2014 NBA Mock Draft: Players who could make the cut

8. Sacramento Kings: Marcus Smart

The Kings have scorers in DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay, but have a problem in getting the ball to those scorers, since their point guard – Isaiah Thomas – is a 20 point per game scorer himself. I believe Smart can become the backcourt captain that this young team needs and Thomas – who is a restricted free agent – may be allowed to test other options.

9. Charlotte Hornets: Gary Harris

Harris doesn’t necessarily have the stats to make his resume look impressive, but the shooting guard from Michigan State has been lauded for his high-IQ, maturity, and will to win, all attributes loved by Hornets’ owner Michael Jordan. Plus, he has a nice outside shot, too, and will complement Kemba Walker well in the backcourt.

10. Philadelphia 76ers: Elfrid Payton

The choice at this point will have to be made between two point guards: La Lafayette’s Payton and Michigan’s Nik Stauskas. I believe that Payton has done enough in recent workouts to raise his draft stock, and the hardworking junior will become an alternative to Carter-Williams for the 76ers.

11. Denver Nuggets: Doug McDermott

Anyone interested in consensus college national player of the year? McDermott isn’t expected to have the high ceiling like some of the other prospects in this year’s draft class, but he is NBA ready and should be able to contribute to the Nuggets straight away. The combo forward should fit in well in the team of versatile, high-scoring players.

12. Orlando Magic: Dario Saric

Saric is an exciting young talent out of Croatia, who already has a lot of big game experience. But by recently signing a deal to play in Turkey, Saric’s chances to play in the NBA have been postponed by at least two more years, and his draft status will fall, too. The Magic can pick him up at 12 and may look to trade him for a player ready to contribute right away. There are enough good teams in the league that will be happy to wait a couple of years for Saric to mature.

13. Minnesota Timberwolves: Nik Stauskas

The Timberwolves will be happy if Stauskas is still available at this point. The Michigan point guard is a solid ball handler and could prove to be a handy backup for Ricky Rubio.

14. Phoenix Suns: Zach LaVine

LaVine’s best strength is his athleticism, and although he is still a work in progress, the freshman from UCLA could potentially develop to play combo guard or small forward in the NBA and provide the Suns with a project beyond Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe, and Gerald Green.