NBA Draft 2014: Markel Starks' Possible Landing Spots

Markel Starks finished a terrific career at Georgetown University in March when the Hoyas were ousted in the Second Round of the NIT Tournament. The 6-foot-2 point guard from Accokeek, Maryland saw himself go from a freshman role player who averaged 9.5 minutes per game to the leader of the team in his senior season averaging 37 minutes a night. His points per game average steadily increased each year as he finished out with a 17.3 points per game average.

Due to his short stature however, the likelihood of Starks hearing his name called in the 2014 NBA Draft on Thursday is rather slim. Ranked No. 76 by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress on his list of Top 100 Prospects and No. 25 on his list of Top 100 Seniors, the Accokeek native has suffered from a height standpoint and a wingspan standpoint as well. At last checked, Starks' wingspan stands at merely 6-foot-4.5. By comparison, Dante Exum, the top-ranked point guard in the Draft, stands at 6-foot-6 and has a wingspan of 6-foot-9.5.

With that said, it does not signal the end for Starks. He could very well see himself be picked up as an undrafted free agent by night's end. Or, if a team has already fallen in love with Starks, they could spend a late second-round selection on the now former Georgetown Hoya.

With that said, here are some landing spots that could be in Markel Starks' future.

New York Knicks: The Knickerbockers worked Starks out recently, and Starks is certainly no stranger to their home venue of Madison Square Garden. With the New York basketball club undergoing a serious face lift this offseason with the impending departure of Carmelo Anthony, and trade rumors aplenty, taking a chance on a player like Starks would not necessarily be out of the question.

Minnesota Timberwolves: The Timberwolves, much like the Knicks, could very well be going under a series of changes involving their superstar, who in this case is big man Kevin Love. If the team dramatically changes soon, being fully prepared to try and usher in a new era is something they may need to be able to handle. Following under this same formula, the Timberwolves could very well give Starks a chance if they happened to be enamored by him after his workout several weeks ago. After all, Minnesota has never been shy of taking point guards.

Boston Celtics: Heavy trade rumors have been surrounding the Celtics and Rajon Rondo for the past two years. With Boston choosing to take a chance on Missouri's Phil Pressey last year, they may have already set a precedent for selecting point guards of smaller stature. This could be compounded with the fact that they auditioned Michigan State's Keith Appling who, like Starks, suffers from a smaller stature than most at 6-foot-1.

Phoenix Suns: The Suns are coming off of a very good season despite coming only a game or two away from making the NBA Playoffs.They are looking to build depth and improve upon a season where getting 40+ wins just was not enough. And if they choose to pick up Markel Starks he could prove to be a decent addition to their club. Starks has been connected to Phoenix through a workout he took part in along with Tarik Black, Casey Prather and Aaron Craft.

Washington Wizards: The Washington Wizards selected Otto Porter Jr., another former Hoya last year with their third overall pick in the NBA Draft. And all indications are that they might be interested in bringing in another. Recently, the Wizards themselves announced they would be working him out and according to Starks, the workout was "outstanding." Could the Wizards go two years in a row with the local products? It's certainly not out of the question.