How Suns Should Approach Center Position After Mark Williams Injury

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns suddenly went from one of the deepest center rooms in the NBA to the position now being a big question mark after Mark Williams suffered a torn labrum last week.

It was uncertain how much Khaman Maluach would play in his second season coming off a great Summer League performance, but he is now set to be a key component of the team.

Oso Ighodaro will also continue to make a big impact at the position after playing in all 82 games in the 2025-26 season.

Both players could be in position to take big leaps this season as the Suns navigate how to reconfigure their rotation after Williams' unfortunate injury that could sideline him at least five months.

How Suns Should Go About Center Rotation

Mar 19, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (11) dribbles up the court in the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Williams, who signed a new three-year, $38 million contract with the Suns this summer, has always been injury prone and was hampered by a foot injury late last season, so it seemed like only a matter of time where the Phoenix would be faced with this situation, but not for this long and so sudden.

The timing of the injury does give the Suns a full training camp to figure out exactly what they want to do at the position.

Last year, Ighodaro surprisingly won the backup center spot over Maluach and Nick Richards after camp, but it's very clear that now without Williams, Ighodaro and Maluach will be the team's top-two centers.

There's solid arguments to be made for both to be part of the starting lineup with Ighodaro's playmaking ability and switchability on defense and Maluach's rim protection and finishing around the basket, but this could be something that ends up being matchup dependent or more evident as the season goes on.

At this moment, it would appear Ighodaro has the leg up to start given the trust coach Jordan Ott showed him in last season and the inexperience of Maluach, who has yet to prove himself fully on an NBA court after being drafted No. 10 overall last summer.

However, this could change very quickly if Maluach's high potential comes together quickly and shines through in training camp and the preseason.

Looking past Maluach and Ighodaro, two-way player CJ Huntley, who only appeared in four games last season after going undrafted, is technically now the third-string center, so the Suns have a decision to make in terms of their depth and if they maybe want to make a move for another big man.

With that said, Rasheer Fleming and rookie Koa Peat could both be in line for small-ball 5 minutes if needed, which could make for some interesting lineup combinations at certain points and give Phoenix a new wrinkle to work with after the Suns revamped the power forward room this offseason.

Williams' injury could also open up more playing time for other reserve players, such as Ryan Dunn or Haywood Highsmith, as the Suns have plenty of options with how much depth they have on the team.

All in all, the Suns should be patient with both Maluach and Ighodaro and, at least at the beginning of the year, play whoever is performing the best or is the best matchup that night with their differing skillsets and then work from there to figure out what is best for the team.

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