Latvian forward Rodions Kurucs has declared for the 2017 NBA draft as an early entrant, according to agent Arturs Kalnitis (via Twitter). The 1998-born prospect will have until June 13 to reverse course and withdraw his name, though he appears likely to remain in the draft pool based on expert projections.
A 6’8″ wing for Barcelona 2 in Spain, Kurucs is the 21st-best prospect on DraftExpress’ big board, and comes in at No. 33 on Chad Ford’s board at ESPN.com. According to Ford, Kurucs remains a “major work in progress,” since he still doesn’t play a ton in Spain. However, the 19-year-old has displayed good athleticism and length, as well as solid shooting range.
Assuming Kurucs remains in this year’s draft, he’s a candidate to be drafted-and-stashed by a team in the second half of the first round, writes Ford. Teams with multiple first-round picks, in particular, could be landing spots for the Latvian — in Ford’s most recent mock draft, he had Kurucs coming off the board at No. 24 to the Magic, with Orlando’s second first-rounder.
Our full list of early entrants for this year’s draft can be found right here.