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2024 NBA Draft Thread
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by addict4sneakers,
- Start date
- 59,514
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Y’all see my son Rob Dilly
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Just peeped. This class has to be one of the least engaging for me in years. I don’t even take the time to try to watch games sadly
So you saying he gets his buckets in a more ethical manner than say a cam Thomas
So you saying he gets his buckets in a more ethical manner than say a cam Thomas
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Rob can pass though. Cam doesn’t at all
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Rob = Less athletic Malik Monk
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I’m still going for the “hopefully better outcome cole Anthony” (recognizing that cole is still young lol)
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They should, it doesn't make sense for anyone.
In evaluating prospects, id much rather see them in a highly competitive game with teams trying super hard to win.
playing NBA rules, running NBA sets, I just don't think is all that valuable.
It's basketball not football, it doesn't take a genius to figure out.
and now with the NIL, it doesn't even make sense for the players.
You can get paid in college, play more competitive games against people your own age.
and you build a fanbase that will lead to bigger endorsments.
I don't understand why anyone picks G League Ignite.
RustyShackleford
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Last edited:
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Cooper going first to DC with Trump coming byke is script as hell
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No class, proximity to the league and a better lifestyle depending on what their college options are would be the reasons I can see somebody picking ignite
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They need to tweak the program but it’s still a good option.
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He was really good but he wasn’t Luka. I know he played in the euro league at a really young age too.
He wasn’t the best player at BWB
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This year's "he's just a good basketball player", Reed Sheppard.
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Wow, Collier.
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Announcers were on it, and it was true. Double the guy. Why are you letting him go down possession after possession getting to the rim?
I like that he had a straight drive, then a spin move to the right hand layup, then a spin move into a stop and pivot and a floater. Great stuff.
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2024 NBA draft rankings: Jonathan Givony's top 25 prospects
It's officially the home stretch for professional basketball teams across the world, while March Madness is starting to heat up in the United States.
As seasons come to an end, March will be a crucial month for prospects slated for the 2024 NBA draft.
A pair of French players once again claim the top two spots, as small forward Zaccharie Risacher of JL Bourg in France maintains his place at No. 1 while Perth center Alex Sarr lands at No. 2. The duo to watch, though, could be a couple of Kentucky Wildcats who have a good case as top-five picks.
Guard Reed Sheppard has quickly become one of the most intriguing players in the upcoming draft despite coming off the bench for a ranked Kentucky squad. Teammate Rob Dillingham also checks in at his highest placement this season at No. 3. Both will have plenty to prove come tournament time, but they have done enough this season to warrant serious consideration near the top of the draft.
The rankings -- compiled by NBA draft expert Jonathan Givony with Jeremy Woo assisting on analysis -- continue to change throughout the draft cycle.
Check back all season as we inform you of the risers and fallers of this draft class.
Rankings and write-ups last updated: Tuesday, March 5.
1. Zaccharie Risacher | SF | JL Bourg
6-foot-10 | Age: 18.9 | Previously ranked: 1
Risacher had a quiet February due to the FIBA national team window and the French Basketball Cup, playing only two league games since Jan. 20. He made his French senior national team debut versus Croatia; unfortunately, he landed in concussion protocol after he was elbowed in the face just a few minutes in, which also knocked him out of JL Bourg's game this past weekend. The small forward already has played 48 games this season, and with three or four packed months still in store, this time off before his team's most important stretch might end up being a blessing in disguise for Risacher, who is in the midst of an outstanding campaign. He is averaging 20 points per 40 minutes and shooting 46% for 3 while playing mistake-free basketball on both ends of the floor. His team will be competing in the EuroCup quarterfinals starting March 12 or 13 and looks poised for a deep playoff run in France, where it is currently in third place. Risacher will have NBA eyes on him every time he steps on the floor. -- Givony
2. Alex Sarr | PF/C | Perth
7-1 | Age: 18.8 | Previously ranked: 2
The playoff push will begin Friday for Sarr and the Wildcats, who finished second in the National Basketball League table and will take on third-seeded Tasmania in a best-of-three semifinal. Sarr is well-established at this point as a top pick candidate after completing the regular season with a productive string of games. He'll now have an excellent opportunity to contribute in meaningful postseason play, with NBA lottery teams watching closely. Sarr's upside is significant, considering his physical gifts and potential to be an excellent defender with room to grow on offense. His consistency as a rebounder and ability to process the floor at a higher speed will be key areas for improvement and adapting at the NBA level. -- Woo
3. Rob Dillingham | PG | Kentucky
6-2 | Age: 19.1 | Previously ranked: 7
Dillingham is a bit of a polarizing prospect among NBA teams, but it's hard to argue with the sheer star power he offers in a draft severely lacking in that category. He has been just as aggressive and effective against high-level SEC competition, coming up huge down the stretch of several games for Kentucky despite continuing to come off the bench and being on somewhat of a short leash at times.
Dillingham's ballhandling ability, shiftiness, passing creativity, dynamic shot-making and overall scoring instincts are of All-Star caliber. But his lack of size and length and his thin frame continue to hamper him as a finisher and on defense, leading to a wide range of opinions regarding what kind of NBA player he might become. His explosive offensive game appears tailor-made for the scoring-crazed NBA, however, and that should ultimately help him find a suitor early on draft night, especially if he finishes the season on a strong note. -- Givony
4. Nikola Topic | PG | Red Star
6-7 | Age: 18.5 | Previously ranked: 5
Topic continues to work his way back from a knee injury sustained in January, shortly after moving to Red Star. At this stage, he appears to be in little hurry to return, with his club having clinched first place in the Adriatic League and little left to play for in the EuroLeague. It's been disappointing from an evaluation perspective to not see more of him over the back leg of the season, but Topic put enough on film in the fall to solidify high-level interest in the lottery. His size and playmaking ability ultimately help set him apart, but with his eventual return date likely in late March or early April, teams also will hope to have opportunities to learn more about him in the pre-draft process. -- Woo
5. Reed Sheppard | PG/SG | Kentucky
6-2 | Age: 19.5 | Previously ranked: 12
Despite still coming off the bench, Sheppard has proved impossible to keep off the floor for Kentucky in SEC play, where he already has had several signature moments in cementing his case as the best freshman in college basketball. Scouts regularly express concern about his limited physical tools (6-foot-2 in shoes and 187 pounds with a 6-3 wingspan) and what that means for his defensive and finishing potential in the NBA. But that he continues to make strides with his pick-and-roll playmaking combined with his historically great 3-point shooting is increasingly hard to ignore. Only one NCAA first-round pick in the past 35 years (Michigan's Glen Rice in 1989) has shot over 50% from 3 on more than four attempts per game like Sheppard is doing this season (see note below), and Sheppard's basketball instincts should help him impact winning in a variety of other ways. -- Givony
CJ McCollum (Lehigh) and Aaron Nesmith (Vanderbilt) also hit these criteria but only played 12 and 14 games, respectively, due to early-season injuries.
