A high school player is attempting to enter the NBA draft for the first time since the league instituted its heavily debated one-and-done rule following the 2005 draft. Thon Maker, a 7-footer from Sudan playing his high school ball in Canada, is applying to enter the 2016 NBA Draft, according to Bleacher Report. The report was confirmed by David Aldridge of NBA.com.
Maker and his guardian Ed Smith believe he has fulfilled the requirements to enter the draft. Maker and his camp have been in discussions with the NBA about the move and expect an answer from the league in the coming days, according to Evan Daniels of Scout.
The NBA rule states that players must be at least 19 years old and one year removed from high school to enter the draft. Maker, who turned 19 years old on Feb. 25, presents a fascinating litmus test for the league. Maker's decision follows rumors that Jonathan Isaac, another fifth-year high school player committed to Florida State, was also considering entering the draft.
Does Maker qualify for the NBA? Here's what you need to know.
Who is Thon Maker?
Maker was born in the Sudan on Feb. 25, 1997, and came to Australia as a child. He arrived in the United States and enrolled at Virginia's Carlisle School for the start of high school, where he rose to prominence on the grassroots circuit before transferring to Athlete Institute in Ontario, Canada on September of 2014.
Maker measured at 7-foot and 220 pounds in 2015. He gained notoriety off the strength of a viral mixtape, but recruiting analysts have long been at odds over just how good of a prospect he really is. Maker is ranked as the No. 17 player in the class of 2016 by 247 Sports.
Maker competed in the 2015 Nike Hoops Summit and only scored two points. Many believed he was set to reclassify to the class of 2015 at that point and try to play college basketball during the 2015-16 season, but he opted to remain at Athlete Institute. Entering the NBA draft was likely his plan all along.
Will the NBA let him enter the draft?
Maker is 19 years old, so he checks the first box. The NBA will have to decide if time at Athlete Institute this year counts as another year of high school. Maker's camp says he graduated high school in June of 2015, according to DraftExpress.
Maker was named on the roster for the 2016 Hoops Summit, which will be played on Saturday in Portland. He will now skip that game to concentrate on individual draft workouts, according to Daniels. DraftExpress has him ranked as the No. 44 player in the 2016 draft.
Maker's camp expects an answer soon. The way the rule is written, Maker's camp believes he has a good case.
"We believe that Thon has fulfilled the academic requirements to be eligible for the 2016 Draft," Maker's guardian Edward Smith told Bleacher Report. "He will apply for the 2016 NBA Draft and await approval from the NBA."
Can he still play college basketball if the NBA turns him down?
If the NBA refuses Maker entry in the draft, he'll have an interesting scenario in front of him: try to play college basketball or attempt to play professionally internationally.
Maker had already taken an official visit to Kansas, and was said to be considering Arizona State, Notre Dame, Indiana and UNLV. But would he have been eligible?
"Amateurism concerns were likely always going to be a significant hurdle in Maker's ability to ever get eligible for college," according to DraftExpress.
Will the NBA let Maker enter the draft?
We should know shortly. The way the rule is written, it appears that Maker has a good case. It just depends on whether the NBA will recognize his post-grad year in 2015-16 as a year out of high school.
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