Makur Maker Discusses NBA Future, 1-and-Done After Committing to Howard

Makur Maker made history in committing to Howard, becoming the highest-touted basketball prospect to commit to a historically Black college or university. 

Maker made it clear, however, he'll probably only be at Howard for one season. 

"We'll see how the future goes, but if you're a one-and-done talent, why not leave, that's how I look at it," Maker said Thursday on ESPN's First Take. "My ultimate goal is to play in the NBA, and if that's gonna take me a year, I'm definitely all for it. If it's gonna take me two years, I'm definitely all for it. I know I'm an NBA lottery talent, and when I go in there, I'm gonna work and see how things play out from there, but if I'm good in a year, I'm definitely out."

Maker is the No. 17 overall prospect in the 2020 recruiting class, per 247Sports. While he's a talented, fluid big man who flashes guard skills, Maker is a polarizing pro prospect. He originally declared for the 2020 NBA draft in April, and ESPN's Jonathan Givony ranked him as the No. 75 prospect in a generally weak class.

A dominant year at Howard, a Division I program in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, could be the thing the 6'11", 235-pound Kenya native needs to solidify himself as a first-round pick, but there is no guarantee of a 2020-21 men's basketball season. Several universities around the country have been forced to stop their voluntary workouts on campuses because of COVID-19 outbreaks. 

The Ivy League announced Wednesday it will not hold fall sports in 2020 because of the pandemic. Additionally, the NCAA has said it will only hold sports this year if it is deemed safe for students to return to campuses.

It's possible that Maker's Howard debut does not come until 2021-22 if the pandemic is not under control by the basketball season.