Mark

Williams

After coming off the bench in the Suns’ first two exhibition games, Maluach received the starting nod on Saturday. The second-year center held his own, leading all players with 15 rebounds while also recording a double-double. Oso Ighodaro (8/4/5/2/2) was the replacement in the starting lineup last season when Mark Williams missed time, but many believe Maluach offers a higher fantasy ceiling. He’s worth grabbing with a late-round pick in drafts, with the potential to deliver more value if Maluach earns the starting center role.

Charania notes that Williams will miss “an extended period of time” after suffering the injury during an offseason workout. Williams’ injury history is extensive and well-documented, so this latest injury puts him in “do not draft” territory. Suddenly, Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach are late-round fliers in standard leagues, with Maluach the early favorite to take over starting duties due to his strong Summer League play.

Maluach has recorded a double-double in each of Phoenix’s first three games in Las Vegas, with Monday’s being the best of the bunch. Not only did he shoot 50 percent from the field and grab 10 rebounds, but the second-year center also blocked four shots. With the Suns re-signing Mark Williams, one would assume that he’ll be the starter. However, Maluach may be given every opportunity to compete with Oso Ighodaro for the backup role, especially when considering how well he’s played this week. A must-roster player in dynasty leagues, Maluach would have increased value as a backup in redraft leagues given Williams’ injury history.

One week after the Suns tendered Williams a qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent, the two sides reached a verbal agreement on a new contract. Acquired from the Hornets last offseason, the 7-footer appeared in 60 regular-season games for the first time in his four-year NBA career. Williams averaged 11.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks, shooting 64.4 percent from the field and 77.1 percent from the foul line. Williams missed nearly a month of action in March due to a lingering foot issue, and health concerns usually knock him down a few rounds in fantasy drafts.

Williams played a career-best 61 games last season, though he ended up missing the entirety of the Suns’ first-round series against the Thunder and only played in one of their two play-in games. However, he was still effective when he was on the floor, and Phoenix likely won’t let the 24-year-old walk for cheap. He should be penciled in as their starting center for next season, though Khaman Maluach’s development could alter the Suns’ stance on how much their willing to match on an offer sheet for Williams. Brea was a summer league standout in 2025 and will likely play for the Suns’ squad again, though he is likely still far off from being a rotational player for them.

The 40th overall pick in the 2024 draft, Ighodaro appeared in all 82 games this season, starting 24. The 7-footer’s role expanded when a foot injury sidelined Mark Williams, and that could remain the case in 2026-27 if the Suns were to move on from the former Hornet. However, one would assume that Phoenix would look to upgrade the position if that were the case, and 2025 lottery pick Khaman Maluach would also be in the mix for more playing time. Ighodaro averaged 6.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game this season. That production was not enough to make him much more than a deep-league streamer on nights when Williams was out.

Williams will remain sidelined for what could be the Suns’ final game of the season, as they go into Game 4 in a 0-3 hole. Oso Ighodaro has been the replacement in the starting lineup, and that should remain the case on Monday.

Williams still hasn’t played since the first Play-In game. With the 24-year-old center sidelined in Game 2, Oso Ighodaro started and had seven points and eight rebounds in 29 minutes. Ighodaro will likely remain in the starting lineup as long as Williams is out.

The Suns will be without their starting center for a second straight game, as they look to avoid falling behind two games in the series. Williams has not played since the first of two Play-In Tournament games, which the Suns lost to the Trail Blazers. Oso Ighodaro will likely start again in Williams’ spot.

Williams missed Sunday’s Game 1 loss to the Thunder with a sore left foot. Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach combined for zero points in 41 minutes in Williams’ absence. The 24-year-old center remains questionable for Game 2. Ighodaro will likely start again if Williams is ruled out.