Fansided

2016 NBA Draft: where are they now?

By Brandon Jefferson

TORONTO, ON - MAY 7: Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) reaches in on Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (43). Toronto Raptors vs Philadelphia 76ers in1st half action of Round 2, Game 5 of NBA playoff play at Scotiabank Arena. Raptors win 125-89 and now lead series 3-2. Toronto Star/Rick Madonik (Rick Madonik/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - MAY 7: Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) reaches in on Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (43). Toronto Raptors vs Philadelphia 76ers in1st half action of Round 2, Game 5 of NBA playoff play at Scotiabank Arena. Raptors win 125-89 and now lead series 3-2. Toronto Star/Rick Madonik (Rick Madonik/Toronto Star via Getty Images) /
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ST. FRANCIS, WI – JUNE 24: Milwaukee Bucks draft pick Thon Maker arrives before a press conference at the Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin Training Center on June 24, 2016 in St. Francis, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)
ST. FRANCIS, WI – JUNE 24: Milwaukee Bucks draft pick Thon Maker arrives before a press conference at the Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin Training Center on June 24, 2016 in St. Francis, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images) /

10. Thon Maker, Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks believed that they had their two premiere pieces for their future after pairing Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker together in back-to-back drafts. Figuring out a way to get the right pieces around those two forwards to get Milwaukee to the top of the Eastern Conference. One choice they made that raised an eyebrow was selecting Thon Maker with the 10th-overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. Maker did not play college basketball, instead, after a prep year at Athlete Institute Academy in Canada, Maker filed to be cleared as an eligible international prospect and the NBA obliged.

As he went through high school, Maker was a prospect that kept making noise and getting coverage over the years. Maker would eventually end as a seven-foot player who was capable of putting the ball on the floor, shooting from the perimeter and defending the rim. With the rise of the “unicorn” prospect in the aftermath of Kristaps Porzingis’ transition to the NBA, Maker was often lumped in as a player with the potential to do something similar. In theory, a frontcourt of Parker (great scorer from mid-range), Antetokounmpo (point-forward and defensive stalwart) and Maker (3-and-D center) sounds like pieces that should work very well together.

In his rookie year, Maker was unable to immediately deliver on that perceived promise as he averaged four points and two rebounds per game in 9.9 minutes a night. He played in 57 games and started in 34 of them. Yet, by the postseason, Maker was a much more involved player for the Bucks. His minutes per game doubled and he started all six of the team’s first-round games against the Toronto Raptors.

Maker was never able to fully find his place in Milwaukee and ended up demanding to be traded last year. The Bucks shipped him to the Detroit Pistons at the trade deadline. With the Pistons, Maker was firmly behind Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin in the rotation but was used as a change of pace piece for Dwayne Casey’s team. While Maker has yet to miss the playoffs in three seasons, he has also never averaged over five points per game for an entire season.

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