6. Matas Buzelis | SF | G League Ignite
6-10 | Age: 19.3 | Previously ranked: 6
Buzelis put together a productive past few weeks, taking advantage of more opportunities to showcase his offense with teammate Ron Holland done for the season. While some of it has to be contextualized correctly -- G League Ignite has been struggling to win all season, and it's easy to accumulate counting stats in fast-paced G League games -- Buzelis has enough size, skill and shot-making ability to pique interest, and he has made some strides defensively. His difficult shot selection and struggles to create separation against defenders are areas for concern in projecting him as a top-scoring option, but the tools are there for him to carve out a solid role at the next level, and there's still room for his frame to keep filling out as he matures. -- Woo
7. Cody Williams | SG/SF | Colorado
6-8 | Age: 19.2 | Previously ranked: 3
After recovering from a wrist sprain, Williams had a difficult month of February, missing games due to eye and ankle injuries and struggling against some of the better competition that the Buffaloes have faced in Pac-12 play. Williams should be back on the court imminently, and he has some work to do still in assuaging concerns about his offensive game and what his NBA role projects as in the short term. Playing with a mask has diminished some of the aggressiveness and confidence he displayed earlier this season; these are important attributes considering his jump shot is not thought to be a strength (16 made 3s in 18 games). It's not clear what version of Williams we'll see moving forward or how long his season will last with Colorado firmly on the NCAA tournament bubble, but finishing on a strong note would be beneficial to return to top-tier prospect consideration. -- Givony
8. Ja'Kobe Walter | SG/SF | Baylor
6-5 | Age: 19.4 | Previously ranked: 7
Walter's stock has remained steady as one of the draft's top shot-makers, and he'll enter the league with a polished sense of how to score from long range for his age. He doesn't do anything else at an NBA level yet, but his potentially elite ability to shoot on the move and stretch defenses coupled with his competitiveness makes him plenty interesting. Walter isn't a very good ball handler, and he hasn't proved to be an advanced defender at this stage, so it will be on him to expand his game and become more multidimensional over time. But considering the NBA's premium on shooting and his room for growth defensively, it's easy to see Walter becoming a useful contributor in the future, even if he never develops much self-creation ability. -- Woo
9. Donovan Clingan | C | UConn
7-2 | Age: 20.0 | Previously ranked: 11
Clingan is hitting his stride at the right time for UConn, moving better and looking more like the dominant interior presence on both ends of the floor that NBA teams expected to see from the sophomore before his slew of injuries. He is playing above the rim more frequently, putting a lid on the basket defensively with his terrific shot-blocking timing and going out of his area for rebounds prolifically. He even is showing more flashes of ability as a passer and a free throw shooter, indicating there's possibly even more to the 19-year-old's game that can still be unlocked by his future NBA team, something we've seen in UConn warmups, when he shows soft touch beyond the arc. UConn's biggest games of the season -- particularly in the NCAA tournament -- will go a long way in solidifying how Clingan is ultimately viewed, giving him a huge platform to continue to work his way back to where he started the season as a projected top-seven pick. -- Givony
10. Tidjane Salaun | PF | Cholet
6-10 | Age: 18.4 | Previously ranked: 8
The French Basketball Cup and FIBA qualifying window made for a quiet month for Salaun and Cholet -- who only played two games since Feb. 10. A 10-rebound, six-assist outing in his most recent contest showed some of the subtle ways Salaun is improving as the season moves on, and his defense also has made significant strides, as his nonstop intensity has helped him carve out a significant role. That's important, because Salaun's jumper has been streaky since his scorching month of January (26% from 3 in the past 12 games) and he isn't a reliable shot-creator or decision-maker. It's rare to see an 18-year-old contributing at this level of competition, however, and he is clearly nowhere near reaching his full potential. Cholet has a huge month in store in the FIBA Champions League's top 16 stage while trying to lock down a playoff spot in Pro A, giving Salaun a significant platform to work off. NBA teams will be present for every game he plays. -- Givony
11. Kyle Filipowski | PF/C | Duke
7-0 | Age: 20.3 | Previously ranked: 9
Filipowski has put together an All-American-caliber season and has helped to address some of the NBA's concerns about his game, making strides as a defender at his size and proving more mobile and versatile than many expected. While limited a bit athletically, he can create matchup problems at his size due to his skill level and should have good utility on the offensive end provided he continues to improve as a shooter. He isn't a fit for every team -- he's likely better suited for a half-court-oriented style that is slower paced -- but supplies unique qualities that will warrant consideration early in the draft, depending on what a team needs. -- Woo
12. Ron Holland | SF | G League Ignite
6-7 | Age: 18.6 | Previously ranked: 10
Holland's season came to an end with surgery to repair a ruptured tendon in his right thumb, which also kept him out of G League Ignite's events at last month's All-Star Weekend. He'll finish behind Jaden Hardy as the team's second-leading scorer in program history at 19.5 points per game while also filling up the stat sheet with rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and turnovers. NBA teams will need to grapple with the fact that Holland's on/off point differential (-8.8 per game, per the DraftExpress database) is the single-worst mark in G League Ignite history, showing the cost of Holland's outsize role on this team, which was 4-25 with him in the lineup. Holland's mission in the pre-draft process will be to remind teams why he was so universally lauded before the season for his competitiveness, unselfishness and ability to impact winning, all while hopefully showing better ability as a 3-point shooter than we saw this season (24% from 3). -- Givony
13. Dalton Knecht | SG/SF | Tennessee
6-6 | Age: 22.8 | Previously ranked: 18
Continuing on his offensive tear as one of the best scorers in college basketball, highlighted by last week's 39-point showing against Auburn, Knecht has played himself into lottery conversations with his versatile offense, consistency and competitiveness. He is unlikely to ever add a ton of value defensively due to his foot speed, but his legitimate positional size at least gives him a better chance of being effectively hidden on that end, if needed. He'll be 23 years old on draft night, but teams in need of immediate wing help will have to think hard about what Knecht could provide, as he has proved capable of doing much more than simply spacing the floor. -- Woo
14. Isaiah Collier | PG | USC
6-5 | Age: 19.4 | Previously ranked: 14
Barring an unexpected four wins in four days during the Pac-12 tournament, USC's season will be coming to an end next week. Collier is playing his best basketball of the campaign since returning from a hand injury; he is shooting the ball more effectively from the perimeter, cutting down on turnovers and living in the paint and at the foul line due to his strong frame and explosive first step. Collier has much to gain from a competitive finish, as he'll draw significant NBA attention every time he steps on the floor. Collier's perimeter shooting potential is the biggest thing NBA teams will want to get a better handle on in the pre-draft process, as his scoring instincts and shot-creation ability are both coveted and not easy to come by in this draft class in particular. Teams also will want to get a better understanding of why USC's season ended up being such a disappointment and what that means for Collier's projection. -- Givony
15. Zach Edey | C | Purdue
7-4 | Age: 21.8 | Previously ranked: 14
One of the more unique storylines to follow going into March and, ultimately, the draft will be whether Edey can anchor a deep Purdue tournament run and which teams will deem his unique set of strengths worth the pick. The other salient question is where in the draft it becomes a positive value proposition to select a throwback big of his ilk. Some things will clearly translate: Edey is dominant within five feet of the basket, offers more mobility than most players his size and is extremely tough and competitive. But the pace of NBA games and emphasis on space and attacking matchups make him an acquired taste for some, due to questions about how well it translates to an expanded role. His unique profile might help transcend the mold. -- Woo
