With No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama as the centerpiece, the Spurs are building quite the future.
Along with Wembanyama, San Antonio has a host of young talent on its roster, some of which will share the floor with the phenom at the NBA 2K24 Summer League in Las Vegas. Among the group of notable players is Malaki Branham, who could complement Wembanyama quite well.
Branham made a name for himself as a rookie, but playing alongside Wembanyama puts him in an even bigger spotlight, something he's used to performing well under.
The Sporting News introduces you to a member of the Spurs worth becoming familiar with.
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Who is Malaki Branham?
Malaki Branham is a combo guard entering his second year with the Spurs.
Branham was selected by San Antonio with the 20th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft after spending a season at Ohio State. A four-star recruit out of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, Branham shares a high school alma mater with Lakers superstar LeBron James.
Malaki Branham college career
Branham was the 35th-ranked recruit in the high school class of 2021, according to 247Sports.com. He chose Ohio State over scholarship offers from Alabama, Baylor, and Xavier, among other programs.
During his lone season with the Buckeyes, Branham was a standout, starting in all but one of the 32 games he appeared in. With averages of 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, Branham was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and earned Third Team All-Big Ten honors.
After his freshman season came to a close, Branham declared for the NBA Draft, where The Sporting News' Kyle Irving listed him as one of the class' biggest sleepers.
Malaki Branham player profile
Branham is a smooth 6-5 guard with a smooth shooting stroke and a tendency to operate in the midrange.
As a rookie, Branham was a double-digit scorer, becoming a full-time starter for San Antonio in early February — he started in 27 of the final 28 games in which he appeared.
Over his final nine games of the season, Branham averaged 16.1 points per game, scoring in double figures in all but one contest.
During his one appearance at the 2023 California Classic Summer League, Branham went off for 32 points while shooting 12-of-24 from the field, 3-of-6 from deep and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line.
MORE: Tracking Victor Wembanyama's performance at Summer League
Malaki Branham rookie year stats
- 10.2 points per game
- 2.7 rebounds per game
- 1.9 assists per game
- 44.0 percent field goal shooting
- 30.2 percent 3-point shooting
- 82.9 percent free throw shooting