2014 NBA Draft: Are the Atlanta Hawks zeroing in on Kristaps Porzingis?

We are 15 days removed from the 2014 NBA Draft and with draft workouts in full swing rumors are starting to fly. Typically some teams will give prospects promises that they will select them should they be available and with international prospects, that sometimes influences their decision to withdraw or remain in the draft. Per a report by DraftExpress, some NBA teams think that the Atlanta Hawks have made a promise to international big man Kristaps Porzingis.

From DraftExpress' expanded mock draft:

Porzingis has reportedly received assurances he'll be selected in the top-15 of the draft as enticement to stay in at the June 16th deadline according to sources close to the situation, and still needs to decide if he wants to accept that. He would likely stay another year in Spain and come over in 2015. It's possible that with another year of seasoning Porzingis could be selected much higher than this, but there are no assurances of that materializing. The Hawks have shown no qualms in the past about doling out promises to international prospects (for example Giannis Antetokounmpo last year), and many NBA teams feel strongly that they are the ones who offered him the guarantee.

We talked about Porzingis earlier this week and he is name that seems to be moving up a lot of draft boards. On the surface, Porzingis is like a lot of international prospects, he is multi-skilled but needs to add size and strength to handle the rigors of the NBA. We know the Hawks and GM Danny Ferry aren't afraid to draft international players even if it means they need to be left overseas to develop for a season or two. Do they like Porzingis enough to offer him a promise. That remains to be seen.