Australia native and potential top-five pick Dante Exum has hired an agent and will enter the NBA draft, ESPN.com reported Tuesday morning.
"We are excited to be working with Landmark Sports," the Exum family said in a statement given to Chad Ford of ESPN. "Our family felt The Landmark Team represented our style and manner of treating people, and in doing businesses. We also all shared a common commitment to achieving excellence in all things. The fit is just great and we are really pleased to now begin the work."
After meeting with multiple agents over the past couple of months, Ford is reporting that Exum decided to hire Rob Pelinka and Brandon Rosenthal of Landmark Sports Agency.
Exum, a 6-foot-6 point guard, played on the AAU scene a couple of summers ago in Las Vegas, demonstrating his playmaking skills and ability to get into the lane and finish for himself or create for teammates. He impressed nearly anyone who watched him. Exum also played well at the U17 World Championships that summer.
Exum continued that momentum with a very good performance in the Nike Hoop Summit game last April. He finished with 16 points and two assists, outplaying a USA backcourt that included Andrew and Aaron Harrison, as well as Kasey Hill. At the U19 World Championships last summer, Exum cemented himself as an elite NBA prospect, averaging 18.2 points and totaling 34 assists in nine games.
He is projected by most outlets and mock drafts as a top-five pick, competing with Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart for the title of best guard in the draft. Based on ceiling and potential, Exum might have the edge.
There was a slight chance he would play college basketball before going pro, with his five finalists including Indiana, North Carolina, Kentucky, Michigan and Oregon. However, Exum is going straight to the NBA.
