Who is Thon Maker's brother Matur Maker? Looking at their personal lives and the relationship between the two

South Sudanese-born Australian basketball player Thon Maker made headlines in 2016 when he was drafted No. 10 in the 2016 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. In doing so, he became the first high school player selected in the first round since the 2005 NBA collective bargaining agreement.

Maker's draft selection was based on his potential as a 7-foot athletic player who demonstrated the ability to stretch the floor and protect the rim. Unfortunately, his NBA career did not fully materialize over five seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, and Cleveland Cavaliers. However, both Thon and his younger brother Matur Maker have managed to forge professional basketball careers elsewhere.

Matur Maker, like his brother, is also South Sudanese-born and Australian. Thon and Matur were born in South Sudan in 1997 and 1998 respectively. To escape the civil war, their uncle arranged for the brothers and their aunt to flee to Uganda. They later resettled in Australia as refugees when they were just five and four years old.

At the age of 14, Thon was discovered by Edward Smith, a basketball scout known for helping underprivileged immigrants gain opportunities. Smith also discovered Matur when he was 13. Smith played a crucial role in assisting the brothers and their aunt, and eventually, they all moved to the United States for high school. Thon and Matur went on to play for various prep schools in the U.S. and Canada, with Smith becoming their legal guardian.

How has Matur Maker fared in his professional basketball career?

Former Rio Grande Valley Vipers big man Matur Maker

While Matur Maker did not have the opportunity to play in the NBA like his brother Thon, he has still achieved a relatively successful basketball career as a 6-foot-10 big man. After withdrawing his name from the 2018 NBA draft, Matur signed with Union Neuchatel in the Swiss Basketball League in 2018, appearing in four games. Later that year, he joined Zlatorog Lasko in the Slovenian Basketball League, where he played 17 games.

Although he went undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft, Matur had a brief stint with the Houston Rockets, who signed and waived him, allowing him to join their NBA G League affiliate team, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, for the 2019-20 season. Maker played 30 games for the Vipers. In 2021, he received an opportunity to participate in the NBA Summer League with the Denver Nuggets, where he played in three games.

Later In 2021, Matur signed in the NBL in Australia where he played with the Sydney Kings during the 2021-22 season and won an NBL championship. He then transitioned to the NBL in New Zealand, where he played for the Canterbury Rams for three games (2022). In 2023, Maker signed with the Nelson Giants, where he plays until now.

As for Thon Maker, he has played in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, the NBA G League and the Chinese Basketball Association since the conclusion of his NBA career. Thon is currently a member of the Fujian Sturgeons of the CBA.