Khaman Maluach's Path Just Opened in Phoenix After Williams' Injury
Mark Williams could miss most of 2026-27 with a shoulder injury, and Maluach — fresh off an 17.8-point Summer League — is the sleeper to grab late.
Williams' shoulder injury hands him a real runway for big-man stats.
- Maluach: 17.8 pts, 12.8 reb in Summer League
- Rookie year: 3.0 pts in 8.9 mpg over 46 games
- Mark Williams (shoulder) may miss most of 2026-27
- Williams ranked #120 overall, 27.1 FPTS/G in 2025-26
- Ighodaro as a starter: 8.0 pts, outside top 300
A preseason shoulder injury to Mark Williams has quietly reshaped the center picture in Phoenix, and Khaman Maluach is the name fantasy managers should be writing down. Williams — our #120 overall player who averaged 11.7 points, 8 rebounds and 27.1 fantasy points per game across 60 games last season (2025-26) — could be sidelined for most of the 2026-27 campaign. That turns a logjam into a legitimate opening.
Maluach was essentially invisible as a rookie, stuck behind both Williams and Oso Ighodaro. He logged just 8.9 minutes a night across 46 games, producing 3.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.7 blocks — numbers that didn't move the needle in any format. With Williams out of the picture, the depth chart suddenly points his way.
Why Maluach Over Ighodaro
The competition is Ighodaro, who technically has the inside track after starting 24 games last season. The problem? Those starts were ugly. As a starter he put up 8.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.4 combined steals and blocks, leaving him well outside the top 300. That's a low bar to clear.
Maluach, meanwhile, spent the summer making noise. In Summer League he averaged 17.8 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.0 threes and 3.3 combined steals and blocks — the kind of across-the-board line that translates nicely to nine-cat leagues. Preseason should settle the starting job, but even a bench role in a thinned-out frontcourt gives him a usable floor.
The Bigger Sophomore Picture
Maluach is one of several Year 2 names worth stashing. Collin Murray-Boyles (ninth pick, 2025) flashed near top-100 value late in Toronto despite a crowded center spot behind the healthy Jakob Poeltl — our #136 overall big who posted 25.7 fantasy points per game in 46 games last season (2025-26). Ryan Coward's late-season run — 14.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists over his final 11 games — hints at top-80 upside now that he's penciled in to start. And Minnesota's Joan Beringer could carve out 18-19 minutes backing up an aging Rudy Gobert, with Naz Reid and Julius Randle both gone.
The verdict: Maluach is a tasty last-round target. His upside plus Ighodaro's clear limitations make him worth a roster spot in deeper leagues right now, with the preseason offering the final read on whether he's a starter or a high-value reserve. Grab him before the Summer League buzz catches up with your leaguemates.
