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Suns select Dragan Bender with No. 4 pick of NBA Draft

Mike Stobe / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Phoenix Suns have selected Croatian forward Dragan Bender with the No. 4 pick of the 2016 NBA Draft.

The consensus top overseas player in the draft, the 18-year-old Bender projects as a prototypical stretch-four, currently standing at 7-foot-1, 220 pounds, with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. After playing the last two seasons in Israel, Bender has demonstrated an excellent shooting stroke, quickness, and court vision.

Like many highly-touted Euros before him, questions exist about his strength, rebounding, and interior presence, but he's believed to have enough upside to potentially become an NBA star. His buyout fee from Maccabi Tel Aviv is $1.3 million, according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.

The Suns lack depth in their frontcourt, so there will almost certainly be an opportunity for Bender to grab some quality minutes in the rotation right out of the gate. His ability to shoot from range will be invaluable for a roster that finished just 18th in 3-point percentage.

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