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Dante Exum is one of the elite prospects to be chosen in the 2014 NBA Draft and has already begun lining himself up with the Los Angeles Lakers. Exum recently declared for the draft and signed with Rob Pelinka -- Kobe Bryant's agent. The Lakers reportedly reached out to Luc Longley, one of Exum's current mentors, to discuss the incoming draftee. Now, the Australian phenom says he plans on speaking with Kobe and wants him as a "mentor," reports Jon Tuxworth of the Canberra Times
'A reason why I signed with the agent I'm with is he has Kobe Bryant, and he's been through this when he came into the NBA,'' Exum said.
''I guess having him as a mentor who can guide me through what he did and how he became successful is something which is pretty good. I haven't chatted to him yet, but the agent said Kobe knows who I am and he said he'd definitely have a chat to me.''
Exum also revealed he wants immediate minutes, saying a situation where he'd play minimally behind Chris Paul with the Los Angeles Clippers would not be ideal. The Lakers are currently in position to draft at No. 7, pending on the results of the draft lottery.
So who is this Exum kid who didn't go to college? He's a slice-and-dice 6'6 point guard with a 6'9 wingspan who has a crazy fast first step. With the season trending downward and the Lakers inching toward top-five pick guaranteed range, Exum's name will likely come up multiple times until the draft has concluded. Who knows beyond that, but here's a nice highlight film of his time at the 2013 Nike Hoop Summit.
