Sports Illustrated projects Dario Saric to Atlanta Hawks in latest 2014 NBA mock draft
By FanSided
With little more than 24 hours until the start of the 2014 NBA Draft, the rumors are swirling at a furious pace. As a result, the mock draft game is also in high gear, and the latest attempt from Sports Illustrated has unearthed an extremely interesting name for the Atlanta Hawks, as they are projected to land Crotian power foward Dario Saric.
Brad Weinstein was assigned to pick for the Hawks for SI, and he had this to say about the selection of Saric:
"Yes, we need immediate playmaking help on the wing as coach Mike Budenholzer continues to build an unselfish offense in the Spurs‘ mold. But the 20-year-old Saric’s potential is too tantalizing to pass up, even if I have to wait a few years for him to come over from Europe."
The 6-foot-10 Saric was in the news this week, as he agreed to remain with his European club for at least the next two seasons. Subsequently, the skilled big man has slipped on various draft boards, but with the Hawks having a long-term vision and a willingness to draft foreign players for stash purposes (see Lucas Nogueira), there is a school of thought that the team could land Saric as a high-upside pick.
Because of his top-10 pedigree, this could be an exciting direction for the Hawks, but at the same time, it would leave the 2014-2015 edition with some holes to fill. Stay tuned as the draft approaches for all the latest coverage.