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Nuggets take Michael Porter Jr. with 14th pick in NBA Draft

The Denver Nuggets selected forward Michael Porter Jr. with the 14th overall pick in tonight’s 2018 NBA Draft. Denver also acquired the draft rights to forward Jarred Vanderbilt at 41st overall from Orlando in exchange for the 43rd pick and a future second round pick and also selected center Thomas Welsh with the 58th pick.

Porter Jr., 6-10, 215, signed with the University of Missouri as the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit as a high school senior out of Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, Washington. Porter Jr. averaged 36.2 points and 13.6 rebounds per game as a senior while leading Nathan Hale to a perfect 29-0 record en route to the Washington Class 3A State Championship, the first-ever state title for the school.

The 19-year-old native of Indianapolis was named the MVP of the McDonald’s High School All-American Game as well as winning both the Naismith and Gatorade National Player of the Year awards, joining Dwight Howard (2004), LeBron James (2003), Chris Webber (1991) and Alonzo Mourning (1988) as the only players to ever accomplish the feat. Porter Jr. was named a 2017-18 consensus preseason All-American, the 2017-18 preseason ESPN National Freshman of the Year and the 2017-18 preseason SEC Co-Player of the Year before a back injury limited him to just three games during his debut campaign.

Vanderbilt, 6-9, 214, appeared in 14 games as a freshman for Kentucky, averaging 5.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 17.0 minutes per game. The 19-year-old from Houston averaged 28.5 points, 13.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists as a senior at Victory Prep School. Vanderbilt played for the USA Junior National Select Team at the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit and was also a member of the U.S. U16 National Team that won Gold at the 2015 FIBA U16 Americas.

Welsh, 7-0, 255, played four seasons at UCLA where he averaged 9.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks while shooting 53.7% from the field. He was one of five finalists for the 2017-18 Kareem Abdul-Jabar award, given to the nation’s top center, and finished his Bruins career ranked third in career rebounds (1,035), third in blocks (143) and sixth in career double-doubles (37). As a senior the California native posted averages of 12.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 40.7% from three (45-of-112 3FG) and 82.8% from the free throw line. His 10.8 rebounds per game was UCLA’s highest per game average since David Greenwood in 1977-78.

Clippers draft Jerome Robinson with 13th pick in first round

The L.A. Clippers have selected Boston College guard Jerome Robinson with the 13th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, held last night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

“Jerome is someone that we targeted early on in this process. [He’s] one of the more gifted guys in this draft,” said President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank. “If you study the DNA, he just grinds and he works harder than most. He is very impressive as a young man and he is now a Clipper”

“Going to the Clippers is a dream come true,” said Robinson. “It’s exciting to be in L.A., being drafted by the Clippers, and having the chance to learn from a coach like Doc Rivers.”

Robinson, 21, played three collegiate seasons at Boston College, where he appeared in 90 career games (all starts), averaging 17.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 34.6 minutes. The 6’5”, 188-pound guard shot 45.0 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from three-point range in his Boston College career. A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Robinson was named All-ACC First Team as a Junior.

Hornets trade for draft rights to No. 12 pick Miles Bridges

The Charlotte Hornets have acquired the draft rights to forward Miles Bridges (12th overall pick) from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (11th overall pick) and two future second-round draft picks during tonight’s 2018 NBA Draft.

Bridges, a 6-7 forward from Michigan State, was a unanimous 2017-18 All-Big Ten First Team selection and he also earned 2017-18 consensus Second Team All-American honors. He led Michigan State in scoring in scoring (17.0 ppg), ranked second in rebounding (7.0 rpg) and third in assists (2.7 apg) during the 2017-18 campaign. Following his sophomore campaign, he was a finalist for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, given to the top men’s collegiate small forward, and a top-10 finalist for the Naismith National Player of the Year. He was the first Michigan State freshman or sophomore player to average at least 17.0 points per game since Shawn Respert in 1992-93.

As a freshman in 2016-17, the Flint, Mich. native was the Big Ten Freshman of the year after averaging 16.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 28 contests. He was the only Division-I freshman in the nation in the last 25 years to average at least 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists and return for his sophomore season.

Clippers trade for draft rights to No. 11 pick Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The L.A. Clippers have acquired the draft rights to University of Kentucky guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the 11th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, from the Charlotte Hornets, in exchange for the draft rights to Michigan State forward Miles Bridges and two future second round picks. The Clippers selected Bridges with the 12th overall pick in the draft.

