The Milwaukee Bucks went off the beaten path with their first round pick in the NBA Draft Thursday night, taking a 7-1 high school aged player who has already traveled the globe.
General Manager John Hammond picked Thon Maker with the 10th overall choice in the first round of the draft conducted at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Maker was born in the Sudan but fled the civil war strifed country with his family at the age of 6. He was then raised in Perth, Australia and moved to the United States at the age of 14. After enrolling at high schools in Louisiana and Virginia, Maker eventually played for a prep academy in Ontario, Canada the last two seasons.
Deemed to have completed his prep eligibility, the NBA granted Maker permission to enter the draft without any college or professional experience.
There’s even some dispute over his actual age. The Bucks believe he is 19 but there are other scouting services who claim he is in his early 20’s.
What Hammond likes about Maker is his size and length plus the fact he’s athletic enough to run the floor. Maker was in Milwaukee for a group workout earlier this month and then stayed in the city for a private session with Bucks management and Head Coach Jason Kidd.
In the second round, Milwaukee tabbed decorated University of Virginia guard Malcolm Brogdan. Two picks later, the Bucks drafted UNLV guard Patrick McCaw but traded him to Golden State for cash considerations.
Two Wisconsin high school stars were drafted. Henry Ellenson of Rice Lake, who entered the draft after his freshman season at Marquette, was taken 18th overall by the Detroit Pistons. Diamond Stone, who led Whitefish Bay Dominican to four straight state championships, declared for the draft after his freshman year at Maryland, was taken 40th overall by New Orleans and was promptly traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.
