Thon Maker's Cousin Makur Reportedly Enters 2020 NBA Draft

Makur Maker, the cousin of Detroit Pistons center Thon Maker, is entering his name into the 2020 NBA draft.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the NBA agreed to grant Makur eligibility for the draft because he was only two credits short of graduating high school in 2019, his original class. He originally submitted his paperwork to explore his eligibility in October.

Makur was considered the No. 12 overall player in the 2020 high school class. He's a 6'11" fluid athlete with the ability to stretch the defense out to the three-point line. In many ways, he's a more complete and better version of Thon, who has disappointed since being a lottery pick in 2016.

Makur is nevertheless a long-term project rather than a finished product. His potential to be a near-perfect modern center is obvious, but he's yet to even begin scratching the surface.

ESPN's Jonathan Givony has Makur ranked as the No. 75 overall prospect in the 2020 draft despite his obvious talent. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman has him outside his top 50. There is a consensus that, while Makur's potential is high, his floor is so low that it makes him barely draftable.

That said, it would be a major surprise if a team didn't roll the dice on Makur early in Round 2. The opportunity cost in the second round is nothing. Contract guarantees are up to the discretion of the team, and Mauer could flame out without any front office taking criticism.

If he winds up hitting his potential after a year or two in the G League, though, Makur's ceiling is high enough to extend a general manager's career.