Three NBA Rookies Who Could Stand to get More Playing Time

The 2025 NBA Draft class has gotten off to a blazing start in their respective careers.

Top picks like Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel currently lead the Rookie of the Year race with star-level play, but several more are in tow amid great debut years.

Others haven’t yet been able to crack their squad’s rotations, be it due to readiness, or simply not yet being needed as team’s contend for the postseason.

Below, we’ll take a look at three NBA rookie who could stand to see more playing time following All-Star break:

Khaman Maluach, Suns

Selected at No. 10 by Phoenix, Malauch was responsible for plenty of two-way impact en route to Duke’s Final Four run, but hasn’t yet earned serious playing time with the Suns.

So far, he’s played in just 22 games, averaging 4.3 minutes and limited counting stats elsewhere.

At a legit 7-foot-1, Maluach should be able to simply make an impact with his size. But he also has upside in potential ranged shooting and more. As Phoenix’s only young, rising prospect, it could be advantageous for the Suns to give him some runway to end the season.

Maluach has been effective in the G League, blocking 2.0 shots per game and averaging 14.3 points and 13.3 rebounds.

Yang Hansen, Trail Blazers

Portland shocked most when they jumped up to No. 16 to nab Yang Hansen on draft night, obviously valuing the bigs ball-skill enough to warrant a slight reach. While he’s played in a good chunk of games at 32 on the season, he’s averaged just 7.7 minutes per, shooting 29% overall.

Hansen is a known project, and seemingly isn’t ready for NBA minutes. But he’s had enough burn that he likely wouldn’t be completely thrown into the fire should he be given more.

Portland is currently No. 9 seed in the West and in Play-In range. While they could certainly push to make the postseason, opting for better draft picks might be the better option. And giving Hansen the leash to make mistakes down the stretch could pay dividends down the road.

Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Clippers

The LA Clippers are officially entering a new era, having shipped off starting point guard James Harden in exchange for Darius Garland, and starting center Ivica Zubac for a package centered around draft picks. While they are fully incentivized to lose without their pick this season, they’re certainly thinking of the future.

With that in mind, given more playing time to the last first-round pick in the ’25 draft is a natural progression. Forward Janic Konan Niederhauser is a 6-foot-11 forward, who’s raw but has legit upside.

That’s been shown in his last three games, two of which he played 17 or more minutes. He went for 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks against Cleveland, and one of his best outings yet against the Wolves, going for 15 points, six rebounds and two assists.

He has plenty of work to do to become a legit player in the association, but the Clippers now have the option to lean into him the rest of the season, and help him work through the lesser areas.