Melbourne’s Ariel Hukporti looks to be firming as a likely second-round pick.

The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie recently placed the German Next Star at pick 54 in his most recent mock draft, while ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has him placed at pick 55.

The almost 22-year-old is currently listed as one of the oldest players currently selected in a raft of mock drafts, however Vecenie believes the center has the scope to be able to make an impact at NBA level due to his resilience, physical attributes and role within Melbourne United’s system.

Vecenie recently appeared on Melbourne United’s Extra Pass Podcast and discussed Hukporti’s draftability.

On Hukporti’s improvement over his time in the NBL:
“Ariel is really funny, he’s been around scouting circles forever – I probably heard about Ariel four or five years ago at this point. He went to the NBA Draft combine before he ever got to Melbourne. I didn’t love him when he was younger, I thought he was a little bit below the rim, a little bit heavy, I thought he didn’t move his feet very well and I thought he was a back to the basket-ish big in Lithuania and I just didn’t get how it would work in the NBA.

“I was really curious because the game’s going away from guys like this. He gets here and in the first year he was pretty good, he figures it out by the end of the year realistically, he figures out how he can make an impact and figures out how he can be who he can be and I hear all this incredible hype coming into his season last year where everyone was really excited about him, he looks great, he looks like he’s a totally different dude physically right now and then he tears his Achilles. The thing I’ve been most impressed with this year that I think is translatable to any level is work ethic and resilience.

“On a real level with Ariel, that dude deserves an immense amount of credit for coming in, being willing to put in the work to the point where I heard about the Hoop City runs against the Boomers and he looked amazing in those, and that would be, what, eight months out of a torn Achilles? For him to bounce back in the way he did that is the biggest, most important tick I think you can make for somebody.”

Listen to the full podcast here

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">NBA-bound ??<br><br>ESPN’s latest mock draft features five Next Stars, with <a href="https://twitter.com/PerthWildcats?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PerthWildcats</a>&#39; Alex Sarr ranked as the second best prospect ? <a href="https://t.co/T6NUBHPvGN">pic.twitter.com/T6NUBHPvGN</a></p>&mdash; NBL Next Stars (@NBLNextStars) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBLNextStars/status/1760919690652930086?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

On his NBA-level attributes:
“In terms of the game, it’s a simple game. He has real NBA size, he has real NBA length, he has pretty real NBA athleticism I would say. He’s not going to be an elite of the elite athlete but he’ll be a good athlete in the NBA. He runs the court, he plays incredibly hard, he plays more of a drop coverage type big style which a lot of teams will be very comfortable with in the NBA, and I think he’s got a real shot.

“I know the production is what it is for his age, but he blocks shots, he’s a physical, defensive force on the interior, he’s willing to throw his weight around, he’s physical, and he plays hard. You can get away with a lot as long as you have that and you have real NBA size and real NBA athleticism. I like him as a second-rounder, and I think he should be drafted.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">No-fly zone ? <br><br>Next Stars Rocco Zikarsky, Ariel Hukporti and Alex Sarr combined for 14 blocks in Round 11 ? <a href="https://t.co/7vebQ9SWTM">pic.twitter.com/7vebQ9SWTM</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1736934015914143759?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

On his role at Melbourne United:
“In his case where the role in the NBA is going to be so simplistic in a lot of ways, it’s going to be run the court, play drop coverage on defence, and if you get stuck on an island we need you to stick with him for two slides until somebody recovers. Offensively you’re going to screen and roll and you’re going to rim run. Eventually maybe you could expand into some short roll passing or something like that, but the role is simple here and it’s going to be really helpful for him to have experienced this on the pro level, and on a good team that is structured well.

“Dean does a good job and their defence is always so well formulated, everyone is so tight in terms of the rotation, you’ve got Shea Ili fighting around screens, so you know what somebody looks like when they’re excellent at fighting around screens – that’s an NBA level defender in Shea Ili at least – I think having all of that around will absolutely help his translation to the NBA.”

Listen to the full podcast here

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ariel Hukporti shut him down ?<br><br>Watch live and free on ESPN via Kayo Freebies | 10 Peach &amp; 10 Play ? <a href="https://t.co/9ZloNtWFHI">pic.twitter.com/9ZloNtWFHI</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1733707415848169612?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

On playing with former NBA talents Ian Clark and Matthew Dellavedova:
“I’m sure it’ll help him immensely. Delly’s been there at the highest level and played in NBA championships and things like that. Knowing even just ‘if I’m in drop this is what my pick and roll partner needs’, even the little, small details of that, I think, will immensely and immeasurably help Ariel as he moves to that next level and tries to figure out what his role is going to be. We know what the role is going to be but finding his role in the team and the team concept specifically, is he going to be a third center immediately?

“Is he going to be in the G-League playing on a two-way deal, trying to find different ways to go about it, but having that professional mindset of somebody like Delly, and all the guys on the perimeter – Chris Goulding has been around forever and has played at an exceptionally high level, Shea Ili’s been around and has played at exceptionally high levels. Having all those vets out there is immensely valuable for both Ariel and Luke (Travers).”

Listen to the full podcast here

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Delly and Hukporti are always in sync ??<br><br>Ariel Hukporti has been assisted by Dellavedova more than any other teammate in NBL24 ?<br><br>Catch the dynamic duo in action tonight at 8pm AEDT, live on ESPN via Kayo ? <a href="https://t.co/d7WvxmQJW4">pic.twitter.com/d7WvxmQJW4</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1743467427675980097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>