Khaman Maluach Deserves Bigger Suns Role -- But Will He Get It?

Khaman Maluach’s early development is a focus as the Phoenix Suns enter the season with questions about how much playing time he’ll earn. The soon-to-be second-year center was Phoenix’s first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and has flashed rim-protector potential, but in 2025-26 he didn’t get many minutes due to inexperience and rawness. During the 2026 Summer League in Las Vegas, he showed improved awareness and energy on both ends and even made open 3-pointers. ESPN’s Ben Golliver suggested Maluach could become a stretch defender who also protects the paint, while the Suns’ own player rankings noted Maluach’s performance as a “tough decision” alongside Mark Williams and Oso Ighodaro. The article says Williams figures to start at the beginning of the season, and that Maluach may need either a trade or undeniable production to exceed the nine minutes per night he averaged last year.