Roko Prkacin, a Croatian NBA prospect whose skill set made him a theoretical fit with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the front office’s draft philosophy, has withdrawn his name from the draft, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
The 6-foot-9 forward is a great passer and would have been a fun fit next to Aleksej Pokusevski if he were on the Thunder. But there are lots of differences between the Oklahoma City prospect and the 18-year-old Croatian. Prkacin is eager to drive to the rim and blow by defenders, and he gets up to dunk the ball.
Last season, Prkacin averaged 13.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists for KK Cibona in the Adriatic League. A good catch-and-shoot player, he hit 39.4% of his looks from 3.
That assist number understates how good of a passer he is, but his poor assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6 assists to 2.4 turnovers) does reflect that he needs to learn to be more careful with the ball.
Prkacin still needs development and consistency, which may be why he’s choosing to withdraw from the draft. With another year of experience, he may be a riser and a surefire first-rounder. Right now, mock draft projections range from mid-first round to early-second.
He seemed like he could be an option for the Thunder with either their No. 16 or 18 pick or their No. 34 or 36 pick. Instead, Prkacin will remain out of the league for at least one more year.
The NBA draft is scheduled to take place on Thursday, July 29.
