Thon Maker’s future is a hot topic of conversation in recruiting circles. At the infamous Spalding Hoophall Classic, Maker’s legal guardian Edward Smith reiterated Thon’s stance,

“We’re on a plan to reclass, that’s the path were on unless they [NCAA] say no you can’t,” Smith said.

“He just wants to play. It’s a Thon Maker decision. I just speak a lot because sometimes he just get’s so bombarded with media and it distracts him so I just try to protect him.”

If for whatever reason Maker doesn’t meet NCAA criteria to begin post secondary school in September of 2015, much conversation has surrounded the Sudanese-Australian student athlete about taking his talents overseas to either China or Europe.

“When your one to two years away you have to look at the best basketball situation.” Said Smith when asked about a preference of Europe or China.

How about the NBL Canada?

As far fetched as it sounds, guardian Smith won’t rule it out of the realm of possibilities.

“I’ve seen the NBL, it’s like playing a mid to high level division one. In terms of competitively and getting better you could look at that as an option,”

Maker tossing it up in the NBL Canada would be comparable to David Beckham in the MLS. Maker’s mix of perimeter skills and interior length has many reputable prospect evaluators projecting him as an NBA lottery pick as early as the 2016 NBA draft.

Like Beckham playing in Major League Soccer, Maker playing in the National Basketball League of Canada would require a handsome salary,

“If your thinking of making that decision then it really becomes a business decision,” Smith said about the NBL as a viable option for kids looking to skip college.

“College is more a whole experience and has things that you can’t trade but he [Thon] has a global mind and I don’t know how important that is,” Smith added.

What makes the situation viable from the outside looking in is that the owners of his current prep school Orangeville Prep, also own an NBL franchise the Brampton A’s. Both spearheaded by a Canadian father-and-son duo James Tipping and son Jesse.

Orangeville Prep and Brampton A’s also share a first class practice facility at the ACTS Athlete Institute also owned and operated by the Tipping family.

Sustainability of the league and league credibility are in favour for the NBL platform to accommodate Thon Maker. Perhaps the most major factor will be solidarity among league owners across the 8 team league to make it happen.

NBL teams begin training camps in late September. After training camp, a series of preseason exhibition games are held. The NBL Canada regular season begins in the first week of November.

During the regular season, each team plays 32 games, 16 each home and away. The NBL Canada Championship Playoffs begin in late March, with the top three teams of each division going for the Championship. The two division winners are given first round byes.

If we are to see Thon Maker suit up in a a Brampton A’s jersey in 2015-16 it would draw not only a plethora of NBA scouts to NBL arenas but create quite a buzz at box offices nation wide.

The leagues claim to fame is that they are ‘the pre-eminent men’s professional basketball league in Canada.” It’s motto? “Showtime”.

Deliver Thon Maker and automatically that motto changes to “Big time!”