NBA Lottery Set; Australian Dante Exum to Orlando Magic in Most Mock Drafts
The Cleveland Cavaliers hit the jackpot in the latest NBA lottery and are set to select No. 1 overall in the 2014 NBA Draft set June 26 in New York. They are not the only winners of this year’s annual rookie selection however as this draft is pegged to be one of the deepest ones since 2003 when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Darko Milicic and Carmelo Anthony entered the league.
One of the hot prospects is international young star Dante Exum from the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). The 18-year-old has impressed most of the scouts and on the average on most mock drafts is projected to go 4th overall behind Kansas’s Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins and Duke’s Jabari Parker.
Here are some of the popular draft-centric sites and their mock drafts:
Yahoo Sports
1. Cleveland Cavaliers – Jabari Parker
2. Milwaukee Bucks – Andrew Wiggins
3. Philadelphia 76ers - Joel Embiid
4. Orlando Magic - Dante Exum
5. Utah Jazz - Aaron Gordon
Draft Express
1. Cleveland Cavaliers – Andrew Wiggins
2. Milwaukee Bucks – Jabari Parker
3. Philadelphia 76ers - Joel Embiid
4. Orlando Magic - Dante Exum
5. Utah Jazz - Marcus Smart
NBADraft.net
1. Cleveland Cavaliers – Joel Embiid
2. Milwaukee Bucks – Andrew Wiggins
3. Philadelphia 76ers – Jabari Parker
4. Orlando Magic - Dante Exum
5. Utah Jazz - Julius Randle
HoopsHype
1. Cleveland Cavaliers – Joel Embiid
2. Milwaukee Bucks – Andrew Wiggins
3. Philadelphia 76ers – Jabari Parker
4. Orlando Magic - Dante Exum
5. Utah Jazz - Julius Randle
CNN Sports Illustrated
1. Cleveland Cavaliers – Jabari Parker
2. Milwaukee Bucks – Joel Embiid
3. Philadelphia 76ers – Andrew Wiggins
4. Orlando Magic - Dante Exum
5. Utah Jazz - Julius Randle
Curiously, while the first three spots are fluctuating between Embiid, Parker and Wiggins, Exum appears locked to go to the Orlando Magic. Similarly, the 5th to 8th slots are up for grabs as well but in most mock drafts, Exum has never fallen below the fourth spot.
Could this mean that the Magic is best fit for the Exum? And Dante’s skill set best fit in Orlando?
Exum is listed at 6-foot-6 (6’4 and ½ without shoes) and can play both guard spots. A very familiar prospect in Orlando since they drafted a very similar player in Victor Oladipo a versatile guard that played both PG and SG in the last 2013-2014 NBA season. Would an Exum-Oladipo or Oladipo-Exum backcourt work? It appears so because both as mentioned slide from the 1-2 slots with ease.
Salary-wise and considering the team’s roster it could work too. Long-time Magic veteran Jameer Nelson is on the last year of his deal with a team option tag. For the young Magic, letting go of the old man makes sense and drafting his replacement will be ideal.