Thon Maker cleared to enter NBA Draft
The 7-foot-1 center is eligible for selection in June’s draft, according to a report.
Thon Maker, the 19-year-old, consensus five-star prospect currently attending a prep school in Canada, has been cleared to enter this year’s NBA draft, according to a report by ESPN’s Chad Ford.
Thon Maker was just cleared by the NBA to enter the 2016 NBA Draft according to sources. Story coming ...
— NBA Big Board (@chadfordinsider) April 14, 2016
NBA ruled Thon Maker was one year removed from graduating from high school. He will hire an agent, ending his college eligibility
— NBA Big Board (@chadfordinsider) April 14, 2016
Maker remains an intriguing, albeit mysterious, prospect. He played at three different schools in the United States, most recently at Carlisle School in Martinsville, Va. After his sophomore season, he enrolled at Orangeville Prep in Ontario, Canada. Maker was born in South Sudan but was raised in Western Australia after his family moved there when he was five years old. His younger brother Matur is considered a strong prospect in the 2017 recruiting class.
Maker participated in the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit last April. He scored just two points in the game, but added 10 rebounds and a block to help the World Team defeat Team USA.
Maker had planned last February to reclassify into the 2015 class, but instead opted in June to remain in the 2016 class and enroll in college this coming fall. That plan, of course, changed when Maker decided to enter the draft earlier this month.
At 7-foot-1, Maker boasts impressive size, but the consensus is that he’ll need a few years of seasoning. The combination of size and potential, however, is still likely to make him a first-round pick in June’s draft.
FanSided’s most recent NBA mock draft projects Maker to land with the Toronto Raptors at No. 26 overall.
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