The waiting game that felt like forever has finally ended. After what seemed like a lifetime of refresh-checking and rumor-chasing, Isaiah Evans, Maliq Brown, Darren Harris, Caleb Foster, and Patrick Ngongba all officially announced they’re sticking around at Duke. Meanwhile, Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Tyrese Proctor decided it was NBA Draft time. From day one, though, it was Evans, Flagg, and Khaman Maluach who could’ve turned this into one of the most stacked Duke draft classes we’ve seen in a hot minute. Evans chose to run it back, Flagg declared… but Maluach had us all hanging by a thread.

Well…it’s finally official! Saturday night, Khaman Maluach made the big move and declared for the NBA Draft pool as an early entrant. The 7’2″ center from South Sudan, who’s still just 18 years old, has been a projected lottery pick for months. But the delay in his announcement had a lot of people sweating because of some uncertainty around his immigration status.

Even though he didn’t come out and say much about it directly, Maluach let his Instagram story do the talking. He posted lyrics from Rod Wave’s 2023 track “Long Journey.” “Dear God, I thank You for Everything You gave to us, uh You kept them devils away from us, uh And You finally made a way for us, I say.” Felt like a little window into everything he’s been dealing with.

So now, Duke’s got  two lottery guys heading to the draft. Great for program history, not-so-great for Jon Scheyer’s offseason plans. 

You know how roster retention has become like the thing in college hoops lately, especially with the transfer portal looking like a free-for-all. Last offseason was messy for Jon Scheyer. He only managed to keep two players from his roster — Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster — but he knew it was for the best in the long run. Seven players, including team captain Jeremy Roach, hit the transfer portal, and things looked pretty rough. 

But this year, Scheyer absolutely crushed it. Duke is one of only three programs (shoutout Tennessee and Boston University) that didn’t lose a single scholarship player to the portal this year. The only catch is there are no big portal adds. 

The coach is just holding tight, banking on the fact that keeping the core together and bringing in some fresh recruits will pay off. Well, now he will have to figure out how to replace all five starters. In addition to the three freshmen, Proctor is gone. And Sion James, the 6-6 forward who was a starter since December is now out of eligibility.

All of them played big roles. Maluach was huge for the team. He was one of the two freshmen who started every single one of Duke’s 39 games, putting up 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. Duke went on to win the ACC Championship and make it to the Final Four. 

Now, all three are projected to be top-10 picks in the NBA Draft. So, where might be the centre heading to?

Khaman Maluach’s potential destination and the trouble his status might bring

The 2025 NBA Draft isn’t exactly deep at the center position, especially in the first-round range. So, when teams are looking for a big man to make an impact, Khaman Maluach could be the perfect pick. Sure, his stats might not scream “future star” on paper, but when you see him play in person, you’ll notice how much of an impact he’s making on both ends of the floor.

Defensively, this is where he really shines. Maluach’s a high-level rim protector with the physical tools to back it up. His timing on shot contests is perfect. His defensive awareness has grown huge throughout the season. He’s super effective in drop coverage when defending ball screens, and he knows exactly when to stick with the big man or when to switch to the ball-handler. 

Offensively, he’s definitely got some upside. He’s a solid screener, always a lob threat thanks to his wide catch radius and his touch inside the paint is also a bit underrated. But the only that could make scouts doubt is his potential as a shooting center. But again, he is an excellent from free-thrown line. 

The Toronto Raptors are about to find out their fate soon enough. The NBA Draft Lottery is on May 12 in Chicago, and that’s when we’ll know where the Raptors are picking in the 2025 Draft. As it stands, they have the 7th-best odds, which gives them a 31.9% chance of moving into the top-4. 

If they end up with the No. 7 or No. 8 pick, they might be eyeing a big man, and Bleacher Report has them selecting Khaman Maluach at No. 7 in the latest mock draft. Jakob Poeltl is still under contract through next season, but if the Raptors want to add a young, versatile big man to develop alongside their core, Maluach could be the one.

But Maluach’s situation is a little more complicated because of his visa status. During the NCAA tournament, the U.S. government revoked visas for South Sudanese nationals, which could cause some serious headaches for Maluach when it comes to traveling.  

If he leaves the U.S., there’s a chance he won’t be able to get back in the country. He’s probably on some sort of student visa right now, and if he moves to the NBA, his status will obviously change. But what happens if he gets drafted by the Raptors? Could he travel freely to play against U.S. teams? If not, that could be a major issue. So this visa thing is a pretty big deal that could potentially mess with everything. We’ll see how things turn out. 

As for Duke, yeah, losing talent is a hit. But with returning stars plus a stellar recruiting class coming in, things aren’t exactly falling apart in Durham. Top incoming freshman Cameron Boozer will lead the way, but the development of Evans, Foster, and Ngongba this offseason could really determine how much success the Blue Devils have moving forward.

All in all, Duke fans, you have a lot to look forward to.