PHOENIX– The not-so-elephant in the room involves the ongoing center position within the Phoenix Suns organization. Originally, that title would've gone to the now-injured Mark Williams. But since he's been hurt, that leaves two options: Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach.

Let's start with Ighodaro.

The third-year big man from Marquette started 24 of his 82 games and played a crucial role in February and into the playoffs.

He's the ideal big for head coach Jordan Ott's scheme: attacking the basket, shooting threes, and utilizing off-ball actions like cuts to keep the defense guessing.

His offensive game hasn't fully caught up to his defense, but Ighodaro is a legitimate playmaker at the five position. The assist numbers don't tell the entire story, but the eye test certainly does.

There were plenty of inverted pick-and-rolls he ran last season that caught teams by surprise. His athleticism is impressive at the position too.

Now going to Maluach, the potential is endless. That potential also matches the work ethic, and everyone had the chance to see it firsthand.

Even Devin Booker said that Maluach had the Suns' biggest leap in the offseason.

That being said, there is a legitimate competition between what will be guaranteed if Ighodaro starts, and what Maluach could bring.

It hasn't fazed the third-year center in the slightest.

“That’s my brother,” Ighodaro said when asked about the starting center competition during media day on Monday. “We show up every day; we push each other in the weight room. I’m grateful to have him as my teammate and someone to compete against every single day.”

“That’s my brother.”

What Oso Ighodaro told me regarding his competition with Maluach.

“We show up everyday, we push each other in the weight room. I’m grateful to have him as my teammate and someone to compete against every single day.”@sportscronkite pic.twitter.com/89hfRl6GnZ

— Thomas Bonvehi (@Thomas_Bonvehi) September 28, 2026

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Khaman Maluach vs. Oso Ighodaro is not a rivalry but brotherhood

The main narrative will ultimately be who will snag the spot with Williams out for a substantial period. But again, the two centers don't feel that way at all.

For the last eight weeks, both men have shared the countless battles they've had. In the process, they've made each other better. And while everyone has seen Maluach's vast improvement thanks to Summer League, they haven't seen Ighodaro's.

Still, that doesn't eliminate the conversation about who will start. Even head coach Jordan Ott wouldn't give a specific answer and only alluded to evaluating throughout training camp.

And Maluach feels a similar way.

“It’s not like, oh who's gonna start or who's gonna play this kind of minutes. It’s what the team needs,” Maluach explained, pertaining to the starting center competition on Monday. “If that night Oso is a good matchup for whatever center we're playing, then if coach thinks it's the best thing, he'll play.
“If the other night I'm the better matchup, I will play. I don't see it as an individual competitive thing. I see it like a team thing, what the team needs.”

Training camp will tell who wins the battle

There's more of a sample size for Maluach to make that leap given the summer he's had. Also, the amount of continuity the team spoke about on Monday also speaks volumes.

And Booker saying Maluach made the biggest leap could ultimately be the coup de grâce to show he could be the potential five-man with the starting unit on opening night.

For the next three weeks, questions will continually be asked about the battle, but for both men, it's not about who winds up starting, as long as W's continue to stack and stack.