Duke center Maluach declares for NBA draft

Duke freshman center Khaman Maluach declared for the 2025 NBA Draft, his agent told Steve Wiseman of Raleigh's The News & Observer.

Maluach is widely regarded as the top big man available and is projected to be a lottery pick in June.

In his lone season with the Blue Devils, he averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks to earn a spot on the ACC All-Freshman team.

The 18-year-old averaged 10.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in five March Madness contests. The 7-foot-2 center garnered attention for not grabbing a rebound in Duke's Final Four loss to Houston earlier in April.

Maluach joins Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Tyrese Proctor as Duke players to declare for the draft.

The South Sudan native played for his country in the 2024 Paris Olympics, marking the Bright Stars' first appearance at the Summer Games.