In a video shared by Homecoming Network, which is producing a documentary on Paul and his agency, Klutch Basketball, Paul is seen talking on the phone with Suns’ owner Mat Ishiba. “If you guys keep 10, I’ma mention a name and you tell me how much you like him. Khaman Maluach if I can get him there.” Paul said on the phone “A lot.” Ishiba said. “That’d be my first choice.” “Okay, done deal.” Paul responded. “That’s all I needed to hear.” Ishiba then asked Paul if he thinks he can get Maluach to be available at 10. “I’m going to try my best because you’re our first choice.” Paul said. In the video, Paul also reveals the biggest roadblock for Maluach landing to the Suns: The Brooklyn Nets. “If he gets past Brooklyn, then yeah (Maluach will be available), but let me make those calls so I can let you do what you need to do.” Paul said. Rich Paul Found Khaman Maluach’s Way to the Suns Maluach was the first true big taken in the 2025 NBA Draft. A number of forwards were taken before him, such as Cooper Flagg and Collin Murray-Boyles. Heading into the draft, Maluach and Derik Queen were seen as the top two centers in the class. Queen was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 13 overall pick. Brooklyn opted to select BYU point guard Egor Demin with the No. 8 pick, allowing Maluach to fall to Phoenix at 10. The Suns acquired the pick from the Houston Rockets earlier in the week, in the trade that sent Kevin Durant to Houston. Khaman Maluach’s Unlikely NBA Path Most NBA players spend their entire lives grinding the sport. For Maluach, he didn’t pick up a basketball until 2019, when he was 13 years old. Reportedly, a boda boda motorcyclist had stopped Maluach on the road when he noticed Maluach’s size, and encouraged him to take up the sport. The rest is history. Maluach later joined the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal, becoming the youngest enrollee in the Academy’s history. Maluach also began representing the South Sudan national team beginning in 2023. In 2024, Maluach was the youngest basketball player in that year’s Olympics. Maluach didn’t play much, averaging just 4.3 minutes per game. Before signing on with Duke, Maluach played professionally in Africa. He played with Cobra Sport in South Sudan, AS Douanes in Senegal, and City Oilers in Uganda. Maluach was also named the MVP of the 2023 Basketball Without Borders camp in Johannesburg, South Africa. Khaman Maluach in the NBA It’s no secret that the Phoenix Suns were hungry to add a big man this season. With the help of Rich Paul, the Suns have their man in Maluach. Maluach is listed at 7-foot-2 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan. He has a mind-boggling 9-foot-6 standing reach. Offensively, Maluach is a monster in the pick-and-roll. He can catch lobs at any angle and jam them down or float them nicely off the glass. He was one of the most efficient finishers in all of college basketball, and he has a great instinct for screening at tough angles. Maluach’s touch, combined with a 76.6 percent free-throw percentage, suggests that Maluach’s offensive game can grow outside of the restricted area. Maluach is also a game-changer on the offensive glass. He was second in the ACC with 107 offensive rebounds as a freshman, hauling in nearly three a game in just 21.2 minutes per contest. Defensively, Maluach has the potential to be one of the NBA’s best. He’s a high-motor player defensively, always quick to rotate and switch, and his arms are always moving. He has no issues dropping into a low defensive stance and sticking on point guards. Duke allowed Maluach to play high defensively, a trust not many freshman bigs earn. Due to his effectiveness as a defender in space, his defensive rebounding numbers don’t jump off the page, but it’s not due to a lack of ability. Maluach has the potential to be a super-switchable big who will deter any shot coming his way. His instincts, motor, and physical traits were made to earn All-Defensive honors. Rich Paul seems confident that Maluach has landed in the best spot for him to reach these goals. The Rich Paul Effect Rich Paul famously rose to prominence when he met LeBron James in 2002, selling jerseys in an airport. Since then, Paul has become one of the most powerful sports agents in the world. Originally starting his agent career by working under now-Knicks general manager Leon Rose, Paul now owns his own agency, Klutch Sports Group. Klutch currently represents nearly 200 athletes across the NBA, NFL, MLB, and WNBA. Klutch represents six of the 59 players selected in the 2025 NBA Draft, with Maluach being the highest drafted. Maluach wasn’t the only first-rounder represented by Klutch. Fellow big man Yang Hansen was selected No. 16, point guard Walter Clayton Jr. was selected No. 18, and wing Will Riley was selected No. 21. Paul and Klutch also represent second-round picks Rasheer Fleming and Adou Thiero.