Many NCAA players have announced that they will be going into the NBA Draft on June 23rd. One athlete who didn’t participate in college basketball might declare for the NBA Draft, Thon Maker.
Maker was born in South Sudan and moved to Australia. Ed Smith, Maker’s guardian, brought him to the United States when he was in the 8th grade. In high school he attended Carlisle School in Virginia before moving to Orangeville Prep located in Canada for the past two years. He had offers at Arizona State, Kansas, Notre Dame, St. John’s, and Indiana. He could have played for one of them for the 2015-2016 season. Maker decided to stay at Orangeville to play with his younger brother.
Maker is 7 feet tall and might be a lottery pick in the NBA. The problem could be his eligibility. NBA.com stated that the age limit for NBA players in America is 19 and one year out of high school. In the U.S., 19 would be one year removed from high school. In Canada he is still attending high school. It will be interesting to see which rule the NBA wants to follow.
The NBA should let him into the draft. His age is appropriate for a participant to declare. If Maker can prove he can play professionally, let him in. There are plenty of teams that could use a 7-foot power forward. According to ESPN, “Maker is awaiting official word from the NBA regarding his eligibility but couldn’t get an answer until he declared for the draft. Maker and his family expect an answer soon.” Hopefully the NBA will do the right thing and let him take part in the NBA Draft, which would be a special moment if Maker is drafted.
How should the NBA handle Thon Maker’s request to declare for the NBA draft?
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