Whether it’s Chris Paul, Diana Taurasi and Michael Phelps showing up for Devin Booker’s charity golf tournament Tuesday, or NBA players and staff serving Thanksgiving dinner at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul recently, it’s clear the season of giving is a year-round motto for the Suns and Mercury.
“They’ve been a great partner coming to serve regularly,” said Ryan Corey, a representative at St. Vincent de Paul. “It’s always a time of a lot of joy for the families they serve … so we’ve been really grateful for that long-time partnership, both through their volunteering and through their grant-making process as well.”
Among the players in attendance to volunteer were Ryan Dunn, Nick Richards, Nigel Hayes-Davis and rookie Khaman Maluach.
Maluach, who was drafted by Phoenix in June, already has become quite involved with the Valley community, participating in multiple community events in just the first month of his NBA career.
On November 7, over 40 children took to the basketball courts at the Watts Family Maryvale YMCA in Phoenix where Maluach hosted a basketball clinic for the Lost Boys Center.
The Lost Boys Center for Leadership Development, a group that derived from the Lost Boys of Sudan, is an organization whose main purpose is serving displaced children from the war-torn African nation of South Sudan – the place Maluach called home for much of his youth.
“Having this clinic was one of the most beautiful things that we have done,” said Kuol Awan, the executive director of the Lost Boys Center. “The kids are very excited about the relationship we have with Maluach – they see him as a role model. … We hope to do more with him soon.”
The Lost Boys Center, which sees assisting South Sudanese children in their pursuit of athletics as one of their top priorities, believes that while this clinic was a great practice experience for children interested in playing basketball, it was more an opportunity for the children to meet someone from a similar background who has found great success in life.
“They know they can make any dream a reality when they see someone that looks like them who has made it,” said Jany Deng, the program director of the Lost Boys Center. “They think, ‘I can make it too.’ … When Maluach was leaving, (the kids) didn’t want the day to end. … The energy that day was through the roof.”
Having partnered with the Suns since the early 2000s when the Lost Boys Center opened in Phoenix, they have received a long line of grants and other donations from the team. However, Maluach’s clinic marked the first time the organization worked directly with a Suns player.
When Maluach heard about the Lost Boys Center shortly after arriving in the Valley, he instantly knew that this was a charity with which he wanted to partner.
“It’s very important to give back,” Maluach said. “It popped up in my mind since the day I got drafted. I’ve been waiting to do this – to share some knowledge and some words, because two or three years ago, I was in their position.”
Although largely uncommon to see a rookie this early in his NBA career be so involved in the local community, Maluach’s generosity echoes a long line of charitable endeavors from the Suns and their players – endeavors that have raised millions of dollars and helped mold a strong relationship between the NBA team and the local community.
From Bismack Biyombo, a former Suns center who donated his entire salary from the 2021-22 season to help build a hospital in his home country of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to Booker recently paying for the complete renovation of a downtown Phoenix basketball court, it’s clear that many players in the purple and orange are keen on lending a helping hand whenever the opportunities arise.
Phoenix Suns Charities was founded in 1988 and rebranded to Phoenix Suns/Phoenix Mercury Foundation in 2023 to merge the mission of the NBA and WNBA teams. It raised more than $3.5 million during 2023-24, according to IRS tax filings, and typically raises approximately $3 million annually, the organization said.
The annual Devin Booker Charity Golf Tournament is one of the team’s most high-profile events. It benefits Booker’s Starting Five Initiative and Special Olympics, an organization meaningful to the player because his sister, Mya, was born with DiGeorge syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes mild to moderate intellectual disabilities.
Booker often speaks of his desire to give back to the community, and is frequently spotted on social media surprising fans.
Devin Booker saw kids in Arizona running a lemonade stand and pulled up to support them.
(🎥 via almostthererescue/IG) pic.twitter.com/we2IVSgWHo
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) April 24, 2025
Though it is the players at the forefront of charity events, this desire to do more is echoed across the organization from top to bottom.
Before the 2025-26 NBA season, Suns owner Mat Ishbia pledged the team’s ongoing commitment toward serving the Phoenix community and took pride in the work the franchise does to help do so.
“It’s really the community’s team. I serve them,” Ishbia said. “I think we do a really good job at it. But at the same time, can we do better? Absolutely. We’re always thinking of different ways (to serve the community).”
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