(Juba) – If you thought the only things South Sudan exported were cattle, gum arabic and Olympic long distance runners, think again. Khaman Maluach, the 7 foot 2 teenage skyscraper from the land of the longhorns, just went from bouncing balls on dusty courts to signing a deal worth more than an entire state budget (don’t quote me, but it is close).
Maluach was drafted 10th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, only to be passed like a hot boda boda passenger to the Phoenix Suns. Our boy didn’t even need a return boda — his ticket was straight to Arizona, USA. Not bad for an 18 year old who used to dodge potholes in Kampala.
This four year deal is reportedly worth $27.4 million — that’s about SSP 127.7 billion at the official rate, or a jaw dropping SSP 191.8 billion on the black market. For context, that is enough to buy every cow in Lakes State and still have change to buy nyama choma for the entire Nile Basin.
At the Barclays Centre in New York, when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called out his name, Maluach did what most of us did when fuel prices hit SSP 25,000 — he cried. Not tears of sorrow, but of pure, undiluted “mama I made it” joy. The video went viral faster than rumours of a new dollar rate in Konyo Konyo market.
“I’m just excited and ready to go to work,” said Maluach, while probably wondering how many relatives are about to remember his phone number. He also thanked himself for dreaming “delusional dreams.” Clearly, delusions pay better than government jobs.
Let us pause for history.
Maluach fled the war in South Sudan as a child and was raised in Uganda. He didn’t grow up in a fancy gym. He grew up like the rest of us, in a place where a “court” usually meant goats gathered under a mango tree. That all changed when he was spotted by scouts and invited to the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal — kind of like being summoned by the high council of basketball elders.
After bouncing from Cobra Sport (Juba’s finest), to Senegal’s AS Douanes and Uganda’s City Oilers, he now joins a Suns squad where he will rub shoulders with All Stars Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. That is like leaving a tukul and finding yourself in a five star hotel with 24 hour electricity — a cultural shock that might require elders to explain.
And just to keep the drama NBA worthy, the very draft pick used to snatch Maluach was part of a blockbuster deal involving none other than Kevin Durant — the same Durant who probably still doesn’t know where South Sudan is on the map. But don’t worry, he will now.
Financially speaking, Maluach’s rookie contract earns him $6 million this year (SSP 27.9 billion officially, SSP 42 billion in the parallel universe also known as the black market). That is more money than the average cattle trader sees in a lifetime, unless they are dealing in government tenders.
South Sudan’s national team nearly beat the USA in a warm up match before the Paris Olympics. Carlik Jones had a triple double, LeBron James was sweating like he was in a Juba taxi with no windows, and the whole world learned that South Sudan can do more than just dance at wrestling matches.
Maluach now joins the league of African giants — not the elders of Malakal or the chiefs of Wau, but NBA legends like Hakeem Olajuwon and Dikembe Mutombo. And like them, he is representing every kid dribbling a deflated ball in Wanyjok, every uncle who believes height is a spiritual gift, and every mother praying her son grows up tall and leaves the tukul.
Don’t be surprised if Juba fans start wearing Phoenix Suns jerseys with “Maluach” on the back. He is not just a player. He is South Sudan’s slam dunk dream come true.