16. Stephon Castle | PG/SG | UConn
6-6 | Age: 19.3 | Previously ranked: 15
Castle projects quite well defensively at the next level, with plus positional size and lateral agility that should allow him to switch on the perimeter and corral ball handlers. NBA teams have questions about his offensive game that will ultimately determine how high he gets selected. Castle turned in a good showing over the weekend against Seton Hall, but he has faded into the background at times against better competition while struggling to score consistently from range. The pre-draft process will be crucial for him to allay the concerns about his shooting and inspire confidence in his long-term upside. The appeal as a big two-way guard is there, but Castle might be better suited on the wing for the long term. -- Woo
17. Devin Carter | PG/SG | Providence
6-3 | Age: 21.8 | Previously ranked: 17
Carter is one of the biggest stock risers of the cycle thus far, making significant improvement as a shooter and overall scorer that has helped him turn in an All-American-caliber campaign. Capping that off with an NCAA tournament appearance would be the icing on the cake, something that Carter will have a huge say in with the way Providence -- currently on the bubble -- finishes the season. Regardless, there's a big NBA market for combo guards in his mold who can hit open shots, defend with tenacity on and off the ball and play an intelligent, winning style of basketball like Carter does, positioning him well going into June. -- Givony
18. Tyler Smith | SF/PF | G League Ignite
6-10 | Age: 19.3 | Previously ranked: 19
Smith has made the most of his season with G League Ignite, playing his way into the draft's first round off the strength of his skillset as a stretch forward. His scoring is still largely dependent on the quality of shots teammates create for him, but he has shown that he can succeed in a simplified role -- and there's a place in the NBA for forwards with size who can catch and shoot, rebound and be in the right spot defensively. While not the highest-feel operator, Smith projects pretty cleanly at the next level as a complementary scorer and floor spacer, a role that holds value on most teams. -- Woo
19. Kevin McCullar Jr. | SG/SF | Kansas
6-7 | Age: 22.9 | Previously ranked: 16
McCullar's outstanding season has been derailed by a knee injury, causing him to miss four of his team's past six games. He is still leading the Big 12 in scoring, he remains in the top 10 in rebounds and assists, and he continues to be one of the best defenders in the college game, giving him outstanding versatility at 6-7. After a red-hot start to the season, McCullar is shooting just 17-for-61 (28%) from 3 over his past 12 games, something that could very well be exacerbated by the bone bruise he has been dealing with. It surely would help McCullar, who will turn 23 next week, to finish the season on as strong of a note as possible. Kansas has dropped four of its past seven games and hasn't been the same since he got hurt. -- Givony
20. Jared McCain | PG | Duke
6-3 | Age: 20.0 | Previously ranked: 26
McCain has turned in a few huge performances and some quiet ones of late, with his best game of the season coming in a 35-point outburst at Florida State. While not gifted physically by NBA standards, McCain's feel for the game and ability to shoot from 3 give him a chance to succeed in the long term, most likely as a combo guard who can pinch hit in different lineups and make winning plays. He has emerged as Duke's best guard at this point, and while another year of college might go a long way, he has the chops to ultimately carve out a useful NBA role. -- Woo
21. Yves Missi | C | Baylor
6-11 | Age: 19.8 | Previously ranked: 21
Missi has had no shortage of explosive moments in Big 12 play, highlighting his ability to finish above the rim emphatically while also demonstrating flashes creating his own shot one-on-one. He has been effective as conference play has proceeded, minus a handful of games, giving him momentum going into the most important games of Baylor's season. Already looking better than advertised offensively, Missi's ability to find another gear with his physicality and awareness defensively and as a rebounder will play a key role both in his team's success and how he is viewed going into the pre-draft cycle. He has been inconsistent in those areas, which are crucial for his ability to be a contributor early in his NBA career considering his likely role to start. -- Givony
22. Bobi Klintman | SF/PF | Cairns
6-10 | Age: 20.9 | Previously ranked: 22
A solid if not spectacular season in Australia (9.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in 21 minutes per game) sends Klintman into the pre-draft process still needing to answer some questions about his long-term NBA fit. Physically, he has always fit the bill. But teams have questions surrounding his consistency, toughness and overall quality given his very limited history of actual production between last season at Wake Forest and now. Klintman is a viable development option in a draft where teams might gamble, and he has the tools to fill a role at forward if he puts everything together. He'll likely need to leave a real impression in workouts to maximize his stock. -- Woo
23. Johnny Furphy | SG/SF | Kansas
6-9 | Age: 19.2 | Previously ranked: 29
Stepping into a critical role for Kansas and doing it capably, Furphy has become a surprise one-and-done candidate, giving the Jayhawks much-needed stability. With a good sense of his role as an off-ball energy forward and a solid base as a shooter, there's a lot to like in projecting Furphy, who just turned 19, as a long-term rotation player. He will need to shore things up on defense, where Furphy will have to play up with his slender frame, but he has done an excellent job limiting mistakes and making winning contributions since moving to a starting role in January. Furphy has put himself in a position to test the waters and rise from there. -- Woo
24. Ryan Dunn | SF/PF | Virginia
6-8 | Age: 21.1 | Previously ranked: 20
Dunn's case will be an interesting litmus test for where executives stand amid the NBA's offensive explosion, which has seen scoring records shattered annually. He is unequivocally the best defender in college basketball, but Dunn has not taken the step forward many hoped he would on the other end of the floor, as he currently ranks among the bottom of the class in usage and scoring rate while hitting just 7 of 32 attempts from 3 and only 53% of his free throws. Dunn's offensive struggles have been magnified by Virginia's futility on that end of the floor, as the Cavaliers failed to crack 50 points in four of their past five games. Dunn will need to show more offensive potential during the pre-draft process once outside the confines of Virginia's conservative schemes to assuage worries about his ability on that end of the floor. -- Givony
25. Juan Nunez | PG | Ratiopharm Ulm
6-4 | Age: 19.7 | Previously ranked: 28
Nunez hasn't shown any signs of slowing down as the season has moved on, and he continues to stake his claim as the best passer in this draft based on the way he can manipulate defenses with high-level pick-and-roll reads. Not many NBA players show the type of vision and creativity he does with the ball, which he has paired nicely by making real strides with his finishing ability, defense and all-around scoring on a competitive team that has won quite a few games in the EuroCup and German BBL. Nunez's lack of explosiveness and streaky jumper (31% from 3, 64% at the foul line) make him a situational fit for most NBA teams, but he comes with the added flexibility of possibly being stashed on a EuroLeague squad next year, which could be intriguing for the many teams that have multiple picks. -- Givony
It's officially the home stretch for professional basketball teams across the world, while March Madness is starting to heat up in the United States.
As seasons come to an end, March will be a crucial month for prospects slated for the 2024 NBA draft.
A pair of French players once again claim the top two spots, as small forward Zaccharie Risacher of JL Bourg in France maintains his place at No. 1 while Perth center Alex Sarr lands at No. 2. The duo to watch, though, could be a couple of Kentucky Wildcats who have a good case as top-five picks.
Guard Reed Sheppard has quickly become one of the most intriguing players in the upcoming draft despite coming off the bench for a ranked Kentucky squad. Teammate Rob Dillingham also checks in at his highest placement this season at No. 3. Both will have plenty to prove come tournament time, but they have done enough this season to warrant serious consideration near the top of the draft.
The rankings -- compiled by NBA draft expert Jonathan Givony with Jeremy Woo assisting on analysis -- continue to change throughout the draft cycle.
Check back all season as we inform you of the risers and fallers of this draft class.
Rankings and write-ups last updated: Tuesday, March 5.
