NBA Draft Rumors 2014: Charlotte Hornets to draft Doug McDermott?

The Charlotte Hornets probably thought they would be without a high first round pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

More from Charlotte Hornets

• Who is James Nnaji, and what can he become for the Charlotte Hornets?
• Should the Hornets be worried about Brandon Miller’s Summer League woes?
• P.J. Washington has named his price: Is he worth it?
• The new NBA flopping rules explained
• NBA Free Agency Live Deal Tracker: Grading every signing made worst to best

They owed their 2014 first round pick to the Chicago Bulls from the Tryus Thomas trade back in 2010. However, the Detroit Pistons owed the Hornets a top eight protected pick from the Ben Gordon-Corey Maggette deal. After the Cleveland Cavaliers moved ahead of the Pistons in the draft, the Hornets received the Pistons’ pick. They also hold the Portland Trail Blazers’ pick from the Gerald Wallace deal in 2011. Now the question becomes what the Hornets plan to do with the ninth-overall pick.

Marc J. Spears of believes the Hornets are very high on McDermott and has projected the Hornets to select him with the ninth-overall pick.

"Charlotte Hornets (from Detroit): Doug McDermott, Creighton, SF, 6-8, 218, Sr. – The Hornets are high on McDermott, who played well at USA Basketball’s senior team camp last summer."

Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer has heard the same. .

Both the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, who hold the sixth-overall and seventh-overall selections in the draft, are very interested in McDermott.

McDermott has an illustrious four-year career, culminating in him taking home the Naismith Award as the country’s best player last season.  He averaged at least 15 points per game in each of his four season, at least 22.9 in his final three years and put up a career-high 26.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game for the Blue Jays. He shot 52.6% from the field, 44.9% from beyond the arc and 86.4% from the free throw line.