Following a successful freshman season, San Diego State’s Magoon Gwath has decided to enter the ever-controversial transfer portal. The 19-year-old “will also test the (2025) NBA Draft waters,” per League Him. If selected in the first round, he could become the Aztecs highest first-round pick since Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard, who plays for the Los Angeles Clippers, was drafted 15th overall in 2011.
SDSU’s Magoon Gwath will enter the NCAA transfer portal, he tells @League_Him. The 19-year-old big man, named MWC Rookie and Defensive Player of the Year, is an intriguing long-term prospect. Will also test the NBA Draft waters and consider a return to SDSU. pic.twitter.com/UjQZES5VF9
— League Him (@League_Him) March 24, 2025
With that in mind, at the end of every season, several prospects will have fascinated NBA Draft enthusiasts in ways that they had not previously. In 2010-11, Leonard was one of those players. In 2024-25, Gwath was one of them, emerging out of the towering shadows of big men who were being discussed much more than him rather suddenly.
San Diego State’s Magoon Gwath To Test NBA Draft Waters
A 7-foot-0 and 205-pound center out of Euless (TX), Gwath’s first introduction to the wider basketball world came in early December, after he posted a 25-point double-double against the Fresno State Bulldogs.
7’0 F Magoon Gwath was SENSATIONAL today in a win over Fresno State:
• 25 PTS
• 10 REB
• 2 BLK
• 10/13 FG
• 3/4 3PTGwath has been outstanding defensively this season, averaging a ridiculous 3.7 BLK through 7 games for SDSU, and today he showed his offensive upside -… pic.twitter.com/OKGsZss9VV
— Workin It Hoops (@workinithoops) December 5, 2024
As Fresno State went 6-26 in 2024-25, it wasn’t a David and Goliath matchup or a heavyweight slugger. It was simply a hello from an under-the-radar. A yodel, more like.
By the end of the season, Gwath won the Mountain West Conference’s Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year award. In 26 games, he averaged 8.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per contest. He also knocked down 37.8 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Khaman Maluach Comparison
There are a few freshman centers who are projected to be lottery picks in the upcoming draft, or at least in the conversation. However, he’s more similar to one of them than the others.
Both are mobile stretch-centers who can protect the rim, in a general sense. In a league where players at every position are more skilled than ever, having a rangy athlete that can knock down a 3 is like having the answer key to a difficult test.
Gwath isn’t quite as imposing as Duke center Khaman Maluach, who’s listed as 7-foot-2 and 250 pounds.
With that being said, he has the superior numbers. In 2024-25, Maluach has averaged 8.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game, but has only converted 25.0 percent of his 3s. He’s undoubtedly a special defender, in space or in the paint, but his block rate (6.5 percent) is less than half that of Gwath’s (14.5 percent).
Maluach is far more efficient inside the arc though, converting 75.3 percent of his 2-pointers while Gwath has made 55.3 percent of his. The gulf between them can largely be explained by shot-selection. Gwath, more than capable of creating for himself off-the-dribble, has more variety in his diet. Maluach is primarily an above-the-rim threat that eats on lobs and in the pick-and-roll.
The Human Element
Ultimately, Gwath should generate real traction with NBA front offices. There’s no way to compare him to Maluach and come away with any other conclusion. In terms of pure skill, he’s simply the better prospect. Of course, it would be in Gwath’s best interest to bulk up, but that shouldn’t take very long.
The human element is worth noting as well.
Gwath didn’t grow up surrounded by wealth and opulence. His father is an Uber driver and his mother is a custodian. In theory, his humble background will make succeeding at the NBA level that much important to him. With teams known to assess a player’s intangible and tangible attributes, Gwath looks like a low-risk prospect with considerable upside.
© Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
