2016 NBA Mock Draft: High schooler Thon Maker to Toronto

26. player. 81. <p>Thon Maker’s decision to declare for the NBA draft makes his one of the more interesting storylines leading up to the June event. Maker is a 19-year-old senior at Orangeville Prep, but believes he is eligible for the draft because he graduated from high school in Canada last year. If Maker is ruled eligible — and I believe there’s a good chance he will be — it could have long-lasting ramifications for fifth-year high school seniors going forward. In any event, Maker will remain in our mock drafts until he’s ruled ineligible by the NBA.</p> <p>Maker burst onto the scene as a mixtape darling a few years ago, showing up as a 7-0 big man who played the game like a guard. After a disappointing campaign last season that saw some of his shine wear off, Maker has delivered a solid final year that suggests he’ll still be a productive professional. Maker plays with great intensity and aggressiveness, which is a skill that is difficult to teach. He has great size for a big man in the NBA, but needs to add lower body strength after filling out his upper body over the past few years. At this point, Maker projects as an energy big man who could develop an outside jumper, which is a perfectly reasonable option late in the first round. He’ll need a few years of seasoning, likely in the D-League, before he’s ready to contribute regularly, though.</p> <p><em>To learn more about Thon Maker, <a href=. PF. Orangeville Prep. Thon Maker