“We have been tracking Shai all year and grew more and more impressed with him. He quickly became a priority for us,” said President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank. “What you will see right away is his character, competitiveness and toughness. We have guys like that here, and that’s who we want to attract.”

“I’m a play-making guard, pass-first point guard, who likes to get teammates involved,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “I’m really just willing to do whatever the team needs me to do to win and cannot wait to get started with the Clippers.”

Gilgeous-Alexander, 19, played one collegiate season at Kentucky, where he appeared in 37 games (24 starts), averaging 14.4 points, 5.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 33.7 minutes. The 6’6”, 180-pound guard shot 48.5 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from three-point range as a Wildcat. A native of Hamilton, Ontario (Canada), Gilgeous-Alexander was named to the Second-team All-SEC and the SEC All-Freshman Team, and was named the MVP of the SEC Tournament.

Suns 2018 draft night includes trade for No. 10 pick Mikal Bridges

After selecting Arizona center Deandre Ayton with the first No. 1 overall pick in franchise history, the Phoenix Suns added Villanova forward Mikal Bridges (Mick-L), the No. 10 overall pick, in a trade with Philadelphia and also selected French guard Élie Okobo (EL-ee oh-KO-bo) with the No. 31 pick and Colorado forward George King with the No. 59 pick.

Bridges, a versatile defender and knockdown three-point shooter, won the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award in 2017-18 while helping Villanova win their second NCAA Championship in his three seasons at the school. A 6-7, 210-pound wing, he averaged 17.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals for the champs, while shooting 51.4 percent from the field, 43.5 percent from three-point range (18th best in the nation) and 85.1 percent from the free throw line. The 21-year-old earned Third Team All-America honors and was named to the All-Final Four Team after averaging 17.2 points in the NCAA tournament including 19 in the title game victory over Michigan.

Expanding his role in each of his three seasons at Villanova, Bridges averaged 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 116 total games, shooting 52.5 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from long range and 84.5 percent from the stripe. After redshirting the 2014-15 season, his length created havoc defensively on the Wildcats’ 2015-16 NCAA Championship team before he was a co-winner of the Big East Defensive Player of the Year award in 2016-17. A native of Philadelphia, Bridges starred at Great Valley High School in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

The Suns acquired the rights to Bridges from the 76ers in exchange for the rights to the 16th overall pick (Zhaire Smith) and Miami’s 2021 first-round pick.

Okobo, a natural scorer who has made strides running the point, had a breakout season playing for Pau-Lacq-Orthez of France’s top league, LNB Pro A. In 34 games this past season, the 20-year-old led his team with 12.9 points, 4.8 assists and 2.7 steals, shooting 47.5 percent from the field, 39.4 percent from three-point range and 81.9 percent from the free throw line. The 6-2, 180-pound guard scored a career-high 44 points including eight three-pointers on May 23 against top-seeded Monaco in the first round of playoffs. A contender for Pro A’s Most Improved Player Award, he was a 2017-18 All-Star selection, recording 17 points and a game-high 17 assists in the All-Star Game.

A native of Bordeaux, France, Okobo began playing for Espoirs Pau-Lacq-Orthez, the training center for the senior team in the Pro A league, at age 16 in 2014. He made his LNB Pro A debut in 2015, playing eight games in France’s top league in 2015-16 and 22 games in 2016-17 before his breakthrough 2017-18 season. Okobo has also represented France in international competition, leading the French to a bronze medal at the 2017 FIBA U20 European Championship in Greece, and ranking third in scoring at the 2016 FIBA U20 European Championship in Finland with 18.9 points per game.

King, an active defender and tough rebounder, ranks second in Colorado history with a career three-point percentage of 40.1 percent. The 6-6, 225-pound wing averaged 12.5 points and 6.4 rebounds over his final three seasons in Boulder, named to the 2017-18 All-Pac-12 Second Team as a senior and winning the 2015-16 Pac-12 Conference Most Improved Player of the Year award as a sophomore. After playing as a freshman in 2013-14 then redshirting in 2014-15, King was one of the Pac-12’s most versatile players the past three seasons, able to defend multiple positions, rebound from the wing and make three-pointers.

The 24-year-old’s draft stock soared following his senior season when he was the East MVP at the 2018 NABC College All-Star Game, finishing with 21 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. He then stood out at the 2018 Portsmouth Invitational, named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 18.0 points and 7.7 rebounds while shooting 57.9 percent from the field. Raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, before attending high school at Brennan in San Antonio, Texas, his mother is a 25-year veteran of the Air Force.