1. Zaccharie Risacher | SF | JL Bourg
6-foot-10 | Age: 18.9 | Previously ranked: 1
Risacher had a quiet February due to the FIBA national team window and the French Basketball Cup, playing only two league games since Jan. 20. He made his French senior national team debut versus Croatia; unfortunately, he landed in concussion protocol after he was elbowed in the face just a few minutes in, which also knocked him out of JL Bourg's game this past weekend. The small forward already has played 48 games this season, and with three or four packed months still in store, this time off before his team's most important stretch might end up being a blessing in disguise for Risacher, who is in the midst of an outstanding campaign. He is averaging 20 points per 40 minutes and shooting 46% for 3 while playing mistake-free basketball on both ends of the floor. His team will be competing in the EuroCup quarterfinals starting March 12 or 13 and looks poised for a deep playoff run in France, where it is currently in third place. Risacher will have NBA eyes on him every time he steps on the floor. -- Givony
2. Alex Sarr | PF/C | Perth
7-1 | Age: 18.8 | Previously ranked: 2
The playoff push will begin Friday for Sarr and the Wildcats, who finished second in the National Basketball League table and will take on third-seeded Tasmania in a best-of-three semifinal. Sarr is well-established at this point as a top pick candidate after completing the regular season with a productive string of games. He'll now have an excellent opportunity to contribute in meaningful postseason play, with NBA lottery teams watching closely. Sarr's upside is significant, considering his physical gifts and potential to be an excellent defender with room to grow on offense. His consistency as a rebounder and ability to process the floor at a higher speed will be key areas for improvement and adapting at the NBA level. -- Woo
3. Rob Dillingham | PG | Kentucky
6-2 | Age: 19.1 | Previously ranked: 7
Dillingham is a bit of a polarizing prospect among NBA teams, but it's hard to argue with the sheer star power he offers in a draft severely lacking in that category. He has been just as aggressive and effective against high-level SEC competition, coming up huge down the stretch of several games for Kentucky despite continuing to come off the bench and being on somewhat of a short leash at times.
Dillingham's ballhandling ability, shiftiness, passing creativity, dynamic shot-making and overall scoring instincts are of All-Star caliber. But his lack of size and length and his thin frame continue to hamper him as a finisher and on defense, leading to a wide range of opinions regarding what kind of NBA player he might become. His explosive offensive game appears tailor-made for the scoring-crazed NBA, however, and that should ultimately help him find a suitor early on draft night, especially if he finishes the season on a strong note. -- Givony
4. Nikola Topic | PG | Red Star
6-7 | Age: 18.5 | Previously ranked: 5
Topic continues to work his way back from a knee injury sustained in January, shortly after moving to Red Star. At this stage, he appears to be in little hurry to return, with his club having clinched first place in the Adriatic League and little left to play for in the EuroLeague. It's been disappointing from an evaluation perspective to not see more of him over the back leg of the season, but Topic put enough on film in the fall to solidify high-level interest in the lottery. His size and playmaking ability ultimately help set him apart, but with his eventual return date likely in late March or early April, teams also will hope to have opportunities to learn more about him in the pre-draft process. -- Woo
5. Reed Sheppard | PG/SG | Kentucky
6-2 | Age: 19.5 | Previously ranked: 12
Despite still coming off the bench, Sheppard has proved impossible to keep off the floor for Kentucky in SEC play, where he already has had several signature moments in cementing his case as the best freshman in college basketball. Scouts regularly express concern about his limited physical tools (6-foot-2 in shoes and 187 pounds with a 6-3 wingspan) and what that means for his defensive and finishing potential in the NBA. But that he continues to make strides with his pick-and-roll playmaking combined with his historically great 3-point shooting is increasingly hard to ignore. Only one NCAA first-round pick in the past 35 years (Michigan's Glen Rice in 1989) has shot over 50% from 3 on more than four attempts per game like Sheppard is doing this season (see note below), and Sheppard's basketball instincts should help him impact winning in a variety of other ways. -- Givony
CJ McCollum (Lehigh) and Aaron Nesmith (Vanderbilt) also hit these criteria but only played 12 and 14 games, respectively, due to early-season injuries.
6. Matas Buzelis | SF | G League Ignite
6-10 | Age: 19.3 | Previously ranked: 6
Buzelis put together a productive past few weeks, taking advantage of more opportunities to showcase his offense with teammate Ron Holland done for the season. While some of it has to be contextualized correctly -- G League Ignite has been struggling to win all season, and it's easy to accumulate counting stats in fast-paced G League games -- Buzelis has enough size, skill and shot-making ability to pique interest, and he has made some strides defensively. His difficult shot selection and struggles to create separation against defenders are areas for concern in projecting him as a top-scoring option, but the tools are there for him to carve out a solid role at the next level, and there's still room for his frame to keep filling out as he matures. -- Woo
7. Cody Williams | SG/SF | Colorado
6-8 | Age: 19.2 | Previously ranked: 3
After recovering from a wrist sprain, Williams had a difficult month of February, missing games due to eye and ankle injuries and struggling against some of the better competition that the Buffaloes have faced in Pac-12 play. Williams should be back on the court imminently, and he has some work to do still in assuaging concerns about his offensive game and what his NBA role projects as in the short term. Playing with a mask has diminished some of the aggressiveness and confidence he displayed earlier this season; these are important attributes considering his jump shot is not thought to be a strength (16 made 3s in 18 games). It's not clear what version of Williams we'll see moving forward or how long his season will last with Colorado firmly on the NCAA tournament bubble, but finishing on a strong note would be beneficial to return to top-tier prospect consideration. -- Givony
8. Ja'Kobe Walter | SG/SF | Baylor
6-5 | Age: 19.4 | Previously ranked: 7
Walter's stock has remained steady as one of the draft's top shot-makers, and he'll enter the league with a polished sense of how to score from long range for his age. He doesn't do anything else at an NBA level yet, but his potentially elite ability to shoot on the move and stretch defenses coupled with his competitiveness makes him plenty interesting. Walter isn't a very good ball handler, and he hasn't proved to be an advanced defender at this stage, so it will be on him to expand his game and become more multidimensional over time. But considering the NBA's premium on shooting and his room for growth defensively, it's easy to see Walter becoming a useful contributor in the future, even if he never develops much self-creation ability. -- Woo
9. Donovan Clingan | C | UConn
7-2 | Age: 20.0 | Previously ranked: 11
Clingan is hitting his stride at the right time for UConn, moving better and looking more like the dominant interior presence on both ends of the floor that NBA teams expected to see from the sophomore before his slew of injuries. He is playing above the rim more frequently, putting a lid on the basket defensively with his terrific shot-blocking timing and going out of his area for rebounds prolifically. He even is showing more flashes of ability as a passer and a free throw shooter, indicating there's possibly even more to the 19-year-old's game that can still be unlocked by his future NBA team, something we've seen in UConn warmups, when he shows soft touch beyond the arc. UConn's biggest games of the season -- particularly in the NCAA tournament -- will go a long way in solidifying how Clingan is ultimately viewed, giving him a huge platform to continue to work his way back to where he started the season as a projected top-seven pick. -- Givony
10. Tidjane Salaun | PF | Cholet
6-10 | Age: 18.4 | Previously ranked: 8
The French Basketball Cup and FIBA qualifying window made for a quiet month for Salaun and Cholet -- who only played two games since Feb. 10. A 10-rebound, six-assist outing in his most recent contest showed some of the subtle ways Salaun is improving as the season moves on, and his defense also has made significant strides, as his nonstop intensity has helped him carve out a significant role. That's important, because Salaun's jumper has been streaky since his scorching month of January (26% from 3 in the past 12 games) and he isn't a reliable shot-creator or decision-maker. It's rare to see an 18-year-old contributing at this level of competition, however, and he is clearly nowhere near reaching his full potential. Cholet has a huge month in store in the FIBA Champions League's top 16 stage while trying to lock down a playoff spot in Pro A, giving Salaun a significant platform to work off. NBA teams will be present for every game he plays. -- Givony
