The Duke Blue Devils have been the talk of the town as the 2025 NBA Draft rapidly approaches. However, most of that talk has been about stars Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, who are both projected to hear their names within the first 10 picks.
However, the San Antonio Spurs have recently voiced their interest in big man Khaman Maluach, who is expected to be a first-round pick but isn't projected to be one of the earliest names off the board.
Maluach reportedly impressed the Spurs with his performance at the NBA Draft Combine, and the franchise is intrigued by the idea of adding his 7-foot-2 frame alongside "The Alien" himself, Victor Wembanyama.
Wembanyama already stands at a staggering 7-foot-3 but weighs about 15 pounds less than Maluach, according to ESPN.
The Spurs have tossed around the idea of using both big men at the same time, a virtual "twin towers" in the paint, on both ends of the court.
San Antonio, luckily for the franchise, has two first-round picks this year, with the No. 2 and No. 14 overall selections as well as the eighth pick in the second round. The Spurs could surprise the world by selecting Maluach second overall, just one pick behind Flagg, or they could use their two later picks to snag the big man.
Maluach wasn't necessarily a machine on the offensive end of the court, but his presence in the paint made it insanely difficult for opponents to find any kind of rhythm on offense or defense.
Khaman Maluach college stats (2024-25)
- 39 games (39 starts)
- 8.6 points per game
- 6.6 rebounds per game
- 1.3 blocks per game
- 0.5 assists per game
- 0.2 steals per game
Maluach averaged pretty close to a double-double throughout his singular season with the Blue Devils, but most notably, his 3.8 defensive rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game made it nearly impossible for opponents to score on Duke.
The first round of the 2025 NBA Draft is set to start at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 25. The second round will take place the following night.