Thon Marial Maker (born 25 February 1997) is a South Sudanese-Australian professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player for the

Al Riyadi Club Beirut Al Riyadi Club Beirut (), commonly known simply as Al Riyadi, is a Sports club, multi-sports club team based in Ras Beirut, Manara, a district in Beirut, Lebanon. Founded in 1934, the multi-sports club, which is mainly known for their basketball ...

of the Lebanese Basketball Federation. He attended high school at Orangeville District Secondary School (Ontario, Canada) and played basketball for Canada's Athlete Institute. He was picked 10th overall in the 2016 NBA draft, and played for three different NBA teams between 2016 and 2021.

Early life

Maker was born in Wau, a city located in what is now

South Sudan South Sudan (), officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the north by Sudan; on the east by Ethiopia; on the south by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Kenya; and on the ...

. His uncle, a local administrator, arranged for Maker, his younger brother, Matur, and his aunt to escape the

civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

. From there, they were accepted as refugees by Australia; they then moved to

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

when Maker was five years of age and the family eventually settled down. When he was 14, Maker was discovered playing soccer in the Perth suburb of Mirrabooka, by Edward Smith, an Australian of

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

heritage who helped children from migrant backgrounds receive opportunities they otherwise would not get. Smith had previously helped fellow South Sudanese immigrants Ater Majok and Mathiang Muo, now both professional basketball players. Smith offered his aunt to feed, clothe and educate Maker in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

where Maker played basketball for the St. George Basketball Association during 2011. Just before the team's playoffs, Maker and Smith left to attend a talent camp in Texas.

High school career

Once in the United States, Maker attended two schools in Louisiana, including Metairie Park Country Day School, before finally settling down at Carlisle School in

Martinsville, Virginia Martinsville is an Political subdivisions of Virginia#Independent cities, independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 13, ...

. During his freshman and sophomore years playing for Carlisle's varsity team, Maker averaged 22.2 points, 13.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 4.5 blocks over a total of 53 games. As a sophomore, he earned 2013–14 Gatorade Virginia Boys Basketball Player of the Year honours after leading Carlisle to a state championship. On 5 September 2014, Maker and his brother enrolled at the Athlete Institute in

Mono, Ontario Mono is a town situated in south-central Ontario, Canada, at the south-east corner of Dufferin County. It stretches from Highway 9 along its southern border to Highway 89 along its northern border. Its border to the west is with the Township o ...

where Edward Smith was already an assistant coach. In conjunction with the Athlete Institute, the brothers enrolled at Orangeville District Secondary School in the nearby town of Orangeville. On 29 December 2014, Maker scored 16 points and 9 rebounds in a 79–75 win over Dennis Smith Jr. and Trinity Christian School. On 30 December 2014, Maker scored 24 points and 11 rebounds as his team loss to Harry Giles and Wesleyan Christian Academy in the championship game of the High School OT Holiday Invitational tournament. On 18 February 2015, Maker announced his decision to reclassify into the 2015 class, which would have made 2014–15 his final year of high school. He later participated in the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

. Playing alongside fellow Australian Ben Simmons in the April 11 game, Maker recorded 10 rebounds, two points and one block as the World Team defeated Team USA, 103–101. On 18 June 2015, Maker announced his decision to remain in the Class of 2016, and returned to Orangeville Prep for the 2015–16 season. Maker noted how stressful it was working toward entering the Class of 2015, with the issue centred on his workload and the pressure with "trying to get it all done at once". He was being recruited by Arizona State, Florida State,

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

, Notre Dame, St. John's and UNLV. On 21 June 2015, Maker was named MVP at the National Basketball Player's Association Top 100 camp. On 3 April 2016, Maker declared his intentions to enter the 2016 NBA draft, a decision that required a ruling from the NBA to determine his eligibility. To skip a year of college, Maker had to convince the NBA he graduated from Orangeville Prep in 2015. He successfully did so, proving he graduated from high school in June 2015 but elected to stay for a postgraduate year, fulfilling both the minimum age and one year removed requirements to the NBA's satisfaction. With a successful ruling, Maker became just the second player in more than a decade to make the leap from high school in North America straight to the draft and the first to play in the NBA since the league introduced the "one-and-done" rule for high school students in 2005. Coming out of high school, Maker was considered a five-star recruit by most basketball recruiting services.

