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There’s no better place than home for former Gilbert Hillcrest Prep five-star recruit Makur Maker to begin his professional basketball career.
The Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League (NBL) in Makur’s native Australia announced Saturday that the 6-foot-11 center has signed with the team as part of the Next Stars program.
“We are ecstatic to have Makur joining the Kings family,” Sydney Kings CEO Chris Pongrass said in a team press release. “We identified Makur as a key addition to our program and were active in our pursuit of him for some time.
“It’s rare that you find an athletic 7-footer who can handle and shoot the ball like he can, but who is a fierce second line of defence as a rim protector; we feel he is the perfect complement to the pieces we already have in place.”
Maker, 20, is the cousin of five-year NBA journeyman center/power forward Thon Maker, and the family is South Sudanese. He joins the Sydney Kings after he declared for the NBA Draft in May and withdrew from draft consideration on July 20. He participated in the Chicago-based NBA Combine in June following his freshman season at Howard University.
That was the second time Maker entered and withdrew from the draft within a year before he made headlines by committing to Howard, the esteemed Historically Black College and University (HBCU) school located in Washington, D.C.
Maker surprisingly opted for the HBCU instead of a Power 5 college basketball conference team or blue-blood programs that heavily recruited him during his brief time at Hillcrest during the 2019-20 season, where he was ranked as No. 16 in ESPN’s Top Class of 2020 player rankings.
Similar to 2020-21 NBA Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball, Orlando Magic point guard R.J. Hampton and former Scottsdale Bella Vista guard Terry Armstrong, Maker is utilizing his time in the NBL to improve his draft stock for the following year’s NBA draft.
The NBL’s Next Stars program is somewhat aligned to the NBA’s G League developmental program for young talent improving their skills within a team’s franchise system. Makur’s younger brother Matur Maker played in the NBA G League for the Houston Rockets affiliate Rio Grande Valley Vipers during the 2019-20 season, and recently played on the Denver Nuggets roster during the NBA Summer League which ended in Las Vegas earlier this month.
Scouting reports on Makur Maker say his lengthy wingspan, fluid footwork and quick ball-handling skills, decent outside shooting ability and stellar court vision could translate to developing into a solid pro player.
“Makur is a unique talent that we are really excited about,” Sydney Kings head coach Chase Buford said. “His combination of size, skill, and athletic ability will be a great fit for the way we want to play on both sides of the ball. I’m excited to see how he develops with us, and can’t wait to work with him.”
Maker averaged 11.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and one block through 48 minutes played in just two games for the Howard Bison, before he reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 in January. He had to quarantine, and Howard ended up with a 1-4 record after initially postponing its 26-game regular season schedule.
“After almost six years of living away from home, I’m happy and excited to be returning to Australia to see family and to play for the Sydney Kings as part of the NBL Next Stars program,” Maker said.
“COVID cut short my NCAA basketball season at Howard University, but I couldn’t have landed in a better spot than the NBL Next Stars program as a member of a marquee club like the Sydney Kings. I can’t wait to learn from Luc Longley and Andrew Bogut, probably the best two big men in Australian basketball history who both were NBA Champions.”
Have tips for us? Reach the reporter at [email protected] or at 480-486-4721. Follow his Twitter @iam_DanaScott.
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