On the day of the NBA Draft, at the dawn of a new era in Phoenix, Devin Booker shared a memory on social media.
Ten years ago, he was selected by the Suns with the 13th overall pick. He is one of the great late-lottery selections in history. Booker’s post also revealed the words he heard from Adam Silver on that stage, when he became a NBA player:
“Can’t believe they made you wait this long.”
After the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, the Suns can only hope they will be saying the same things about Khaman Maluach, the 7-foot-2 center from Duke who fell into their laps.
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Khaman Maluach picked by Rockets for Suns with No. 10 pick in NBA Draft
Can’t believe he lasted that long.
The selection of Maluach might be a monumental moment in the history of the current regime. It represents the first real fingerprints of rookie general manager Brian Gregory. The Kevin Durant trade was more of a necessity, a shotgun divorce, and not a deal of his choosing.
This is different.
Maluach is a steal of a deal at No. 10. His combination of size, length and character might be the stroke of good fortune this franchise has been waiting for. Credit Gregory for not passing on the slam dunk the way James Jones did with Tyrese Haliburton.
Maluach is the kind of guy who can shake your hand from a different room. The kind of guy who can drive a car from the backseat. He is that tall and that long. And when the Suns traded their 29th pick and a 2029 first-round pick for Hornets center Mark Williams, the Suns solved their biggest issue. They had acquired a great deal of size. They added a pair of big men with wingspans exceeding 7-foot-6, almost enough to compensate for a backcourt of Booker and Jalen Green.
The addition of Maluach and Williams will infuse some much-needed optimism in the Valley. But I am most excited about Booker, and how he starts his second decade with the Suns. He is about to sign a massive supermax contract extension that will pay him $75 million a year, at a time when his game has regressed over the past two seasons.
I’m not saying Durant is at fault, but I am blaming him. Booker deferred to KD the same way he did Chris Paul because Booker is adroit at adapting to situations and people around him. Like coming off the bench in college at Kentucky. Like his dirty-work role with Team USA in Paris. And for whatever reason, Booker clearly regressed in the company of Durant. Now, he’s the unquestioned leader.
Let’s hope Booker turns out to be the big winner of the NBA’s offseason. And that Maluach is a draft pick worthy of his 10-year anniversary.
Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.
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