11. Kyle Filipowski | PF/C | Duke
7-0 | Age: 20.3 | Previously ranked: 9
Filipowski has put together an All-American-caliber season and has helped to address some of the NBA's concerns about his game, making strides as a defender at his size and proving more mobile and versatile than many expected. While limited a bit athletically, he can create matchup problems at his size due to his skill level and should have good utility on the offensive end provided he continues to improve as a shooter. He isn't a fit for every team -- he's likely better suited for a half-court-oriented style that is slower paced -- but supplies unique qualities that will warrant consideration early in the draft, depending on what a team needs. -- Woo
12. Ron Holland | SF | G League Ignite
6-7 | Age: 18.6 | Previously ranked: 10
Holland's season came to an end with surgery to repair a ruptured tendon in his right thumb, which also kept him out of G League Ignite's events at last month's All-Star Weekend. He'll finish behind Jaden Hardy as the team's second-leading scorer in program history at 19.5 points per game while also filling up the stat sheet with rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and turnovers. NBA teams will need to grapple with the fact that Holland's on/off point differential (-8.8 per game, per the DraftExpress database) is the single-worst mark in G League Ignite history, showing the cost of Holland's outsize role on this team, which was 4-25 with him in the lineup. Holland's mission in the pre-draft process will be to remind teams why he was so universally lauded before the season for his competitiveness, unselfishness and ability to impact winning, all while hopefully showing better ability as a 3-point shooter than we saw this season (24% from 3). -- Givony
13. Dalton Knecht | SG/SF | Tennessee
6-6 | Age: 22.8 | Previously ranked: 18
Continuing on his offensive tear as one of the best scorers in college basketball, highlighted by last week's 39-point showing against Auburn, Knecht has played himself into lottery conversations with his versatile offense, consistency and competitiveness. He is unlikely to ever add a ton of value defensively due to his foot speed, but his legitimate positional size at least gives him a better chance of being effectively hidden on that end, if needed. He'll be 23 years old on draft night, but teams in need of immediate wing help will have to think hard about what Knecht could provide, as he has proved capable of doing much more than simply spacing the floor. -- Woo
14. Isaiah Collier | PG | USC
6-5 | Age: 19.4 | Previously ranked: 14
Barring an unexpected four wins in four days during the Pac-12 tournament, USC's season will be coming to an end next week. Collier is playing his best basketball of the campaign since returning from a hand injury; he is shooting the ball more effectively from the perimeter, cutting down on turnovers and living in the paint and at the foul line due to his strong frame and explosive first step. Collier has much to gain from a competitive finish, as he'll draw significant NBA attention every time he steps on the floor. Collier's perimeter shooting potential is the biggest thing NBA teams will want to get a better handle on in the pre-draft process, as his scoring instincts and shot-creation ability are both coveted and not easy to come by in this draft class in particular. Teams also will want to get a better understanding of why USC's season ended up being such a disappointment and what that means for Collier's projection. -- Givony
15. Zach Edey | C | Purdue
7-4 | Age: 21.8 | Previously ranked: 14
One of the more unique storylines to follow going into March and, ultimately, the draft will be whether Edey can anchor a deep Purdue tournament run and which teams will deem his unique set of strengths worth the pick. The other salient question is where in the draft it becomes a positive value proposition to select a throwback big of his ilk. Some things will clearly translate: Edey is dominant within five feet of the basket, offers more mobility than most players his size and is extremely tough and competitive. But the pace of NBA games and emphasis on space and attacking matchups make him an acquired taste for some, due to questions about how well it translates to an expanded role. His unique profile might help transcend the mold. -- Woo
16. Stephon Castle | PG/SG | UConn
6-6 | Age: 19.3 | Previously ranked: 15
Castle projects quite well defensively at the next level, with plus positional size and lateral agility that should allow him to switch on the perimeter and corral ball handlers. NBA teams have questions about his offensive game that will ultimately determine how high he gets selected. Castle turned in a good showing over the weekend against Seton Hall, but he has faded into the background at times against better competition while struggling to score consistently from range. The pre-draft process will be crucial for him to allay the concerns about his shooting and inspire confidence in his long-term upside. The appeal as a big two-way guard is there, but Castle might be better suited on the wing for the long term. -- Woo
17. Devin Carter | PG/SG | Providence
6-3 | Age: 21.8 | Previously ranked: 17
Carter is one of the biggest stock risers of the cycle thus far, making significant improvement as a shooter and overall scorer that has helped him turn in an All-American-caliber campaign. Capping that off with an NCAA tournament appearance would be the icing on the cake, something that Carter will have a huge say in with the way Providence -- currently on the bubble -- finishes the season. Regardless, there's a big NBA market for combo guards in his mold who can hit open shots, defend with tenacity on and off the ball and play an intelligent, winning style of basketball like Carter does, positioning him well going into June. -- Givony
18. Tyler Smith | SF/PF | G League Ignite
6-10 | Age: 19.3 | Previously ranked: 19
Smith has made the most of his season with G League Ignite, playing his way into the draft's first round off the strength of his skillset as a stretch forward. His scoring is still largely dependent on the quality of shots teammates create for him, but he has shown that he can succeed in a simplified role -- and there's a place in the NBA for forwards with size who can catch and shoot, rebound and be in the right spot defensively. While not the highest-feel operator, Smith projects pretty cleanly at the next level as a complementary scorer and floor spacer, a role that holds value on most teams. -- Woo
19. Kevin McCullar Jr. | SG/SF | Kansas
6-7 | Age: 22.9 | Previously ranked: 16
McCullar's outstanding season has been derailed by a knee injury, causing him to miss four of his team's past six games. He is still leading the Big 12 in scoring, he remains in the top 10 in rebounds and assists, and he continues to be one of the best defenders in the college game, giving him outstanding versatility at 6-7. After a red-hot start to the season, McCullar is shooting just 17-for-61 (28%) from 3 over his past 12 games, something that could very well be exacerbated by the bone bruise he has been dealing with. It surely would help McCullar, who will turn 23 next week, to finish the season on as strong of a note as possible. Kansas has dropped four of its past seven games and hasn't been the same since he got hurt. -- Givony
20. Jared McCain | PG | Duke
6-3 | Age: 20.0 | Previously ranked: 26
McCain has turned in a few huge performances and some quiet ones of late, with his best game of the season coming in a 35-point outburst at Florida State. While not gifted physically by NBA standards, McCain's feel for the game and ability to shoot from 3 give him a chance to succeed in the long term, most likely as a combo guard who can pinch hit in different lineups and make winning plays. He has emerged as Duke's best guard at this point, and while another year of college might go a long way, he has the chops to ultimately carve out a useful NBA role. -- Woo
21. Yves Missi | C | Baylor
6-11 | Age: 19.8 | Previously ranked: 21
Missi has had no shortage of explosive moments in Big 12 play, highlighting his ability to finish above the rim emphatically while also demonstrating flashes creating his own shot one-on-one. He has been effective as conference play has proceeded, minus a handful of games, giving him momentum going into the most important games of Baylor's season. Already looking better than advertised offensively, Missi's ability to find another gear with his physicality and awareness defensively and as a rebounder will play a key role both in his team's success and how he is viewed going into the pre-draft cycle. He has been inconsistent in those areas, which are crucial for his ability to be a contributor early in his NBA career considering his likely role to start. -- Givony
