Technically, Houston selected Duke center Khaman Maluach with the No. 10 overall selection in Wednesday’s first round of the 2025 NBA draft. He then donned a Rockets hat.
The key word, of course, is technically.
Houston’s No. 10 pick was sent to Phoenix earlier this week as part of the trade package to acquire All-Star forward Kevin Durant. So, the Rockets picked on behalf of the Suns. Similarly, the Rockets will pick on behalf of Phoenix at No. 59 overall in Thursday’s second round.
But because the Rockets-Suns deal needs to include the elevated 2025-26 salary of Jalen Green, the trade needs to wait until July to be made official. July is when the league’s next fiscal year will start.
Later in the first round, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that Maluach would be dealt from the Rockets to Phoenix as part of a trade “to be finalized later.” It’s not a secret as to what trade that was in reference to.
So, as with Rudy Gay and others from back in the day, Maluach was technically drafted by the Rockets, and Houston will officially be part of his NBA career story. He will then be officially traded in early July and likely play for the Suns at the upcoming 2025 summer league in Las Vegas.
With the 10th pick of the NBA Draft, the @HoustonRockets select Khaman Maluach!
Maluach, from South Sudan, becomes the highest-drafted former NBA Academy Africa and @theBAL player ever.
2025 #NBADraft presented by State Farm LIVE on ABC & ESPN pic.twitter.com/ghclxbgm85
— NBA (@NBA) June 26, 2025
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Technically, Rockets draft Duke center Khaman Maluach (traded to Suns)