Professional career

NBA draft

Maker attended the 2016 NBA Draft Combine, where he was measured as the third-tallest player without shoes at and recorded the highest no-step vertical jump (32") of any player over in NBA Draft Combine history. In the days leading up to the draft, a number of teams ruled themselves out of selecting Maker in the first round over concerns that his age had been misrepresented, as some believed Maker to be between 21 and 23 years of age despite being officially listed as a 19-year-old. Despite those concerns, he was selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2016 draft by the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

, becoming the first high school player taken in the first round since the 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreement went into effect.

Milwaukee Bucks (2016–2019)

During the 2016 NBA Summer League, Maker averaged 14.2 points and 9.6 rebounds in five games for the Bucks and subsequently earned All-NBA Summer League Second Team honours. On 30 July 2016, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Bucks. Maker made his NBA debut on 30 October 2016, entering the game with 95 seconds remaining in the final term of the Bucks' 98–83 loss to the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

; he recorded one rebound. On 21 January 2017, he made his first start for the Bucks and subsequently had six points in 18 minutes in a 109–97 loss to the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...

. On 1 February 2017, he scored a season-high 12 points in a 104–88 loss to the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...

. On 10 February 2017, in the Bucks' first game since Jabari Parker was ruled out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury, Maker started in Parker's place and recorded seven points and six rebounds in 17 minutes in a 122–114 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The following day, he had a second 12-point effort in a 116–100 win over the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

. On 31 March 2017, he scored a career-high 23 points in a 108–105 overtime win over the

. On 22 November 2017, Maker scored a season-high 16 points against the Phoenix Suns. On 1 January 2018, he tied his season high with 16 points against the Toronto Raptors. In game 3 of the Bucks' first-round playoff series against the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

, Maker scored 14 points and blocked five shots, as the Bucks cut the series deficit to 2–1 with a 116–92 win. He again blocked five shots in game 4, helping the Bucks even the series at 2–2 with a 104–102 win. The Bucks went on to lose the series in seven games. On 7 January 2019, Maker had a season-high 15 points off the bench in a 114–102 win over the Jazz. By late January, having had a reduced role in 2018–19 under new coach Mike Budenholzer, Maker reportedly requested a trade from the Bucks.

Detroit Pistons (2019–2020)

On 7 February 2019, Maker was acquired by the

in a three-team trade involving the Bucks and

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...

. On 22 February, he sank a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 16.7 seconds remaining to lift the Pistons to a 125–122 win over the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...

. It was announced on 19 November 2020 that Pistons general manager Troy Weaver opted to not extend Maker a qualifying offer, allowing him to become a free agent.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2020–2021)

On 30 November 2020, Maker signed a training camp contract with the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...

. He played eight games for the Cavaliers in the 2020–21 season, scoring 30 points and collecting 18 rebounds, before being waived on 13 January 2021.

Hapoel Jerusalem (2021)

On 25 August 2021, Maker signed a deal with Hapoel Jerusalem of the

Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...

. He parted ways with the team on 12 December, after averaging 2.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

Long Island Nets (2022)

On 21 January 2022, Maker was acquired via available player pool by the Long Island Nets.

Fujian Sturgeons (2022–2024)

On 28 July 2022, Maker signed with the Fujian Sturgeons.

Al Riyadi Beirut (2024)

On 12 April 2024, Maker signed with

of the

Lebanese Basketball League The Lebanese Basketball League is recognized as the top-tier professional men's basketball list of basketball leagues, league in Lebanon. It is organized annually as a national championship with playoffs and a national cup by the Lebanese Basketb ...

and the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL). On June 1, 2024, he helped Al Riyadi win their first WASL championship, with 35 points and 15 rebounds in the final against Sagesse. Maker was named the inaugural WASL MVP award winner. On 15 June, Al Riyadi won the Basketball Champions League Asia for the third time, crowning the team as Asian continental champions. Maker was named to the Tournament Top Five.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2024–present)

On 1 October 2024, Maker signed with the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...

, but was waived on 14 October. On 27 October, he joined the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Al Riyadi (2025–present)

Maker returned to Al Riyadi for the 2025 Basketball Champions League Asia, and was named to the All-Star Five once again. Al Riyadi was defeated in the final by Utsunomiya Brex, however.

