The NCAA Tournament is heating up—the Sweet 16 is on the horizon. Despite the limited number of teams remaining, several blue-chip draft prospects are still hitting the hardwood. The tournament favorite, the Duke Blue Devils, is one of these prospect-rich teams. Duke rosters three of the most intriguing future draftees: Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach.

Flagg will surely be off the board when the Bulls make their selection unless they miraculously win the lottery. The 18-year-old is the surefire first-overall pick. Knueppel could fall anywhere from six to 14. While the Bulls could pull the trigger on Knueppel, he’s not an ideal fit on an already guard-heavy, three-point-oriented roster.

That leaves hulking, 7-foot-2 big man Maluach. The freshman notably started playing basketball only six years ago. However, he’s progressed into one of the most sought-after players in the 2025 draft cycle. Maluach has started every game for the Blue Devils, averaging 8.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 20.3 minutes per game.

The South Sudanese big man’s stats don’t necessarily stand out, but they were never intended to. He’s essentially playing a Dereck Lively II role for Duke—patrolling the paint on defense and operating as a clean-up man and lob threat on the offensive end. The center’s usage rate ranks 10th on the team, eighth if players who have yet to see 100 minutes are excluded.

Nonetheless, Maluach is especially intriguing for teams searching for a defensive anchor, a la the Chicago Bulls. His size, motor, and potential should have him atop the Bulls’ draft board. Below, we break down three attributes that make Maluach most appealing to Chicago’s Front Office.

3 Reasons why Khaman Maluach would be a great fit on the Bulls

3. Potential/Timeline fit

As previously mentioned, Maluach is new to the game of basketball. He’s only 18-years-old, yet his physicality is unmatched. He’s 7-foot-2 but doesn’t possess the same build as the usual 7-foot youngster. The Blue Devils list the star freshman at 250 pounds. Therefore, it won’t take much to refine Maluach’s body once he reaches the NBA—focus can be placed on skill.

Not to say Maluach isn’t skilled, he shot 75.7 percent from the free-throw line, attempted 16 three-pointers, and has displayed fantastic hands, both offensively and defensively. However, he’s a work in progress in multiple areas. From screen-setting to defensive rotations, there’s room for Maluach to grow. Fortunately for whichever team decides to draft the 7-foot-2 big, they’ll acquire a player who doesn’t turn 19 until September 14.

Trotting out one of the younger rosters in the NBA (ninth youngest), Maluach would fit the Bulls’ timeline. He’d be granted the opportunity to learn from one of the better offensive bigs, 34-year-old Nikola Vucevic, and suit up alongside offensive centerpieces, Josh Giddey (22 years old) and Coby White (25 years old), once he’s been deemed ready to make an impact.

2. Lob threat

Drumroll, please…the team that ranks dead-last in the NBA, and by a wide margin, in dunks is the Chicago Bulls! The Bulls have converted merely 234 dunks this season, 43 less than the 29th-place Toronto Raptors. To make matters worse, nearly 20 percent of those dunks came from ex-Bull Zach LaVine, who was traded over a month ago. 6-foot-10 rookie forward Matas Buzelis leads the squad in dunks this season at 55. Lastly, Chicago centers have combined for only 43 throw-downs this season.

Through 36 games, Maluach has recorded 67 dunks. More than half of his field goals have come from the dunk variety. He’s a threat to throw it down whenever he touches the restricted area. At 7-foot-2, with a 9-foot-8 standing reach, Maluach is uber-efficient around the rim.

The big man has excelled at Duke as a roll man. However, the Blue Devils don’t roster a prototypical floor general, as Flagg, Knueppel, Sion James, and Tyrese Proctor have generally orchestrated pick-and-rolls with Maluach. That’d change in Chicago. Giddey is one of the better passers in the NBA and playing alongside the Duke Blue Devil would lead to an endless amount of alley-oop opportunities.

1. Rim protection

What else do the Bulls struggle with? Protecting the paint. Chicago ranks last in the NBA in paint points allowed per game and 22nd in opponent’s field goal percentage within five feet. Chicago’s starting big man, Nikola Vucevic, averages 0.8 blocks per contest and doesn’t make too much of an impact defensively on the interior. His opponents shoot only 0.1 percent worse when Vooch is the primary defender.

Maluach’s defensive counting stats (1.2 blocks per game) and block percentage (6.5) aren’t overly impressive. His defensive metrics are on par or worse than recent draftees of similar ilk, including Lively II, Zach Edey, Yves Missi, and Donovan Clingan. However, the numbers don’t paint the entire picture.

The freshman is an intimidating presence on the inside who’s fleet of foot. He doesn’t rotate well enough…yet. But his massive size and wingspan cannot be dismissed. It doesn’t take much for an opposing player to shy away once they encounter the 7-foot-2 big. He’s mobile enough to chase down driving guards, and stout enough to hold his own against fellow 7-footers.