It’s never too early for NBA teams to prepare for the draft. The Indiana Pacers are no exception to that. In fact, they appear to have already gotten started.
The Pacers have joined the Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans in reaching out to the high school and AAU coaches of Arizona State guard Luguentz Dort, according to Adam Zagoria.
Indiana, OKC and New Orleans are among the NBA teams to reach out to the high school and AAU coaches for @luguentz https://t.co/klSRp12Hg1
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) November 27, 2018
There is a lot to like about Dort. Along with strength and athleticism, the freshman point guard stands at 6’4″ and weighs 215 pounds. So far this season, he is averaging 23 points and 7.4 rebounds.
Dort has thrived on the defensive end of the floor and as a pick-and-roll ball handler but needs to improve as a perimeter shooter. He has earned a pro-comparison of Marcus Smart from Sports illustrated’s Jeremy Woo.
It makes sense that the Pacers would be interested in a guard like Dort. Tyreke Evans, Darren Collison, Cory Joseph are both set to become unrestricted free agents after the summer.
It’s still very early to be thinking about the potential draft placement for prospects. For now, it’s worth mentioning that Dort has been listed a bit outside of the top 20 in some NBA Draft Big Boards.
It is likely that Dort could improve his draft stock considerably considering his size for a point guard. Displaying improvement in the shooting department could only help.
Please follow Indiana Sports Coverage on Twitter and like our page on Facebook for updates about the Indiana Pacers throughout the season.
