NBA Draft Rumors: Dante Exum has as much upside as Joel Embiid
Whenever the NBA Draft approaches (or any draft for that matter), the word that may be uttered more than any other is “upside.”
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That will be no different as we close in on the 2014 NBA Draft. It seems like most agree that if the Cleveland Cavaliers, who hold the top-overall pick, were making a selection based on who be a sure thing or who would make the biggest impact immediately, they’d take former Duke Blue Devils’ forward Jabari Parker. Instead it is widely believed the Cavaliers will take a player with a bigger upside, likely opting for former Kansas Jayhawks’ center Joel Embiid or his college teammate, forward Andrew Wiggins.
Embiid is widely considered to have the biggest upside because he has only been playing basketball for a few years. That, however, may not be the case.
While projecting Exum to the Utah Jazz with the fifth-overall pick, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix pointed out that many scouts believe Exum’s upside is just as high as Embiid’s.
"This is a tough spot for Utah. Parker would be a natural fit here, but it’s highly unlikely he slips this far. Exum is a great consolation prize, though. Several scouts say Exum’s upside is as big as Embiid’s or Wiggins’. Exum thinks he’s a point guard, but two executives who have seen him play believe his future is at the two. An Exum-Trey Burke backcourt could become a dynamic duo."
Exum has been most often associated with the Orlando Magic, but the Magic are bringing in former Oklahoma State Cowboys’ point guard in for a second workout and some believe they prefer Smart to Exum.