Suns head coach Jordan Ott says he’ll wait until the preseason ends before naming a starter, weighing Khaman Maluach against Oso Ighodaro to fill in for the sidelined Mark Williams ahead of the Oct. 21 opener.
Rankin notes a simple text from Maluach to star guard Devin Booker sparked a joint offseason workout for the two.
“He’s been at this forever, and I can pick up a lot from him as a center,” Maluach told reporters. “Being a young big, I can ask him where to position myself, what pass to expect, because he faces different defenses every night.”
“He’s practically a coach on the floor,” Maluach added. “He sees things the coaches miss when he’s under pressure.”
We also have more Pacific updates.
- Kings center Domantas Sabonis rebounds from a knee‑limited 19‑game season and trade chatter, insisting he’s “100 %” healthy. When asked about rumors, he shrugged, “Easy. It’s all made up,” adding he avoids social media and leans on GM Scott Perry and his agent for info.
- Kings head coach Doug Christie is effectively in a contract year, with the final season a team option. Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee says his 2026‑27 evaluation will focus on team competitiveness and culture rather than pure win‑loss numbers.
- After skipping any mention of Dalton Knecht early in camp, Lakers coach JJ Redick praised the third‑year wing’s “hustle” and hunger for a rotation spot, according to Khobi Price of The California Post. Yet Price notes several rival executives expect Knecht to be the cut as the Lakers trim guaranteed contracts from 16 to 15 before opening night. Can Knecht survive the final cut?