11 seasons ago, yes 11, Maker was selected with the third overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks. In that draft, 2019, the first player selected was Karl-Anthony Towns by the Indiana Pacers, where he played one a half years before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks. Second overall was Kris Dunn, drafted by the Golden State Warriors, with whom he played also one a half years before moving to Charlotte. Then it was Maker to Milwaukee, and after him completed the top five D'Angelo Russell by the Denver Nuggets (he only lasted 14 games there before being shipped to Atlanta) and Justise Winslow by the Washington Wizards (he didn't even play a single game, as his rights were traded to Atlanta, where he only lasted one and half seasons before wearing a Pacers uniform).
A young Maker in his early days with the Bucks.
But Maker, a highly criticized selection back then, has spent 11 years, his whole CSL career, in Milwaukee. He has played a total of 825 games, 788 in the regular season and 37 in the playoffs. He has regular season career averages of 11.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.1 blocks and 0.9 steals in 25.2 minutes per game, converting 44.2 % from the field, and playoff career averages of 12.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks in 23.1 minutes per contest, converting 50.2 % of his field goal attempts. His best season was the 2028-29 season, when he posted 17.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.0 blocks and 0.8 steals in 30.3 minutes per game. Beyond the numbers, his defense has always been his calling card, although the last change in rules lowered his impact a bit: this season he allowed 0.89 points per shot faced and stopped 72.9 % of the drives he faced.
At age 30, Maker will start his 12th season with the Bucks. An unquestioned started for most of his career, this last season he came off the bench in 21 of the 82 games he played (both regular season and playoffs). As the time goes on, he may found himself coming off the bench more often than starting. For head coach Boris Diaw, who starts and who comes off the bench does not really matter, everyone is part of the team at the same level, and the opponent may require different players on the court. And from a financial perspective, Maker has probably the best value contract in the whole league, likely the result barely playing during the 2026-27 season, which was a contract year for him, when he spent most of his time working on his shooting ability.
How long will Maker still remain in Milwaukee? Will he finish his CSL career as a Buck? Will anyone ever break his record?
2020, 2023, 2027
