Lakers Draft Prospects: Thon Maker Breakdown

Fit With Lakers

Right now, few are expecting Maker to be selected with a top-three pick, although most are expecting him to go in the first round, maybe even as a lottery pick. DraftExpress pegs him as the 44th ranked prospect in 2016 and his stock will likely rise if his improvements over the previous year are legitimate.

As for his fit with the Lakers, there are a lot of variables that would have to fall a very specific way for the the Purple and Gold to be in play for the Maker. Firstly, Los Angeles will only retain their pick if it falls within the top three. As of now, the Lakers have a 55.8% chance of making that happen, per tankathon.com

The most feasible of the “Maker the Laker” scenarios is a huge jump up the draft board for the teenager, who was tentatively labeled a top pick as early as 2014. In this hypothetical, where the Lakers also retain their pick, the seven-footer would be a serious consideration for general manager Mitch Kupchak and the Lakers’ ownership.

Realistically, his impact is likely to not be as immediate as college prospects like Ingram or Simmons, but his place in the Lakers’ frontcourt would certainly add to the optimism around their young core. Although listed as a power forward, there’s no reason Maker could not slide into the center position alongside Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, and D’Angelo Russell.

While he’d need to bulk up a bit more before he could be a legitimate defensive center, his ability to space the floor while providing much needed rim protection would do wonders to the Lakers’ league worst defense and offense.

Next: Simulating Lakers Lottery Odds In Late April

Maker is a fascinating prospect and with so much still to be determined, the best we can do for now is keep tabs on his progress as the draft lottery approaches.