National team career

In April 2015, Maker declared his intentions to play for the Australian national team despite heavy interest from Basketball Canada—the organisation had considered Maker and his younger brother Matur as potential Canadian players. On 29 June 2018, he made his international debut for Australia in a FIBA World Cup qualifier against Japan. Maker was involved in the Philippines–Australia basketball brawl during the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian qualification. As a result, he was suspended for three games.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align;left;",

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, 57 , , 34 , , 9.9 , , .459 , , .378 , , .653 , , 2.0 , , .4 , , .2 , , .5 , , 4.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align;left;",

, 74 , , 12 , , 16.7 , , .411 , , .298 , , .699 , , 3.0 , , .6 , , .5 , , .7 , , 4.8 , - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2", , style="text-align:left;",

, 35 , , 0 , , 11.7 , , .440 , , .333 , , .541 , , 2.7 , , .5 , , .3 , , .5 , , 4.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, 29 , , 5 , , 19.4 , , .373 , , .307 , , .766 , , 3.7 , , .9 , , .4 , , 1.1 , , 5.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 60 , , 14 , , 12.9 , , .482 , , .344 , , .664 , , 2.8 , , .7 , , .4 , , .7 , , 4.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

, 8 , , 0 , , 9.5 , , .556 , , .000 , , .909 , , 2.3 , , .5 , , .3 , , .5 , , 3.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 263 , , 65 , , 13.8 , , .435 , , .327 , , .680 , , 2.8 , , .6 , , .4 , , .7 , , 4.6

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 6 , , 6 , , 19.3 , , .387 , , .200 , , .818 , , 3.2 , , 2.0 , , .8 , , 1.8 , , 5.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 6 , , 2 , , 21.7 , , .393 , , .300 , , .714 , , 3.8 , , .8 , , .3 , , 1.8 , , 5.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 4 , , 2 , , 17.3 , , .269 , , .000 , , .889 , , 2.3 , , 1.0 , , 0.0 , , 1.0 , , 5.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 16 , , 10 , , 19.7 , , .353 , , .190 , , .815 , , 3.2 , , 1.3 , , .4 , , 1.6 , , 5.6

Honours

Al Riyadi * Basketball Champions League Asia:

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

; runners-up:

2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...

* FIBA West Asia Super League: 2023–24, 2024–25 Individual awards * Basketball Champions League Asia All-Star Five:

* FIBA West Asia Super League Most Valuable Player: 2023–24 * Gatorade Virginia Player of the Year: 2014

Personal life

Maker is an Australian and South Sudanese citizen. Maker's parents, who descend from the Dinka people, still live in South Sudan and are also both very tall; his father stands and his mother stands . His brother, Matur, attempted to enter the 2018 NBA draft in a manner similar to Thon before deciding to play internationally instead. Another brother, Maker Maker, plays soccer for Dandenong Thunder SC, after previously playing in Spain and Lithuania, as well as playing for

South Melbourne FC South Melbourne Football Club is an Australian semi-professional Association football, soccer club based in suburb of Albert Park, Victoria, Albert Park, in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria. The club currently competes in the National P ...

's under-20 team. He has a cousin, Makur, who plays basketball in the

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the Minor league#Basketball, developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of ...

, after having previously played for

Howard University Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and accredited by the Mid ...

. Another cousin, Aliir Aliir, plays in the

Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the pre-eminent professional sports, professional competition of Australian rules football. It was originally named the Victorian Football League (VFL) and was founded in 1896 as a breakaway competition ...

for

Port Adelaide Port Adelaide is a port-side region of Adelaide, approximately northwest of the Adelaide city centre, Adelaide CBD. It is also the namesake of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield council, a suburb, a federal and state electoral division and is t ...

. In March 2018, Maker confirmed he supported the Sydney Swans due to Aliir playing for them at the time, despite previously supporting the two West Australian teams.

References

External links

Thon Maker
at maxpreps.com
After long road, Maker adds intrigue to NBA DraftThon Maker Exclusive Post NBA Draft Decision Interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maker, Thon 1997 births Living people Al Riyadi Club Beirut basketball players Australian expatriate basketball people in Canada Australian expatriate basketball people in China Australian expatriate basketball people in Israel Australian expatriate basketball people in the United States Australian men's basketball players Basketball players from Perth, Western Australia Basketball players from Sydney Centers (basketball) Cleveland Cavaliers players Detroit Pistons players Dinka people Fujian Sturgeons players Hapoel Jerusalem B.C. players Long Island Nets players Milwaukee Bucks draft picks Milwaukee Bucks players NBA high school draftees Power forwards Refugees in Uganda Rio Grande Valley Vipers players South Sudanese emigrants to Australia South Sudanese men's basketball players South Sudanese refugees Sportsmen from New South Wales Sportsmen from Western Australia Sportspeople of South Sudanese descent 21st-century Australian sportsmen