Suns' Khaman Maluach draft pick makes perfect sense after Kevin Durant trade

Khaman Maluach is a 7-foot-1 athlete who spent his freshman season at Duke making all sorts of unique plays.

He'll try and do that in the NBA now for the Phoenix Suns. They'll receive Maluach as the No. 10 pick as part of the Kevin Durant trade with Houston, with the selection coming off the board in Wednesday night's first round.

Maluach is the type of incredible story that is hard to doubt. He's worked too hard to get to this point.

He was born in South Sudan, then moved with his family to Uganda for most of his childhood.

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In his teenage years, he moved to Senegal to grow in a basketball academy.

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From there, he wound up at Duke, where he teamed with fellow lottery picks Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel.

Now, Maluach is heading to the NBA.

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He's got active feet, soft hands, solid timing defensively, everything you could want in a young center.

And you can't teach his height and length.

Even if he just hits his floor, it's a useful roller and lob threat.

If Maluach realizes any of his upside, it'll be an even better outcome for all involved. With his name indirectly attached to the KD trade, his performance will be even more scrutinized, and he seems up to the task.

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