72′, 250-pound center improving his three-point shot, combined with his already amazing ability to guard all five spots on the floor and run the court with everyone else in transition, Maluach’s stock may rise much higher than most expected.
Zion Williamson is on the trade block.
According to reports out of New Orleans, the Pelicans are listening to any trade offer this summer, and no player on their roster is untouchable anymore, including Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III. “There are no untouchables in New Orleans,” Yahoo! Sports insider Kevin O’Connor stated. “According to league sources, the Pelicans are evaluating the market for each player on their roster. They may keep their key players, but it appears that the Pelicans are considering following several paths this summer depending on the opportunities that present themselves.
Duke football under new waves of pressure
Early this summer, the Duke football team acquired Tulane transfer quarterback Darian Mensah to a two-year, $8 million contract, one of the largest in college football history. It was surprising that the redshirt sophomore received a larger NIL payout than some of college football’s greatest signal callers from last season, including John Mateer. Nonetheless, the money the Blue Devils are investing in next season is putting further pressure on head coach Manny Diaz as the season approaches its second year.
FOX Sports college football commentator RJ Young noted Duke’s tighter review following this massive agreement, as well as the Blue Devils’ extraordinarily successful first season under Diaz, in which Duke won nine games for only the third time since joining the ACC in 1953. “Now, Duke will be measured at the quarterback position in the same way that we measure Clemson and Cade Klubnik,” Young stated on Adapt & Respond with RJ Young. “Who made the playoffs? Who won the ACC Championship game? Is that guy worth $4 million a year? He is damn straight.
Consider what Clemson was able to achieve with him at quarterback.” Duke is a sleeper ACC Championship possibility for 2025, but a conference championship and a College Football Playoff appearance are likely the only ways to justify the investment.
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