Brotherhood Draft Watch: Could Maluach See A Shocking Rise?
It’s not very likely, but there is an argument for the Spurs to take Man Man with the #2 pick.
Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have been seen as the Duke players most likely to be drafted high and in Flagg’s case, it’s almost certainly true: he’s widely seen as the top pick in the draft. Knueppel is less certain but he’s generally pegged to go somewhere between fifth and 12th.
Duke’s third player likely to go early is Khaman Maluach. He’s apparently made a solid impression in the NBA Combine and may have shown off some skills he didn't get to use at Duke very much, like three point shooting.
Not too long ago, he was seen as a fringe first-round pick. Then he moved up to a low lottery pick. More recently, he’s (theoretically of course) moved up in the lottery. Could he move higher?
Well, maybe.
This article suggests a scenario where San Antonio could take him second, which would be a stunning rise.
Maluach would either play alongside Victor Wembanyama, or back him up, or both. He’s not as polished as Wembanyama, but a couple of points there: first, he’s getting better in a big damn hurry and second, playing against Wembanyama daily would help both big men.
It probably won't happen, but if it did, how cool would that be?