Scouting Duke big man Khaman Maluach: How would he fit with the Charlotte Hornets?

As the 2024-25 season comes to an end, Charlotte Hornets fans continue to turn their attention towards June's NBA draft.

The Hornets have consistently been linked to players such as Duke's Cooper Flagg, Rutgers' Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, and Baylor's VJ Edgecombe. The Hornets hold the third best odds in the draft, so it makes sense that these four have been the most connected, as they are the projected top four selections in the draft.

Hornets fans know better than anybody else though that the draft lottery can be wild. Though the Hornets hold top three odds, they may still fall out of even the top five. In such a loaded class, this may not be as negative as it was last season. This year's consolation prize for falling just out of the top five? Duke center Khaman Maluach.

Khaman Maluach

Maluach is a 7'2 center from South Sudan who did not start playing basketball until he was 13 years old. While his offense is a work in progress, his defense is the stregth of his game.

Cooper Flagg LOBS IT UP to Maluach 💥 pic.twitter.com/PlGXyYcK1S
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 30, 2025

Maluach has averaged 1.3 blocks per game in his lone season at Duke, and has the ability to use his gigantic wingspan to alter any shots at the rim. Maluach moves extremely and can navigate screens on defense while also putting himself in ideal spots on offense.

While Maluach can shoot the ball and is a solid free throw shooter, the Duke big man only shot sixteen total threes all season, sinking four of them (25%). His post-game isn't entirely perfect, and on offense he has primarily been a lob threat and glass cleaner. He's still extremely raw, which does mean whoever needs to draft him needs to be patient and cannot expect a star out of the gate.

As a passer, the big man only averaged 0.5 assists on the season, however he consistently made good reads and clearly would do anything to help his team win. His 8.6 points per game may seem low for a projected top-6 selection, but it's difficult to score much when being seen as the third or fourth option with two other top 10 picks in front of you in the pecking order.

Comparison: A taller Robert Williams III. While Maluach is not the passer that Williams was, both have very similar playstyles. They are not really post-up or shooting big men, but will send any shots in the paint to the third row, while throwing down extremely loud lobs.

How would he fit in Charlotte?

To be honest? He probably would not. His game is extremely similar to Mark Williams and Moussa Diabate, and would probably not be the best pick for the Hornets at this time. If the Hornets were to select him, it would let you know how they felt about the future of Mark Williams with the team.

If the Hornets fall out of the top 5, they should look to the forward or guard position to add to their team. Another Duke star, Kon Knueppel, may be perfect for what Charlotte needs.

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