Have a look at the bio, age and height of Khaman Maluach
Know all details about Khaman Maluach, who earned his place in the NBA 2025 Drafts and become the 10th overall pick before being traded to the Suns.
When NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that the Houston Rockets had selected Khaman Maluach with the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, an emotional moment unfolded at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Who is Phoenix Suns’ Khaman Maluach, bio, age, height, wingspan, parents, nationality, ethnicity, nationality, religion and college
"Living in Africa, I had the whole continent on my back…"
ALL THE FEELS for Khaman Maluach 🥹 https://t.co/Okf6QTxwls pic.twitter.com/EmdTa2fAC5
— NBA (@NBA) June 26, 2025
Maluach, who had represented the NBA Academy Africa and Duke University, appeared overwhelmed as he bowed his head in disbelief before finally rising to acknowledge the applause with high-fives and tearful embraces from his inner circle. Notably, Maluach became the highest-drafted African player ever to emerge from the NBA Academy Africa.
Born on September 14, 2006, in Rumbek, South Sudan, in a Christian family, South Sudanese Maluach had been forced to flee his homeland in 2013 with his mother and six siblings when civil war broke out. His family settled in Kawempe, on the outskirts of Kampala, Uganda, where he spent his formative years in a refugee camp.
His father, Madit Maluach, stayed behind in South Sudan for work and his mother became the backbone of their new life in Uganda as she raised seven children in Kawempe. His mother’s name isn’t known though.
View this post on Instagram
Though he had picked up the sport only at age 13, his dedication grew quickly. He later credited a local tournament organized by Luol Deng in 2019 as his first real exposure to structured basketball. Despite the lack of nearby facilities, which had once forced him to walk 45 minutes just to access a court, Maluach remained committed to the game.
At 7-foot-2, he had always stood out, but it wasn’t until that tournament—where he finally saw peers who matched his stature—that he began to feel he belonged in basketball. In 2021, he was selected by the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal, a move he considered pivotal.
By 2024, Maluach had earned a spot on Duke University’s elite basketball program. His standout performances there, including a memorable NCAA tournament appearance, only strengthened his draft credentials. While he was originally picked by the Houston Rockets, it became clear that his rights had already been traded to the Phoenix Suns in a deal involving Kevin Durant earlier that week.
Before arriving in the NBA, Maluach had already represented South Sudan on the global stage. He had become the youngest player at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup and later competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he played against legends like LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
In 2024, he made his way to the United States after signing with one of the top college basketball programs in the country at the Duke University and in his lone collegiate campaign, Maluach earned ACC All-Freshman Team honors after averaging 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 21.3 minutes per game.
High school, Bethel Covenant College (Bwebajja, Central Region, Uganda) NBA Academy Africa (Saly, Senegal). College, Duke (2024–2025)
Duke’s Khaman Maluach’s official measurements from the NBA Draft Combine: 7’0 ¾ barefoot, 252.8 lbs with a 7’6 ¾” wingspan and 9’6″ standing
know all details about Maluach:
- Full Name: Khaman Maluach
- Date of Birth: 14 September 2006 (Age 18)
- Place of Birth: Rumbek, South Sudan
- Height: 2.18 m
- Weight: 113 kg
- Position: Center
- Drafted By: Houston Rockets (10th overall pick, 2025 NBA Draft)
- Current NBA Team: Phoenix Suns (2025–present; via trade)
- College: Duke University
- Nationality: South Sudanese
- Wing Span: 2.31m