Melbourne United sign Makuach Maluach for NBL23

Melbourne United is thrilled to announce the signing of athletic forward Makuach Maluach (pronounced Ma-kwatch Mal-oh-watch) for the NBL23 season.

Coming off four years at New Mexico University and a successful first year of professional basketball in Finland, where he averaged 13.6 points and five rebounds while shooting 36.1% from beyond the arc, Maluach will look to add to United’s strong returning core.

Speaking to Melbourne United Media, Maluach touched on his excitement ahead of joining the United for the NBL23 season.

“Melbourne is a great club, so when the opportunity came it was a no brainer for me.

“I’m going to grab this opportunity with both hands and run with it. I can’t wait to get started.

“Playing under coach Vickerman and playing with a veteran team will be so important for me. Guys like Delly, Chris Goulding and Brad Newley, it’s an older group that I wanted to come and learn from.”

Most recently, the 200cm forward has been applying his trade in the NBL1 North with the Darwin Salties, where he produced one of the most thunderous highlights in NBL1 history.

The dunk instantly went viral, eclipsing over 500,000 views on social media and being shared across countless news organisations.

Maluach has led the Salties to a 2-1 record while averaging nearly 23 points and seven rebounds per game.

Someone who has been on United’s radar for a number of years, Head Coach Dean Vickerman said he is excited at the prospect of bringing Maluach into the organisation.

“Makuach is someone we certainly looked at last year coming out of college.

“He had a fantastic senior year at New Mexico playing at a high level division one school and got some great experience with the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence and Junior Australian teams, so we knew there was a pedigree there.

“We thought he handled himself really well last season in Finland for the first year of his pro career and elevated his team to the playoffs.

“He’s an amazing athlete, great rebounder, really potent in transition and his three-ball is getting to a really high level as well so we see him giving us a real scoring punch this season.”

Maluach joins Brad Newley and United’s eight other returning players as contracted players heading into NBL Free Agency.

To lock in your spot to see Makuach Maluach take the court in a Melbourne United uniform, secure your NBL23 membership today!

Offering can’t-miss access and experiences within the club from as little as $105, standing United with Melbourne is the best way to support your side!