AUSTRALIA is at risk of losing one of its hottest young basketball prospects ... to Canada.

Thon Maker is the 216cm 19-year-old being compared to NBA champion and All-Star Kevin Garnett.

Along with potential No. 1 NBA draft pick Ben Simmons and Utah’s Dante Exum, Maker was expected to form the nucleus of the Boomers for the future and lead Australia to its first men’s senior international medal.

media_camera Thon Maker dunks during the 2014 Adidas Eurocamp.

But Boomers coach Andrej Lemanis told The Daily Telegraph Maker’s potential Australian career was under threat because the Canadians were attempting to convince him to take on their citizenship.

Maker this week declared his intentions to skip college basketball and nominate for the 2016 NBA Draft, pending league approval.

Born in South Sudan before moving to Australia as a refugee at age five, the powerfully built big man relocated to America in 2012 and is currently playing high school basketball in Canada with Orangeville Prep.

Maker declared his intentions to play for the Boomers in April 2015 despite heavy interest from Basketball Canada executive vice-president Rowan Barnett, who admitted his organisation was “taking a long look” at Maker and his younger 208cm brother Matur as potential Canadian players.

However, Boomers officials haven’t heard from the forward about his intentions to play for Australia for more than a year.

Maker is yet to make his debut for the Boomers and won’t play at the Rio Olympics in August, but Lemanis said he would happily consider the rising star if he made himself available.

media_camera Thon Maker could be one of the NBA’s next big things.

“Absolutely, but he (Thon) needs to reach out,” Lemanis said.

“I’m led to believe Canada has spoken to him about getting his Canadian citizenship.

“But it would be great if he made himself available for the (Australian) national team. I’ve tried to reach out and establish that relationship with him and it has kind of gone cold over the last 12 months.

“That’s fine and they (his management) are doing what they are doing (NBA draft) and I have no problems with that, but at some point it will be great when they can communicate with the national program.

“The bottom line is he has to want to do it as well. He has to commit to the steps to play for the green and gold and have it as a passion and desire.

“Hopefully he is able to get to that position where he has got his professional life under control and where he wants it, so that he can then commit to the national program — a talent like that would obviously help.”

It’s unclear whether Maker is eligible for the NBA draft, as rules state players must be at least one year removed from high school. His management hope the fact he’s playing a fifth year of high school at Orangeville District Secondary School in Canada would make him available.

media_camera Thon Maker in action. media_camera Thon Maker in action.

Boomers assistant coach and three-time NBA champion Luc Longley echoed Lemanis’ thoughts on Maker.

“I think it would be a real shame if he (Thon) went off and played for Canada given that he is Australian,” Longley said.

“If that’s what he wants to do and he enjoys his basketball then everyone’s happy, but being on Andrej’s coaching staff I know we’ll do whatever we can to include him.”

Longley said he respected the young forward’s decision to apply for the draft, but also knows the benefit of starting out at college.

“I personally value the college experience and I think it gives you a chance to grow up,” he said.

“I tried to recommend that Dante (Exum) had at least one year at college.

“I call it mushrooming — growing up in the dark relative to the bright lights of the NBA.

“I think everyone deserves a mushroom year or two to make a few mistakes before you’re expected to not make any.”