The Suns added Bridges, Okobo and King after making Ayton the first No. 1 overall pick in franchise history earlier in the evening. Ayton, who played collegiately at Arizona and in high school at Phoenix’s Hillcrest Prep, is the first No. 1 pick in NBA history to be selected by a team in the same state where he played in both college and high school.

A rare combination of size and skill, the 7-1, 250-pounder possesses uncommon athleticism, footwork and shooting touch for a player with his length and strength. During his one season in Tucson, the 19-year-old was a Consensus First Team All-America selection and won the 2018 Karl Malone Award given to the nation’s best power forward. Ayton averaged 20.1 points on 61.2 percent shooting, 11.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks for Arizona, becoming the first to win Pac-12 Player of the Year, Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and Pac-12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors in the same season.

He set a Wildcats record and Pac-12 freshman record with 24 double-doubles, and became just the sixth freshman nationally in the past 25 years to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds (two of the others were Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony). Ayton set Arizona freshman season records in points (704), rebounds (405), blocks (66) and field goal percentage (.612) while also being named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team.

Ayton played the final two seasons of his high school career at Phoenix’s Hillcrest Prep. As a senior in 2016-17, he led the Bruins to a 33-6 record and The Grind Session National Championship, averaging 26 points, 15 rebounds and 3.5 blocks. Among his many honors, he was a McDonald’s All-American, Naismith Trophy High School All-American, USA TODAY ALL-USA First Team selection, and played in the Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit.

Born and raised in Nassau, Bahamas, Ayton began seriously pursing basketball at age 12 after attending the Jeff Rodgers Basketball Camp, the Bahamas’ premier summer basketball program. Ayton flashed his immense potential and later that summer moved to San Diego to attend Balboa City School. He would later transfer to Hillcrest Prep and move to Phoenix to live with his family.

Knicks draft Kevin Knox with 9th overall pick

Here’s the New York Post reporting on Kevin Knox, selected 9th in the first round of the 2018 Draft last night by the New York Knicks:

Go ahead, Knicks fans. Dream about Kevin Knox’s upside. John Calipari thinks the Knicks hit a home run with his former player.

“It’s a futures league. He’s 18 years old. You’re trying to project who of these guys can be special, and when you look at what they were having at that pick, if that kid is a year or two older, he’s the one, two or three pick,” the Kentucky coach said shortly after the Knicks took the 6-foot-9 wing in the first round (ninth overall) in Thursday’s NBA draft at Barclays Center. “Physically, he’ll come into his own quicker than everybody thinks he will, and the league is moving to 6-foot-9 shooters, [being] able to play multiple positions, and he can do that.”

The former McDonald’s All-American from Florida with a 7-foot wingspan averaged 15.6 points and 5.4 rebounds while shooting 34.1 percent from 3-point range, and led Kentucky to the Sweet 16. Calipari has compared him to Celtics phenom Jayson Tatum, a comparison the Kentucky coach didn’t back down from on Thursday. As a rookie, Tatum did things with Boston that Calipari didn’t see from him in college, as a long defender capable of scoring on the perimeter and in the paint.

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And per Knicks.com: Knox, 6-9, 215-pounds spent one season at Kentucky with averages of 15.6 points and 32.4 minutes over 37 games (37 starts). He led the Wildcats in scoring, 3-pointers made and recorded the eighth-most points (576) in school history as a freshman. Knox was a 2017-18 AP Honorable Mention All-America selection, 2017-18 SEC co-Freshman of the Year and named to the 2017-18 All-SEC First Team. As a freshman, he scored in double figures in all but seven games, including a team-high 10 games with 20 or more. He erupted for a game-high 34 points in a 17-point comeback victory at No. 7 West Virginia on January 27, 2018. In a victory over Davidson, he posted 25 points and six rebounds in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Cavs draft Collin Sexton 8th overall

The Cleveland Cavaliers selected guard Collin Sexton from the University of Alabama with the eighth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Sexton (6-3, 190) played one year collegiately at Alabama, averaging 19.2 points (second-most in SEC), 3.8 rebounds and a team-high 3.6 assists in 33 games (32 starts) during 2017-18. His 632 total points were the third-most for any player in a single season in school history as well as the most ever by an Alabama freshman. Sexton scored 10 points or more on 29 occasions, 20 points or more 16 times and 30 points or more in three contests. He set an Alabama freshman scoring record with 40 points, including 31 in the second half, on Nov. 25 against Minnesota, while also becoming the first Tide player to score 40 points in a game since 1979. Sexton also helped lead Alabama to its first NCAA tournament win since 2006 with a victory over Virginia Tech on March 15.

