Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver poses for a photo with draft prospects in attendance before the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center.
Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver poses for a photo with draft prospects in attendance before the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Reuters

Dante Exum of Australia was drafted 5th overall by Utah Jazz in the 2014 NBA Draft on Thursday. It was a slight drop from the original projection of 4th in most mock drafts before the annual selection as the Orlando Magic preferred Aaron Gordon from Arizona.

Exum is considered one of the best prospects in this top-heavy draft and the 18-year-old Australian is expected to immediately contribute despite his young age. At Utah, he’ll join Trey Burk in the backcourt and at 6-foot-6 will be developed as combo guard in his NBA career.

2014 NBA Draft – Complete First Round Results

1. Cleveland Cavaliers – Andrew Wiggins (Kansas)
2. Milwaukee Bucks – Jabari Parker (Duke)
3. Philadelphia 76ers – Joel Embiid (Kansas)
4. Orlando Magic – Aaron Gordon (Arizona)
5. Utah Jazz – Dante Exum (Australian Institute of Sport)
6. Boston Celtics – Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State)
7. Los Angeles Lakers – Julius Randle (Kentucky)
8. Sacramento Kings – Nick Stauskas (Michigan)
9. Charlotte Hornets – Noah Vonleh (Indiana)
10. Philadelphia 76ers – Elfrid Payton (Louisiana-Lafayette)
11. Chicago Bulls - Doug McDermott (Creighton)
12. Philadelphia 76ers - Dario Saric (Croatia)
13. Minnesota Timberwolves - Zach LaVine (UCLA)
14. Phoenix Suns – TJ Warren (NC State)
15. Atlanta Hawks - Adreian Payne (Michigan State)
16. Denver Nuggets - Jusuf Nurkic (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
17. Boston Celtics - James Young (Kentucky)
18. Phoenix Suns - Tyler Ennis (Syracuse)
19. Denver Nuggets - Gary Harris (Michigan State)
20. Toronto Raptors - Bruno Caboclo (Brazil)
21. Oklahoma City Thunder - Mitch McGary (Michigan)
22. Memphis Grizzlies - Jordan Adams (UCLA)
23. Utah Jazz – Rodney Hood (Duke)
24. Miami Heat - Shabazz Napier (Connecticut)
25. Houston Rockets - Clint Capela (Switzerland)
26. Charlotte Hornets - PJ Hairston (Texas Legends)
27. Phoenix Suns - Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia)
28. Los Angeles Clippers - CJ Wilcox (Washington)
29. Oklahoma City Thunder - Josh Huestis (Stanford)
30. San Antonio Spurs - Kyle Anderson (UCLA)

Exum will be the sixth active NBA player with Australian descent after Andrew Bogut (Golden State Warriors); Patty Mills and Aron Baynes (San Antonio Spurs); and Kyrie Irving and Matthew Dellavedova (Cleveland Cavaliers). Playing out of the Australian Institute of Sports he is the 3rd Aussie to be taken in the top five after Bogut (2005) and Irving (2011).