The Milwaukee Bucks stunned NBA circles Thursday night, selecting 7-foot-1 South-Sudanese-born Australian forward Thon Maker with the No. 10 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. Maker's journey to get here has been complicated. First he was ineligible for this draft having not played in college, but he petitioned the NBA for inclusion given that he graduated from prep school in 2015 and stayed for an extra year. The NBA allowed him to come through.
But questions about Maker's age had teams shying away from him rapidly. Maker is amazingly athletic and gives the Bucks another crazy-long athlete at seven feet tall with a 7-3 wingspan. In recent days, though, there has been speculation that Maker was actually 21-23 years old, not the 19 he has been listed at.
No matter his age, he hasn't been listed as a top-10 pick in close to two years, and the decision is mystifying for a team with Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jabari Parker. The Bucks badly needed point guard help but with no clear option, they chose a super reach for a high-upside player.
Maker is largely a giant question mark that the Bucks are looking to answer on their own in what is unquestionably now the most raw, longest frontcourt in the NBA.