22. Bobi Klintman | SF/PF | Cairns
6-10 | Age: 20.9 | Previously ranked: 22
A solid if not spectacular season in Australia (9.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in 21 minutes per game) sends Klintman into the pre-draft process still needing to answer some questions about his long-term NBA fit. Physically, he has always fit the bill. But teams have questions surrounding his consistency, toughness and overall quality given his very limited history of actual production between last season at Wake Forest and now. Klintman is a viable development option in a draft where teams might gamble, and he has the tools to fill a role at forward if he puts everything together. He'll likely need to leave a real impression in workouts to maximize his stock. -- Woo
23. Johnny Furphy | SG/SF | Kansas
6-9 | Age: 19.2 | Previously ranked: 29
Stepping into a critical role for Kansas and doing it capably, Furphy has become a surprise one-and-done candidate, giving the Jayhawks much-needed stability. With a good sense of his role as an off-ball energy forward and a solid base as a shooter, there's a lot to like in projecting Furphy, who just turned 19, as a long-term rotation player. He will need to shore things up on defense, where Furphy will have to play up with his slender frame, but he has done an excellent job limiting mistakes and making winning contributions since moving to a starting role in January. Furphy has put himself in a position to test the waters and rise from there. -- Woo
24. Ryan Dunn | SF/PF | Virginia
6-8 | Age: 21.1 | Previously ranked: 20
Dunn's case will be an interesting litmus test for where executives stand amid the NBA's offensive explosion, which has seen scoring records shattered annually. He is unequivocally the best defender in college basketball, but Dunn has not taken the step forward many hoped he would on the other end of the floor, as he currently ranks among the bottom of the class in usage and scoring rate while hitting just 7 of 32 attempts from 3 and only 53% of his free throws. Dunn's offensive struggles have been magnified by Virginia's futility on that end of the floor, as the Cavaliers failed to crack 50 points in four of their past five games. Dunn will need to show more offensive potential during the pre-draft process once outside the confines of Virginia's conservative schemes to assuage worries about his ability on that end of the floor. -- Givony
25. Juan Nunez | PG | Ratiopharm Ulm
6-4 | Age: 19.7 | Previously ranked: 28
Nunez hasn't shown any signs of slowing down as the season has moved on, and he continues to stake his claim as the best passer in this draft based on the way he can manipulate defenses with high-level pick-and-roll reads. Not many NBA players show the type of vision and creativity he does with the ball, which he has paired nicely by making real strides with his finishing ability, defense and all-around scoring on a competitive team that has won quite a few games in the EuroCup and German BBL. Nunez's lack of explosiveness and streaky jumper (31% from 3, 64% at the foul line) make him a situational fit for most NBA teams, but he comes with the added flexibility of possibly being stashed on a EuroLeague squad next year, which could be intriguing for the many teams that have multiple picks. -- Givony
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He’s not ready. Absolutely needs at least another year in college. This would just happen for the sake of making Bron happy and if that isn’t something Bronny wants then the whole thing is moot.
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I was in the same boat too, but maybe going to the G-League isn't the worst option. I'm not sure what USC's recruiting is like for next season, but I think going back to college and being "the man" wouldn't do him any good (Boogie is graduating and Collier is leaving for the NBA). I think his game scales down better than up as a role player.
Meet Khaman Maluach, the 7-foot-2 NBA Draft prospect who wants to ‘change the game’
Khaman Maluach is a 7-foot-2 center who shoots 3s, dribbles between his legs, is unstoppable at the rim and a prolific shot blocker at age 17.
If his particular size and skill set sound familiar, well, Maluach thinks he is not done growing. “A little bit, maybe 2 inches,” he said, which would put him at the same height as 2023 No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama.
Over the last few weeks, Maluach (last name pronounced “Mah-lu-watch”), who lives in Senegal and joined NBA Academy Africa, has visited Kansas, Duke, Kentucky and UCLA. He is projected to be a high lottery pick in the 2025 draft — maybe even No. 1, because, again, he is about as tall as and can do many of the same things as Wembanyama.
But if Maluach never makes it to college, if he for some reason were to be passed over in the draft entirely, he already would have lived a remarkable life with some unfathomable accomplishments. He fled war-torn South Sudan with his mother and brothers at a young age and moved to Uganda, where he lived until the NBA’s African scouts noticed him at 14 years old and recommended him for the year-round NBA academy in Saly, Senegal, on the continent’s Atlantic coast. He fought his way onto the South Sudan men’s basketball national team at age 16 and became the third-youngest player ever to compete in a FIBA World Cup last summer.
And when the South Sudanese beat Angola in their final game at the World Cup in the Philippines last September, Maluach was a member of the first team from that small, young, central African country to qualify for the Olympics.
So when Maluach is asked about what’s coming next, whether it is maybe partnering with American high school star Cooper Flagg at Duke or perhaps being drafted above Flagg as the top NBA pick of 2025, the teenager shrugs his shoulders as though he is wise well beyond his years.
“I don’t think about it much because I always try to be where my feet are,” Maluach said.
On the day of our chat, Maluach’s feet were placed squarely on the lobby floor of the Embassy Suites in downtown Indianapolis, even though we were seated at a high-top table with bar-style seats.
Maluach and 40 other young athletes participating in the Basketball Without Borders global camp, as part of NBA All-Star Weekend, were staying at the Embassy, and he had just been named playoff and defensive MVP at the camp.
Not bad for someone who had never touched a basketball until 2019.
Maluach was born in 2006, five years before South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan following decades of war. In 2013, civil war broke out in South Sudan, a country of about 12 million people, that left nearly 400,000 casualties and more than 4 million people displaced, according to a 2023 report by The Associated Press.
Maluach said he was too young to remember South Sudan before he left, and he never experienced war personally. He said his father stayed behind to work, while he, his mother and brothers lived with family members in a neighborhood of Uganda’s capital city, Kampala. He grew up there playing soccer and looking down on the tops of most people’s heads. He was already about 6-7 by the time he was invited to watch a basketball camp hosted by NBA veteran Luol Deng, who, like Maluach, was born in Sudan.
“Where I am from, not everybody’s tall as me,” Maluach said. “Suddenly, I just see people taller than me, and I was like, ‘Wow, there actually are people taller than me on this planet.’ I feel like I just belong there because nobody was surprised about my height.”
Maluach said he returned to the camp the following day and felt the sensation of pounding a basketball against the road and having it pop back against his palm. He watched the run unfolding out on the hot court in front of him, dribbling idly with his right hand, then his left. He remembers going home that same day and pulling up videos of Giannis Antetokounmpo on his cousin’s cell phone, watching him switch his dribble from one hand to the other — a crossover in basketball parlance — before sprinting to the hoop for a dunk.
“He inspired me,” Maluach said of Giannis and those YouTube videos. “That’s when I thought about it and really loved the game.”
The lone basketball court where Maluach lived wasn’t close, a walk of 45 minutes to an hour. But after watching those Giannis videos and dribbling at home, Maluach began making that walk every day, he said, and friends and local coaches taught him the rules of the game.
The three things threatening Maluach’s daily games were the weather (if it rained or was too hot), the scarcity of basketballs and a lack of shoes. Already a size 14 by age 13, Maluach said, he played his first game in a pair of Crocs.
