In an effort to make an NBA comeback, former Toronto Raptors center Christian Koloko “was joined by fellow free agents D.J. Wilson, Thon Maker, Cory Joseph, Austin Rivers, Brandon Boston Jr., Talen Horton-Tucker, Juan Toscano-Anderson, and (Eric Bledsoe),” according to The U.S. Sun’s Damian Burchardt.
“They showcased their skills in front of dozens of NBA team representatives from across the league.”
Of those players, Koloko, Thon Maker, Austin Rivers, and Eric Bledsoe have been out of the league for a season or more. However, Koloko is the only one whose career was upended by a medical issue.
Former Raptors center Christian Koloko has a blood clot issue that is threatening his basketball career, details on @TheRally: pic.twitter.com/ZpNV5FG9uJ
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 18, 2024
In Jan. 2024, the then 23-year-old was diagnosed with a career-threatening “blood clot issue,” per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Nearly One Dozen Players Vying For Comeback
Thon Maker
Maker is arguably the most interesting player brought into the workout.
A skilled seven-footer who excels as a shot-blocker, Maker’s game fits today’s NBA much better than it did when he was drafted 10th overall in 2016. His last NBA game was in Jan. 2021, with the 27-year-old playing eight contests with Cleveland Cavaliers. In those games, Maker averaged 14.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per 36 minutes.
Since his last NBA stint, Maker has primarily played with the CBA’s Fujian Sturgeons. In the past two seasons, he’s averaged 15.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 34.0 percent from 3. If signed by a team, it’ll be worth seeing if he can rectify his career.
Austin Rivers
Rivers isn’t exactly a star player, but he’s no stranger to the spotlight.
The son of longtime NBA head coach Doc Rivers, it’s fair to say that his career didn’t plan out as expected. He was a high school hoops sensation who played for prestigious Duke University. He was the 10th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Yet, he’s also a jack-of-all-trades and master of none.
In his 11-year career, Rivers unironically played his best under his father with the Los Angeles Clippers. He averaged career-highs of 15.1 points, 4.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game with the Clippers in 2017-18. He even made a career-high 37.8 percent of his 3s.
Rivers didn’t play competitively last season, instead taking his talents to the media.
Eric Bledsoe
There was a time in which Bledsoe was seen as a key ingredient for multiple playoff contenders. Built like a beastly running back at 6-foot-1 and 214 pounds, his physical approach led to him being dubbed “Mini-LeBron.” However, as the league began to shift towards analytics and emphasized spacing concepts, Bledsoe was passed over in favor of better 3-point shooters. To that point, Bledsoe’s made just 33.6 percent of his 3s in his NBA career.
Unfortunately for Bledsoe, his shooting stroke hasn’t improved in the two seasons he’s spent with the Shanghai Sharks. In 69 games, the former first-rounder has made just 33.2 percent of his 3s. If signed, it will have to be by a team that prioritizes or needs two-way playmaking more than perimeter shooting.
Isaiah Thomas and John Wall
Though they weren’t at the workout, two-time All-Star Isaiah Thomas and five-time All-Star John Wall have recently declared their desire to keep playing.
It remains to be seen if they’ll go the way of Ricky Rubio, DeMarcus Cousins, and Kemba Walker, former stars who have retired from the NBA over the past year. Thomas signing an end-of-season contract with the Phoenix Suns in 2023-24 only emboldens him. Wall’s relationship with Miami Heat players and members has reinforced his confidence. Nonetheless, at 35 and 33 respectively, the clock is ticking.
