Khaman Maluach has all the makings of a Toronto Raptors draft target this summer. The 7-foot-2 Duke freshman is a defensive difference-maker with significant upside and fits the profile of exactly the kind of prospect Toronto would love to bring in for a closer look ahead of the NBA draft.
There is just one problem.Because of a new government policy revoking visas for South Sudanese passport holders, Maluach is currently unable to leave the United States. Unless his visa situation changes before June, the Raptors will not be able to bring him to Toronto for a pre-draft workout.
The 18-year-old officially declared for the NBA Draft this weekend, filing his paperwork just before the early entrant deadline. He is projected to go somewhere in the range where Toronto will be picking, making him a realistic option depending on how the draft lottery shakes out next month.
The visa issue is not expected to be a deal-breaker for the Raptors. Toronto has dealt with passport and border complications before and has drafted players without a workout in Toronto including first-round pick Ja’Kobe Walter just last year.
