Croatian Dario Saric could be as talented a prospect at the four as anyone in the Draft, putting many in mind (I know, I know) of Toni Kukoc. At 20, Saric is already a veteran of international play, spending last season at Cibona, in the Adriatic League, leading his team to the league title. His skill sets, tenacity and smarts are all NBA-ready. He's got lottery talent.

"That's exactly who he is," one personnel man said, hearing the Kukoc comparison. "Same power forward mentality as a passer and creator, same size. But he plays harder than Kukoc. Saric is kind of like, you don't know what to expect from him. He may just go out and drop 30 on you one night."

But NBA teams are scared to death to pull the trigger.

Uncertainty about whether Saric, who flirted with coming to the NBA last season, will actually stay in the Draft or go back to play another season overseas has teams fearful. Players who have declared from the Draft have until June 16, 10 days before the actual Draft, to withdraw. Saric's new agent says he'll stay in the Draft if he's assured of a high lottery selection, but there have been strong rumors that Saric's father still doesn't think he's ready to come over.

No one knows.

"His father hasn't come back and said anything else, so we don't know for sure," a Northwest Division executive said. "The other thing is with his father saying he's not ready for the NBA and needs two more years, I don't see a lottery team taking him and waiting two more years. The rumor also was he had signed a two- or three-year deal ... I haven't seen anything on it. If that's in effect, yeah, the buyout could be prohibitive."

There are still NBA types around who remember the dance the Orlando Magic did with Spanish forward Fran Vazquez in 2005. To this day, those involved with taking Vazquez 11th overall in the first round in '05 will tell you they were lied to, that they were told Vazquez was definitely going to leave Spain's ACB League and join the NBA.

Orlando is still waiting.

And no one wants to be Orlando this time around.

"If you don't have clarity and you don't have a better idea of it, it's going to be very hard," one scouting director said. "Because of Fran Vazquez."

From a talent standpoint, there's no question about Saric. He's not a great athlete, but he's a terrific player -- "a nasty scorer," one NBA admirer said.

"If he was in college basketball, I'd have him in the top eight," a Southwest Division executive said. "He's a triple double guy, does a little bit of everything. He can play point forward, can run the team at the top, he can rebound, he plays frickin' hard, he's got a basketball mentality, he loves the game. He's a perfect guy to come to your team and be in a rotation. He's starting to make threes now, which is unbelievable, and if he starts making those, his ceiling is [unlimited]. The kid can [really] play."

 

http://www.nba.com/2014/news/features/david_aldridge/05/06/morning-tip-david-aldridges-big-board-power-forwards-2014-nba-draft/index.html?ls=nba:specialsfull4