“Size 14 in Uganda? You can’t find it anywhere,” he said. “We have (friends) who are in America, and they would come home during December and bring me either their shoes or somebody else’s shoes, and then I used them for a whole year.”
Self taught from watching YouTube clips of not just Giannis but other NBA stars like Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant, and with that tantalizing size, Maluach’s play on the local court earned him a scholarship offer to a Ugandan private high school. He enrolled in January 2020 and got to stay for about two months before COVID-19 struck.
“We couldn’t play basketball; actually in Uganda, everything was closed,” Maluach said. “Even cars couldn’t move, maybe government cars. So, I was just back in Uganda. I really love basketball, and they just took it away from me.”
Back at home on lockdown, Maluach said he stacked together two or three large tires, reaching about 10 feet, and shot his one basketball through the top tire every day. He’d placed stones under the bottom tire so the ball rolled back to him after a make.
Maluach shot at those tires and worked on his handle at home for a year before the NBA scouts recommended him for scholarship to the academy in Saly.
Since 2017, the NBA has operated four year-round academies in Senegal, Australia, India and Mexico. The NBA’s expansive network of global scouts identify the top teenagers from those regions, and they are flown, fed, clothed (by Nike), schooled in an American education curriculum and taught to speak English, counseled and otherwise coached in basketball around the clock, all funded by the NBA.
Dozens of graduates have gone on to play at NCAA Division I schools; a handful are currently in the G League, and four — Oklahoma City’s Josh Giddey, New Orleans’ Dyson Daniels, Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin and Portland’s Ibou Badji — are on NBA rosters. Badji, like Maluach, attended the Academy in Senegal.
During the time of his enrollment, Maluach, at age 14 1/2, was the youngest player ever at an NBA Academy school, months younger than Badji when he enrolled in Saly in 2017. The academy is 4,600 miles from Maluach’s home in Uganda — a 120-hour drive, according to Google maps. Maluach would have to board a plane for the first time and leave his past life behind.
“They took my worries away,” Maluach said of the academy. “I had everything close to me. I had the basketball court; like, I just walked three minutes, two minutes, to go there. I have shoes. We have so many balls in the gym. We have coaches. We have strength and conditioning coaches.
“I had no excuse to be like, ‘You don’t work hard.’”
NBA officials who’ve watched Maluach at the academy marvel at his work ethic, his ability to accept constructive criticism and his insatiable desire to commit to memory every modicum of instruction. Greg Collucci, an official whose job is to help place graduates in college or the G League or pro leagues outside of the U.S., said Maluach is “an absolute sponge for knowledge.”
“He understands that he needs to keep growing (as a basketball player),” said Collucci, who accompanied Maluach on his campus visits to major college programs. “If you tell him he needs to be positioned better on defense, he will go watch two hours of film and dive into that part of it. If you tell him he needs to work on his form in shooting, he’s going to go watch as many YouTube videos of the proper form as possible.”
While Maluach was toiling at the academy in Saly, the South Sudan men’s national team came to Senegal to practice and play in a FIBA World Cup qualifier. Deng was an assistant coach for the team and past president of the South Sudanese basketball federation. Maluach was invited to join the team for practices at the academy and eventually was one of the last players added to the roster, just ahead of the World Cup in the Philippines.
The South Sudanese beat China on Aug. 28 for their first win at World Cup, then defeated Angola on Sept. 2 to finish first among African teams at the Cup — which meant a berth into the Paris Olympics. Maluach appeared in four games in the tournament, averaging 2.0 points and 3.8 rebounds in 10 minutes per contest.
As the jet carrying the South Sudan team home from the Philippines descended through the rain toward Juba International Airport, Maluach was buckled in his aisle seat, unable to see through the window. The runway and tarmac were empty when the plane landed, Maluach remembered, but as soon as the team pulled through the gates and out onto the main road, they were greeted by thousands of people.
“I’ve never seen war, but the last (several) years we’ve been having these conflicts with the tribes,” Maluach said. “But as soon as we went home, everybody was together. We had done something everybody was proud of, because now everybody was part of the basketball team and (it) kind of brought us together, like more unity.
“This thing (we did) can change so many lives. Like, it can impact the lives of other people who are not even playing the game. And that meant like basketball is something bigger than just a game.”
South Sudan already has been announced as a pre-Olympic opponent for Team USA, with an exhibition game scheduled for London in July. It means Maluach will get his first chance to play against the American greats he emulates from YouTube.
As for his idol, Antetokounmpo, any Olympic matchup with him depends on Greece’s ability to win a qualifying tournament this summer. Maluach had the thrill of meeting Giannis in Indianapolis, posing for a picture with the two-time NBA MVP in the tunnel at Gainbridge Fieldhouse prior to the NBA All-Star Game.
Maluach said he deserves the outside attention he’s recently received, primarily because of “all the work I’ve put in … but it won’t stop me from working hard every day.” He said when he contemplates his future, he thinks of “how I’m gonna impact the league, how I’m going to change the game, or how great I’m going to be.”
Franck Traore, head of basketball operations for NBA Africa, said much is riding on how far Maluach’s head and feet take him.
“Khaman represents what NBA Africa is trying to be,” Traore said. “Being able to develop young people, young men and women, just like him to learn to play the game at a young age and develop to become elite — all on the continent. He’s a product of the continent, pure product of the continent, and that shows the commitment of the NBA to really use the power of the game to uplift the youth on the continent.
“He’s a trailblazer, and everybody is proud of it.”
Khaman Maluach is a 7-foot-2 center who shoots 3s, dribbles between his legs, is unstoppable at the rim and a prolific shot blocker at age 17.
If his particular size and skill set sound familiar, well, Maluach thinks he is not done growing. “A little bit, maybe 2 inches,” he said, which would put him at the same height as 2023 No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama.
Over the last few weeks, Maluach (last name pronounced “Mah-lu-watch”), who lives in Senegal and joined NBA Academy Africa, has visited Kansas, Duke, Kentucky and UCLA. He is projected to be a high lottery pick in the 2025 draft — maybe even No. 1, because, again, he is about as tall as and can do many of the same things as Wembanyama.
But if Maluach never makes it to college, if he for some reason were to be passed over in the draft entirely, he already would have lived a remarkable life with some unfathomable accomplishments. He fled war-torn South Sudan with his mother and brothers at a young age and moved to Uganda, where he lived until the NBA’s African scouts noticed him at 14 years old and recommended him for the year-round NBA academy in Saly, Senegal, on the continent’s Atlantic coast. He fought his way onto the South Sudan men’s basketball national team at age 16 and became the third-youngest player ever to compete in a FIBA World Cup last summer.
And when the South Sudanese beat Angola in their final game at the World Cup in the Philippines last September, Maluach was a member of the first team from that small, young, central African country to qualify for the Olympics.
So when Maluach is asked about what’s coming next, whether it is maybe partnering with American high school star Cooper Flagg at Duke or perhaps being drafted above Flagg as the top NBA pick of 2025, the teenager shrugs his shoulders as though he is wise well beyond his years.
“I don’t think about it much because I always try to be where my feet are,” Maluach said.
On the day of our chat, Maluach’s feet were placed squarely on the lobby floor of the Embassy Suites in downtown Indianapolis, even though we were seated at a high-top table with bar-style seats.
