Australia's Dante Exum is expected to be a top five pick. The Philadelphia 76ers and the Orlando Magic are the two likeliest landing spots for the 18-year-old point guard, according to ESPN's Chad Ford.
The Cleveland Cavaliers appear most likely, as of now, either to trade their No. 1 pick or to select Kansas center Joel Embiid. The Milwaukee Bucks would likely choose Kansas guard Andrew Wiggins, presumably leaving the 76ers to decide between Exum and Duke forward Jabari Parker.
"The Philadelphia 76ers are Exum fans as well, and if Wiggins is off the board, Exum will be in the mix," Ford wrote on Wednesday. "They think Exum and Carter-Williams could play together in the backcourt, although it would not be a very good shooting tandem. I think the more obvious fit comes if they trade Carter-Williams, an idea I'm told they have bounced around."
If Philadelphia does pass on Exum, he's likely to fall to Orlando, whom Ford believes is the best fit for Exum.
"But I think his best bet is with the Orlando Magic," Ford wrote. "They need a point guard, and an Exum-Victor Oladipo backcourt could be great. Again, there are shooting concerns, but I think at No. 4, the Magic would roll the dice on him."
Ford, in his latest mock draft, projects Exum to go to Orlando.
Exum has size (6-foot-6, 196 pounds), speed and athleticism. He also has a lot of upside, given he's only 18 years old. His performance at the U-19 championships caught the attention of scouts, and he's been considered at least a top 10 pick ever since.
ESPN's Kevin Pelton, after creating a system to translate U-19 stats into NCAA stats, compared Exum to Cleveland Cavaliers star Kyrie Irving.
The NBA draft is on Thursday, June 26.
