NBA Draft Rumors: Dante Exum smartest player available?
By Bryan Rose
We’re just days away from the 2014 NBA Draft and the stock of Dante Exum continues to sky rocket. Originally thought to be a possible top ten pick a few months ago, the Australian point guard has continued to impress NBA scouts and executives and has seen his draft stock rise.
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Add in that Joel Embiid, the player most assumed would be the No. 1 overall pick, is likely to slide after suffering a foot injury and Exum could very well be a top three pick. Most don’t feel he’ll drop any further than the fifth selection, but he may not even last that long as according to Chad Ford, Exum had a fantastic score on the pre-draft psych test which is likely to have teams drooling at the thought of drafting him.
“Sources in Orlando, Philly & Milwaukee all said Dante Exum tested off the charts in psych testing,” says Ford. “Might be most intelligent player in draft.”
That’s saying something considering he’s a very young point guard who is expected to quarterback an NBA roster as he matures.
The Utah Jazz (owners of the No. 5 pick) have reportedly shown significant interest in Exum along with the Orlando Magic (owners of the No. 4 pick) and there have even been reports the Philadelphia 76ers (No. 3) are looking into drafting Exum, despite the fact they already have Michael Carter-Williams on their roster.
Needless to say, it’s been a fast rise for Dante Exum who could end up being the steal of the draft assuming he fulfills his expectations.