Khaman Maluach is the exact type of prospect the Pelicans need. The first round of the NBA Draft is less than two weeks away, yet it is still unclear who New Orleans plans to draft 7th overall. With the rumor that New Orleans was high on Ace Bailey, the idea of trading up was viewed as a potential path.
But now, with reports coming out yesterday from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype stating that the 76ers are looking to move up from No. 3 to No. 2 with the Spurs, the idea of trading up has faded for the Pels.
New Orleans will now shift its focus back to maximizing the 7th overall pick. As an organization, the Pelicans are teetering between being contenders and rebuilding, meaning they could go many different avenues at No. 7. A path I have grown to really like is drafting Duke big man Khaman Maluach.
Maluach could be the NBA's next monster center
The first word that comes to mind when saying the name Khaman Maluach is upside. The 18-year-old is oozing potential and, if developed correctly, could be a multi-time All-Star. This unreal potential has led many NBA draft experts to question where he could end up on draft night.
Maluach is still raw but managed to anchor one of college basketball’s top defenses in 2024–25. Throughout the season, he evolved from a rim protector into a defender who could cover ground and guard the perimeter. Maluach improved as a help defender and showed flashes as someone who can switch onto guards and defend them on the perimeter.
A huge part of Maluach's dominance as a defender is his size. At the NBA Draft Combine, he measured 7'2" with an incredible 7'6" wingspan and a 9'6" standing reach. This otherworldly length helped Maluach average 1.3 blocks per game at Duke last season. Even when he isn't blocking shots, he still alters them and makes scoring at the rim hell for opposing offensive players.
Outside of Herb Jones, the Pelicans lack elite defensive players. Drafting Maluach would lessen Jones' workload on the defensive end and give the Pelicans a true rim protector.
Offensively, he’s already a strong lob threat and finisher. This past season, he averaged 8.6 points and shot 71.2% from the field. The upside for Maluach offensively comes from a shooting perspective. Maluach already has decent shooting form, and his 76.6% free-throw shooting suggests that if he keeps working, he'll develop into a pick-and-pop threat.
After the season, rookie center Yves Missi had many suggesting that using a top-7 pick on a player of the same position would be a waste. However, with the NBA shifting toward many double-big lineups, drafting Maluach could help them join the trend.
The top two teams, record-wise, this season were the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder, who frequently ran double-big lineups. Adding Maluach would give the Pelicans more size, something they currently lack.
When watching Maluach's tape and comparing him to players from years past, I often find myself thinking of Joel Embiid. Now, do I think Maluach will ever win an MVP or a scoring title? No. That being said, he possesses many of the same tools a young Joel Embiid had.
Embiid is listed at 7'0" with a 7'5" wingspan, similar to Maluach's numbers. Other similarities include how Maluach is able to handle the basketball for someone his size. Both were great defenders out of college and possessed the potential to become threats from three-point range. Both were forces in the paint on both ends, dunking, rebounding, and blocking shots.
If New Orleans sees what I see in Maluach, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in a Pelicans jersey next season.
If the Pelicans came into the draft truly wanting Ace Bailey for his upside, that leads me to believe Joe Dumars is looking for a home run pick at No. 7 now. There’s no better option than Maluach, as he possesses some of the highest potential in this draft.