NBA: Top 10 Candidates For Rookie Of The Year Award In 2016-17

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver holds a basketball while posing for a photo with draft prospects from left Buddy Hield (Oklahoma) , Ben Simmons (LSU), Brandon Ingram (Duke) and Kris Dunn (Providence) before the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /

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Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Dragan Bender walks off the stage after being selected as the number four overall pick to the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

10. Dragan Bender

As the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft, it feels wrong not to include the 7’1″ Dragan Bender. This Croatian product has already faced quality competition overseas playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv, so perhaps the adjustment to the NBA level won’t be so brutal for him.

Though he’s the youngest player in the NBA at 18 years old, Bender has the versatility to play multiple positions thanks to his height, length, shooting, passing and dribbling abilities that are rarely seen in a seven-footer.

With the Phoenix Suns inching closer to a full-on youth movement, Bender could see meaningful minutes behind Jared Dudley and alongside Marquese Chriss at the 4, behind Tyson Chandler and Alex Len at the 5 or even behind P.J. Tucker and T.J. Warren at the 3. One injury to any of those aforementioned players and Bender’s minutes will rise even higher.

Phoenix’s new Dragan figures to be a bit of a project, and his ho-hum play in Summer League — 8.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.0 BPG, 27.5 FG%, 26.5 3P%, 50 FT% — suggests it’ll take some time for him to get acclimated. But there’s a reason the Suns took him so high, and we shouldn’t rule anything out on a team that will give its youngsters decent minutes right from the start of the season.