Duke Basketball’s Khaman Maluach Rising Ahead of 2025 NBA Draft

While Cooper Flagg is a lock to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Duke basketball program is aiming to have multiple players selected in the lottery — and freshman center Khaman Maluach could be the biggest surprise of the group.

Maluach arrived at Duke with early projections placing him in the Top 5, and despite a slight dip in recent mock drafts, the 7-foot-2 center remains a likely lottery selection. His elite size, raw potential, and late start in organized basketball make him one of the most intriguing prospects in this year’s class.

NBA Scouts Impressed by Maluach’s Growth at Duke

ESPN’s NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony recently observed Maluach during a pre-draft workout and came away impressed. Givony noted that the freshman standout is “moving and getting off the floor extremely well,” while also highlighting significant improvements in his footwork, touch, and overall skill set during his lone season at Duke.

Strong Stats Bolster Draft Stock

During the 2024–25 season, Maluach averaged:

8.6 points
6.6 rebounds
1.3 blocks per game
71.2% field goal shooting (including 75.4% on two-point attempts)
Notably, he played in every game for the Blue Devils this season, showcasing both durability and consistency.

Multiple Blue Devils in 2025 NBA Mock Drafts

In the latest NBA mock draft, five Duke players were projected to be selected:

Cooper Flagg – No. 1 overall
Khaman Maluach – No. 7
Kon Knueppel – No. 9
Tyrese Proctor – No. 38
Sion James – No. 57

Meanwhile, Isaiah Evans and Cedric Coward were not listed in the current projections, but could boost their stock in upcoming workouts and interviews.

Key Date: NBA Draft Lottery Set for May 12

Duke’s top prospects will gain more clarity on their potential landing spots when the NBA Draft Lottery takes place on Monday, May 12, just before the NBA Draft Combine begins in Chicago. Expect Maluach’s name to stay hot as teams evaluate his upside and readiness for the next level.

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Final Scores – Wednesday, May 7, 2025 Phillies 8, Rays 4 Kyle Schwarber ties MLB lead with 12th HR Win: Zack Wheeler (3-1, 3.35 ERA) Loss: Drew Rasmussen (1-3, 3.09 ERA) Yankees 12, Padres 3 Austin Wells hits grand slam during 10-run 7th inning Win: Frankie Cruz (1-0, 1.37 ERA) Loss: Adrian Morejon (1-1, 3.57 ERA) Braves 2, Reds 1 (10 innings) Marcell Ozuna hits walk-off single Win: Raisel Iglesias (2-2, 4.50 ERA) Loss: Lyon Richardson (0-1, 2.25 ERA) Guardians 9, Nationals 1 (Game 2 of Doubleheader) Win: Ben Lively (2-2, 3.46 ERA) Loss: Brad Lord (1-4, 4.45 ERA) Twins 9, Orioles 1 Carlos Correa hits 458-foot home run Win: Pablo Lopez (3-2, 2.18 ERA) Loss: Cade Povich (1-3, 5.55 ERA) Royals 4, White Sox 3 Bobby Witt Jr. delivers walk-off hit Win: Tyler Clarke (1-0, 0.00 ERA) Loss: Corey Booser (0-3, 5.40 ERA) Brewers 4, Astros 3 Jake Bauers homers in big 1st inning Win: Colin Patrick (2-3, 3.08 ERA) Loss: Hayden Wesneski (1-3, 4.50 ERA) Save: Trevor Megill (4) Giants 14, Cubs 5 (11 innings) Giants score 9 runs in 11th Win: Erik Miller (2-0, 0.73 ERA) Loss: Ryan Pressly (2-2, 7.62 ERA) Cardinals 2, Pirates 1 Alec Burleson hits game-winning RBI double Win: Matthew Liberatore (3-3, 3.07 ERA) Loss: Paul Skenes (3-4, 2.77 ERA) Save: Gordon Graceffo (1) Angels 8, Blue Jays 3 Yoan Moncada hits 3-run homer Win: Hector Neris (1-1, 27.00 ERA) Loss: Yimi Garcia (0-2, 4.20 ERA) Diamondbacks 5, Mets 1 Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hits 2-run homer Win: Zac Gallen (3-4, 4.37 ERA) Loss: David Peterson (2-2, 3.52 ERA) Mariners 5, Athletics 3 Win: Cody Snider (0-0, 3.52 ERA) Loss: Tyler Ferguson (0-0, 2.00 ERA) Save: Carlos Vargas (1) Game Postponed Tigers at Rockies Rescheduled for May 8 due to inclement weather Upcoming Games – Wednesday, May 7, 2025 Guardians (21-15) at Nationals (17-20) 5:05 PM ET at Nationals Park, Washington, DC Probable Pitchers: CLE: Logan Allen (1-2, 4.02 ERA) WSH: Mike Soroka (0-1, 7.20 ERA) Astros (17-18) at Brewers (19-18) 6:10 PM ET at American Family Field, Milwaukee Probable Pitchers: HOU: Framber Valdez (1-4, 4.39 ERA) MIL: Quinn Priester (1-0, 5.79 ERA) Pirates (12-25) at Cardinals (18-19) 6:15 PM ET at Busch Stadium, St. Louis Probable Pitchers: PIT: Mitch Keller (1-3, 4.38 ERA) STL: Sonny Gray (3-1, 4.12 ERA) Giants (23-14) at Cubs (22-15) 7:20 PM ET at Wrigley Field, Chicago Probable Pitchers: SF: Robbie Ray (4-0, 3.05 ERA) CHC: Ben Brown (3-2, 4.88 ERA) Mariners (20-14) at Athletics (20-16) 8:35 PM ET at Sutter Health Park, Sacramento Probable Pitchers: SEA: Bryce Miller (4-1, 2.58 ERA) OAK: Gunnar Hoglund (1-0, 1.50 ERA) Mets (23-14) at Diamondbacks (19-17) 8:40 PM ET at Chase Field, Phoenix Probable Pitchers: NYM: Kodai Senga (3-2, 1.38 ERA) ARI: Merrill Kelly (3-1, 4.06 ERA) Dodgers (24-12) at Marlins (14-21) 9:40 PM ET at loanDepot Park, Miami Probable Pitchers: LAD: Landon Knack (1-0, 7.27 ERA) MIA: Valente Bellozo (0-2, 4.97 ERA) Rangers (18-18) at Red Sox (18-19) 11:45 PM ET at Fenway Park, Boston Probable Pitchers: TEX: Tyler Mahle (3-1, 1.19 ERA) BOS: Tanner Houck (0-2, 6.38 ERA)