NBA Mock Draft: Atlanta Hawks Select Giannis Adetokunbo From Greece

NBA Mock Draft Pick #17 -- Giannis Adetokunbo, Forward, Greece

SB Nation's Hawks blog Peachtree Hoops explains the pick:

Giannis represents a high upside draft and follow for the Hawks, who can immediately state to the NBA that he will not play in the league this season and bank the approximately 1.6M off the cap for that draft slot. This is why the Hawks used their higher pick of the two in the first round to make this selection.

This allows the Hawks to speculate on a unique talent while maintaining cap flexibility in order to chase max-level free agents this offseason.

Adetokunbo, only 18 years old, is playing in a lower league in Greece but has the potential to have as high as a ceiling as a Toni Kukoc/Scottie Pippen type point forward or, at a lower projection, a Boris Diaw type multiple position player.

He plays above the rim, moves fast with the ball, passes well, and has improved his outside shot while growing over three inches over the last year to his current 6'9 frame.

Updated 2013 NBA Mock Draft Board:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers: NERLENS NOEL
2. Orlando Magic BEN MCLEMORE
3. Washington Wizards OTTO PORTER
4. Charlotte Hornets ALEX LEN
5. Phoenix Suns VICTOR OLADIPO
6. New Orleans Pelicans TREY BURKE
7. Sacramento Kings ANTHONY BENNETT (for Philly)
8. Detroit Pistons C.J. MCCOLLUM
9. Minnesota Timberwolves KENTAVIOUS CALDWELL-POPE
10. Portland Trail Blazers RUDY GOBERT (For Phoenix)
11. Philadelphia 76ers MICHAEL CARTER-WILLIAMS (For Sacramento)
12. Oklahoma City Thunder CODY ZELLER
13. Dallas Mavericks SHABAZZ MUHAMMAD
14. Utah Jazz DENNIS SCHROEDER
15. Milwaukee Bucks SHANE LARKIN
16. Boston Celtics GORGUI DIENG
17. Atlanta Hawks GIANNIS ADETOKUNBO
18. Atlanta Hawks
19. Cleveland Cavaliers
20. Chicago Bulls
21. Utah Jazz
22. Brooklyn Nets
23. Indiana Pacers
24. New York Knicks
25. Los Angeles Clippers
26. Minnesota Timberwolves
27. Denver Nuggets
28. San Antonio Spurs
29. Oklahoma City Thunder
30. Phoenix Suns