Philadelphia 76ers: 5 options for pick No. 39 in 2018 NBA Draft

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5. Rodions Kurucs

Rodions Kurucs is back on the draft board in 2018. He placed his name in the draft pool last season before withdrawing ahead of the final deadline. In 2017-18, Kurucs spent a second season with FC Barcelona’s reserve team, averaging 10.7 points and 2.6 rebounds in 16 games.

The 6’9″, 190-pound Latvian has stretch-4 potential. According to RealGM, Kurucs averaged 6.9 3-point attempts per 40 minutes for FC Barcelona B, knocking down 33.3 percent of those shots. He’s also averaging 2.9 assists, 2.9 steals and 1.4 blocks per 40, so there are some playmaking and defensive flashes.

However, those flashes are cancelled out by his 3.7 turnovers and 6.4 fouls committed per 40 minutes. Also, despite being developed by one of Europe’s top basketball clubs, Kurucs hasn’t been given many chances at the major league level to show what he can offer.

Kurucs played only 10 games for the big club in 2017-18: six domestic league games and four EuroLeague matchups. He accumulated 14 total points, three defensive rebounds, seven steals and 16 fouls over that span.

Rodions Kurucs has the tools and body to become a potent stretch-forward. However, he’s still rough around the edges and has only received limited opportunities to display his full talent. If the Sixers select him, they would be best served stashing him overseas for another year or two of development.