Maluach and 40 other young athletes participating in the Basketball Without Borders global camp, as part of NBA All-Star Weekend, were staying at the Embassy, and he had just been named playoff and defensive MVP at the camp.
Not bad for someone who had never touched a basketball until 2019.
Maluach was born in 2006, five years before South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan following decades of war. In 2013, civil war broke out in South Sudan, a country of about 12 million people, that left nearly 400,000 casualties and more than 4 million people displaced, according to a 2023 report by The Associated Press.
Maluach said he was too young to remember South Sudan before he left, and he never experienced war personally. He said his father stayed behind to work, while he, his mother and brothers lived with family members in a neighborhood of Uganda’s capital city, Kampala. He grew up there playing soccer and looking down on the tops of most people’s heads. He was already about 6-7 by the time he was invited to watch a basketball camp hosted by NBA veteran Luol Deng, who, like Maluach, was born in Sudan.
“Where I am from, not everybody’s tall as me,” Maluach said. “Suddenly, I just see people taller than me, and I was like, ‘Wow, there actually are people taller than me on this planet.’ I feel like I just belong there because nobody was surprised about my height.”
Maluach said he returned to the camp the following day and felt the sensation of pounding a basketball against the road and having it pop back against his palm. He watched the run unfolding out on the hot court in front of him, dribbling idly with his right hand, then his left. He remembers going home that same day and pulling up videos of Giannis Antetokounmpo on his cousin’s cell phone, watching him switch his dribble from one hand to the other — a crossover in basketball parlance — before sprinting to the hoop for a dunk.
“He inspired me,” Maluach said of Giannis and those YouTube videos. “That’s when I thought about it and really loved the game.”
The lone basketball court where Maluach lived wasn’t close, a walk of 45 minutes to an hour. But after watching those Giannis videos and dribbling at home, Maluach began making that walk every day, he said, and friends and local coaches taught him the rules of the game.
The three things threatening Maluach’s daily games were the weather (if it rained or was too hot), the scarcity of basketballs and a lack of shoes. Already a size 14 by age 13, Maluach said, he played his first game in a pair of Crocs.
“Size 14 in Uganda? You can’t find it anywhere,” he said. “We have (friends) who are in America, and they would come home during December and bring me either their shoes or somebody else’s shoes, and then I used them for a whole year.”
Self taught from watching YouTube clips of not just Giannis but other NBA stars like Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant, and with that tantalizing size, Maluach’s play on the local court earned him a scholarship offer to a Ugandan private high school. He enrolled in January 2020 and got to stay for about two months before COVID-19 struck.
“We couldn’t play basketball; actually in Uganda, everything was closed,” Maluach said. “Even cars couldn’t move, maybe government cars. So, I was just back in Uganda. I really love basketball, and they just took it away from me.”
Back at home on lockdown, Maluach said he stacked together two or three large tires, reaching about 10 feet, and shot his one basketball through the top tire every day. He’d placed stones under the bottom tire so the ball rolled back to him after a make.
Maluach shot at those tires and worked on his handle at home for a year before the NBA scouts recommended him for scholarship to the academy in Saly.
Since 2017, the NBA has operated four year-round academies in Senegal, Australia, India and Mexico. The NBA’s expansive network of global scouts identify the top teenagers from those regions, and they are flown, fed, clothed (by Nike), schooled in an American education curriculum and taught to speak English, counseled and otherwise coached in basketball around the clock, all funded by the NBA.
Dozens of graduates have gone on to play at NCAA Division I schools; a handful are currently in the G League, and four — Oklahoma City’s Josh Giddey, New Orleans’ Dyson Daniels, Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin and Portland’s Ibou Badji — are on NBA rosters. Badji, like Maluach, attended the Academy in Senegal.
During the time of his enrollment, Maluach, at age 14 1/2, was the youngest player ever at an NBA Academy school, months younger than Badji when he enrolled in Saly in 2017. The academy is 4,600 miles from Maluach’s home in Uganda — a 120-hour drive, according to Google maps. Maluach would have to board a plane for the first time and leave his past life behind.
“They took my worries away,” Maluach said of the academy. “I had everything close to me. I had the basketball court; like, I just walked three minutes, two minutes, to go there. I have shoes. We have so many balls in the gym. We have coaches. We have strength and conditioning coaches.
“I had no excuse to be like, ‘You don’t work hard.’”
NBA officials who’ve watched Maluach at the academy marvel at his work ethic, his ability to accept constructive criticism and his insatiable desire to commit to memory every modicum of instruction. Greg Collucci, an official whose job is to help place graduates in college or the G League or pro leagues outside of the U.S., said Maluach is “an absolute sponge for knowledge.”
“He understands that he needs to keep growing (as a basketball player),” said Collucci, who accompanied Maluach on his campus visits to major college programs. “If you tell him he needs to be positioned better on defense, he will go watch two hours of film and dive into that part of it. If you tell him he needs to work on his form in shooting, he’s going to go watch as many YouTube videos of the proper form as possible.”
While Maluach was toiling at the academy in Saly, the South Sudan men’s national team came to Senegal to practice and play in a FIBA World Cup qualifier. Deng was an assistant coach for the team and past president of the South Sudanese basketball federation. Maluach was invited to join the team for practices at the academy and eventually was one of the last players added to the roster, just ahead of the World Cup in the Philippines.
The South Sudanese beat China on Aug. 28 for their first win at World Cup, then defeated Angola on Sept. 2 to finish first among African teams at the Cup — which meant a berth into the Paris Olympics. Maluach appeared in four games in the tournament, averaging 2.0 points and 3.8 rebounds in 10 minutes per contest.
As the jet carrying the South Sudan team home from the Philippines descended through the rain toward Juba International Airport, Maluach was buckled in his aisle seat, unable to see through the window. The runway and tarmac were empty when the plane landed, Maluach remembered, but as soon as the team pulled through the gates and out onto the main road, they were greeted by thousands of people.
“I’ve never seen war, but the last (several) years we’ve been having these conflicts with the tribes,” Maluach said. “But as soon as we went home, everybody was together. We had done something everybody was proud of, because now everybody was part of the basketball team and (it) kind of brought us together, like more unity.
“This thing (we did) can change so many lives. Like, it can impact the lives of other people who are not even playing the game. And that meant like basketball is something bigger than just a game.”
South Sudan already has been announced as a pre-Olympic opponent for Team USA, with an exhibition game scheduled for London in July. It means Maluach will get his first chance to play against the American greats he emulates from YouTube.
As for his idol, Antetokounmpo, any Olympic matchup with him depends on Greece’s ability to win a qualifying tournament this summer. Maluach had the thrill of meeting Giannis in Indianapolis, posing for a picture with the two-time NBA MVP in the tunnel at Gainbridge Fieldhouse prior to the NBA All-Star Game.
Maluach said he deserves the outside attention he’s recently received, primarily because of “all the work I’ve put in … but it won’t stop me from working hard every day.” He said when he contemplates his future, he thinks of “how I’m gonna impact the league, how I’m going to change the game, or how great I’m going to be.”
Franck Traore, head of basketball operations for NBA Africa, said much is riding on how far Maluach’s head and feet take him.
“Khaman represents what NBA Africa is trying to be,” Traore said. “Being able to develop young people, young men and women, just like him to learn to play the game at a young age and develop to become elite — all on the continent. He’s a product of the continent, pure product of the continent, and that shows the commitment of the NBA to really use the power of the game to uplift the youth on the continent.
“He’s a trailblazer, and everybody is proud of it.”
