Hotly touted Maker reportedly eligible for 2020 NBA Draft

Five-star recruit Makur Maker will be eligible for the 2020 NBA Draft, according to multiple reports on Tuesday.

ESPN's Jonathon Givony reported Tuesday that 19-year-old Maker (pictured), a cousin of Detroit Pistons center Thon Maker, can apply for the draft as an early-entry candidate according to a memo sent to NBA teams by the league.

Maker meets the age requirements of the collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association for draft eligibility. He petitioned the NBA in October since there was some confusion over being two credits short of graduation when he left Orange Lutheran High School in Los Angeles, where he was enrolled during the 2018-19 season. He was required to submit high-school transcripts to the league office.

While Maker was deemed draft-eligible under the previous NBA language, ESPN reports that the NBA included a revision to that language in its memo to teams regarding Maker's situation in an effort to prevent situations where future prospects would benefit from dropping out of high school.

"We are excited about the opportunity, I think that he's deserving," said Maker's guardian, Ed Smith, according to 247Sports.

Smith said Maker will not make his final decision regarding the NBA draft until later this spring and will keep his name in the draft only if he is a projected lottery pick, according to the ESPN and 247Sports reports.

The 6-foot-11 Maker, who started the season at California's Irvine Pacific Academy before transferring to Phoenix Hillcrest in Arizona, will have opportunities to prove himself in front of NBA teams in April at the Iverson Classic and Nike Hoop Summit.