BIO: Makuach Maluach was born in Sydney (NSW) where he attended 87.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Makuach Maluach made his NBL debut with the Melbourne United at 24 years of age. He scored five points in his first game.

In the 2022/23 season, Melbourne United finished on top of the ladder but experienced a surprising early playoff exit after losing star guard Chris Goulding to injury. Entering the new season, United appeared poised to be championship favourites; however, the team suffered significant setbacks before their first game, with injuries and overseas offers resulting in nearly half their starting lineup departing.

Leading scorer Jo Lual-Acuil, keen to remain with Melbourne, ultimately accepted a lucrative offer from China. Meanwhile, White and Dellavedova, both under contract, secured NBA deals with Denver and Sacramento just weeks before the season’s start. This unexpected timing left United scrambling to replace them, with most players already committed elsewhere. To fill the gaps, United signed Isaac Humphries (via Adelaide), Xavier Rathan-Mayes (via Illawarra), Rayjon Tucker, and Jordan Caroline, while David Barlow postponed his retirement to provide additional depth.

The situation deteriorated further when Next Star Ariel Hukporti suffered a severe lower leg injury during the NBL Blitz in Darwin, sidelining him for the season. Humphries, battling knee issues, was suddenly thrust into a high-minute role as United’s main center, with veteran forwards Barlow, Brad Newley, and import Jordan Caroline rotating through the position due to the lack of other options.

Despite the setbacks, United claimed their first win of the season with an overtime victory against New Zealand (101–97), thanks to a stellar performance by Rathan-Mayes, who recorded 33 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists.

Rathan-Mayes (14.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists), initially signed to lead the bench unit, was moved to the starting lineup when Shea Ili (8.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists) suffered a concussion during FIBA qualifiers. Ili’s limited appearances, totaling just 13 games, led to frequent lineup shuffles, forcing Tucker to assume additional responsibilities. Melbourne’s inconsistent play led to a 5-6 record after the first three months, sparking calls from media for an import change.

Rayjon Tucker (17.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists), who had declared he would be “the best first-year import in the league,” struggled to meet those expectations. Meanwhile, Caroline (5.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 0.7 assists) failed to establish himself and was eventually replaced. Marcus Lee (9.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks), a former teammate of Humphries, was signed in November, providing much-needed size and defensive presence, which sparked a major turnaround. With Ili back in the rotation and Tucker finding his offensive rhythm, United improved significantly.

A season-low loss to Illawarra (93–79), at the time with just one win, became a turning point. With the starting lineup finally in sync, United defeated Brisbane by 16 points (104-88) the following game, with key contributions from Goulding (20 points), Tucker (20 points), Lee (18 points), Ili (15 points), and Rathan-Mayes (8 points, 10 rebounds). Following that shock defeat, United concluded the season on an 11-3 run.

Entering the final day of the regular season, Melbourne held onto hopes of a playoff spot. Tucker’s 31-point, 5-rebound, 5-assist performance led United to a 116–107 win over Adelaide, and when Perth defeated Sydney, Melbourne clinched a Play-In Qualifier spot via points percentage.

A key indicator of United’s challenges this season was their defensive rating, marking the first time a team led by Dean Vickerman finished outside the top five in this category. Despite the defensive issues, the team made historic moments, including a Christmas Day matchup against eventual champions Sydney, viewed by over 300,000 fans nationwide. Although Tucker (31 points, 5 rebounds) led all scorers, United fell to the Kings by 21 points (101-80). The season also saw a landmark event with Isaac Humphries (9.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.7 blocks) coming out as gay, spearheading NBL’s first Pride Round in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Makuach Maluach played in 18 games, contributing averages of 2.7 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.2 assists.

SYDNEY KINGS
2023/24
In 2023, Makuach Maluach signed a two-year development player contract with the Sydney Kings, joining the team as they pursued a third consecutive championship. Ahead of the season, Sydney underwent a significant roster rebuild as several key players moved to the NBA. Reigning MVP Xavier Cooks and DJ Vasiljevic signed with the Washington Wizards, while coach Chase Buford left to join the Milwaukee Bucks. Imports Derrick Walton Jr., Justin Simon, and Tim Soares also moved on, leaving Jordan Hunter as the lone returning starter from the championship roster.

Former NBL MVP Jaylen Adams returned after a season in Europe, joined by new imports DJ Hogg (from Cairns), Denzel Valentine, and ex-NBA player and Australian Boomer Jonah Bolden, who made his comeback to basketball after a four-year break. G-League championship coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah stepped in as Buford’s successor, with the Kings entering the season as championship favorites despite the sweeping roster changes.

After ten games, Sydney ranked second (7-3), with losses only to the Tasmania JackJumpers (twice) and the Cairns Taipans. This success came despite marquee player DJ Hogg and Jaylin Galloway missing several games due to injuries.

However, beginning in Round 8, Sydney’s form declined dramatically. Struggling defensively, the Kings allowed 100 points in nine games and concluded the season as one of the league’s least effective defensive teams.

The team’s highlights included effective pick-and-roll offense executed by Adams (19.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.1 steals) and Hunter (10.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 0.9 blocks). While Bolden (8.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists) made valuable contributions, he spent much of the season regaining his basketball form after a lengthy hiatus. Denzel Valentine (12.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.1 steals) and DJ Hogg (14.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 blocks) fell short of expectations on both ends of the court. The Kings ultimately finished fifth and missed the playoffs after losing to New Zealand in the play-in tournament.

Despite the disappointing finish, standout performances from rookie Alex Toohey (8 points, 4.0 rebounds), Kouat Noi (10.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists) – who was close to winning the league’s best sixth-man award – and Galloway (10.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.2 steals) highlighted the potential within Sydney’s lineup. Maluach averaged 3.1 points, 1 rebound, and 0.3 assists, appearing in all but one game this season. His top performances included two 18-point efforts in a win over Melbourne (98-86) and a narrow home loss to Perth (98-104).

Year two of Makuach⏳#LetItReign pic.twitter.com/nA5hS82qlL

— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) April 10, 2024

Makuach Maluach currently plays for the Sydney Kings and has played 59 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 3.4 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.4 assists since entering the league in 2022.

CURRENT CONTRACT:

Sydney Kings – 2 Year Deal (2023-25)
2nd Year Team Option

Dan Boyce (833 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.