Hunter Maldonado

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).

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. He scored 37 points in a loss to Pueblo West High School. Regarded as a two-star recruit, in June 2016, Maldonado committed to playing college basketball for Wyoming. He had received interest from several other Division I programs and a scholarship offer from Division II Colorado–Colorado Springs.

College career
Maldonado averaged 5.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game as a freshman, making 19 starts. 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. On November 5, 2019, he scored a season-high 32 points in a 54–40 win over Idaho State. 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. On December 12, 2020, he scored a season-high 30 points in a 93–88 win over Utah Valley. As a redshirt junior, Maldonado averaged 12.5 points per game, and led Wyoming with 6.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. On January 31, 2022, he scored a career-high 35 points in a 84–78 overtime win against Colorado State. Maldonado was named to the First Team All-Mountain West as a fifth-year senior.

On March 22, 2022, Maldonado declared for the 2022 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility, 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.

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 and on October 18, 2023, he signed with them. However, he was waived the next day and on October 31, he joined the Oklahoma City Blue.