Hunter Maldonado (born March 24, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Wyoming Cowboys of the Mountain West Conference (MWC).
_(cropped).jpg) Maldonado in 2021 | |
| No. 24 – Oklahoma City Blue | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard |
| League | NBA G League |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 24, 1999 |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 203 lb (92 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Vista Ridge (Colorado Springs, Colorado) |
| College | Wyoming (2017–2023) |
| NBA draft | 2023: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2023–present |
| Career history | |
| 2023–present | Oklahoma City Blue |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
High school career
Maldonado attended Vista Ridge High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. As a junior, he averaged 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and two steals per game, helping lead Vista Ridge to a 20–7 record and a berth in the 4A state semifinals. Maldonado was named The Gazette 5A-4A Boys' Basketball Peak Performer of the Year.[1] He scored 37 points in a loss to Pueblo West High School.[2] Regarded as a two-star recruit, in June 2016, Maldonado committed to playing college basketball for Wyoming.[3] He had received interest from several other Division I programs and a scholarship offer from Division II Colorado–Colorado Springs.[2]
College career
Maldonado averaged 5.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game as a freshman, making 19 starts.[4] As a sophomore, Maldonado averaged 13.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in eight games. However, his season was ended by a sprained knee ligament and back spasms, and he took a medical redshirt.[5] On November 5, 2019, he scored a season-high 32 points in a 54–40 win over Idaho State.[6] Maldonado averaged 15.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and four assists per game as a redshirt sophomore, while shooting 42 percent from the field. He was a Third Team All-Mountain West selection by the league media.[7] On December 12, 2020, he scored a season-high 30 points in a 93–88 win over Utah Valley.[8] As a redshirt junior, Maldonado averaged 12.5 points per game, and led Wyoming with 6.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.[9] On January 31, 2022, he scored a career-high 35 points in a 84–78 overtime win against Colorado State.[10] Maldonado was named to the First Team All-Mountain West as a fifth-year senior.[11]
On March 22, 2022, Maldonado declared for the 2022 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility,[12] but later withdrew from the draft after receiving no interest from NBA teams.
On February 9, 2023, he scored 17 points in a 69-59 loss to UNLV and became the fifth player in program history to pass the 2,000-point threshold.[13]
Professional career
Oklahoma City Blue (2023–present)
After going undrafted in the 2023 NBA draft, Maldonado joined the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 2023 NBA Summer League[14] and on October 18, 2023, he signed with them.[15] However, he was waived the next day[16] and on October 31, he joined the Oklahoma City Blue.[17]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Wyoming | 29 | 19 | 21.2 | .388 | .304 | .735 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 1.0 | .2 | 5.3 |
| 2018–19 | Wyoming | 8 | 5 | 32.5 | .420 | .333 | .625 | 6.8 | 2.3 | 1.1 | .5 | 13.8 |
| 2019–20 | Wyoming | 33 | 33 | 35.3 | .422 | .295 | .708 | 5.8 | 4.0 | 1.2 | .5 | 15.8 |
| 2020–21 | Wyoming | 25 | 25 | 35.8 | .419 | .200 | .694 | 6.8 | 4.6 | 1.2 | .4 | 12.5 |
| 2021–22 | Wyoming | 33 | 33 | 37.3 | .495 | .250 | .711 | 5.7 | 6.3 | 1.2 | .1 | 18.5 |
| 2022–23 | Wyoming | 29 | 29 | 34.6 | .481 | .338 | .753 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 1.4 | .3 | 15.6 |
| Career | 157 | 144 | 32.9 | .449 | .283 | .715 | 5.1 | 4.0 | 1.2 | .3 | 13.7 | |