Following his freshman campaign, Sexton was named 2017-18 SEC Newcomer of the Year and Co-Freshman of the Year, becoming just the second Alabama player to ever earn the Freshman honor (Mo Williams, 2002). He also earned All-SEC First Team honors as voted by media, and was tabbed All-SEC Second Team and All-Freshman Team by SEC coaches. A 2017-18 AP Honorable Mention All-America selection, Sexton was additionally named to the SEC All-Tournament team after scoring a school-record 79 points over the Tide’s three games.

The Marietta, Ga. native played at Pebblebrook High School (Mableton, Ga.), where he was a 2016-17 Naismith High School All-American Second Team selection. He won a gold medal with USA Basketball at the 2016 FIBA Under-17 World Championship in Zaragoza, Spain, and was named MVP of the tournament after leading Team USA in both scoring and assists.

Bulls draft Wendell Carter Jr. 7th overall

Here’s Bulls.com reporting on the results of last night’s draft, which saw Chicago drafting Wendell Carter Jr. with the 7th overall pick:

“A year ago draft night, we made a decision to trade Jimmy Butler and start a rebuild and we thought we got a jump on that with the three pieces we got, Lauri being the seventh pick, the cornerstone of our direction and with Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn,” said Bulls Executive Vice-president of Basketball Operations John Paxson Thursday after the NBA draft. “Tonight is just an extension of that and we walk away feeling really good about the two players we drafted and the direction we are heading, two positions of need and two players we feel fit us and hopefully help us grow, hopefully quickly. And though we are going to be patient, maybe more quickly than some of the teams in the past have in rebuilding situations.”

That’s perhaps because with the additions of Carter Jr. with the No. 7 selection and Hutchison with the No. 22 pick, the Bulls hope they have the outline of a future starting five to develop and grow together, a quintet that could even be starting together before the end of the 2018-19 season…

Carter Jr., was the main figure for the Bulls Thursday, a rugged all-around big man who has drawn comparisons to players like Al Horford and Elton Brand. Perhaps not athletically dominant, but with a wide variety of skills on offense and defense. He appears to be a seamless fit with Markkanen as both can switch off on defense, shoot from three-point range and defend centers. Carter Jr. at 6-10 and about 250 pounds, played center to complement No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley…

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Magic draft Mohamed Bamba 6th overall

The Orlando Magic on Thursday selected center Mohamed Bamba in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2018 NBA Draft.

Bamba (7’0”, 225, 5/12/98) played in 30 games (29 starts) last season (2017-18) as a freshman at the University of Texas, averaging 12.9 ppg., 10.5 rpg. and 3.70 blkpg. in 30.2 minpg., while shooting .541 (146-270) from the floor. He led the Big 12 in rebounding, blocked shots (also ranked second in the nation) and double-doubles (15). Bamba was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team, the All-Big 12 Second Team and the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team.

Bamba scored in double figures 23 times and had 20+ points four times, including a career-high 25 points on Jan. 27 vs. Mississippi. He pulled down 10+ rebounds 19 times. Bamba blocked three-or-more shots 22 times, including a career-high eight blocks on Dec. 29 vs. Kansas.

While at Westtown High School in West Chester, Pa., Bamba captured back-to-back Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association state championships as both a junior (2015-16) and a senior (2016-17). As a senior, he averaged 12.8 ppg., 9.3 rpg. and 3.4 blkpg., and earned both McDonald’s and Jordan Brand All-American honors. Bamba was one of five finalists for the Naismith National High School Player of the Year.

Hawks trade for draft rights to No. 5 overall pick Trae Young

The Atlanta Hawks acquired the draft rights to Oklahoma guard Trae Young, the fifth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, as well as a protected 2019 first round draft pick from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for the draft rights to Luka Doncic (the third overall selection). Atlanta also selected Maryland guard Kevin Huerter 19th overall and Villanova forward Omari Spellman 30th overall in the first round.

An early-entry candidate, the 6’2 Young was a consensus First Team All-American as a freshman after becoming the first player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in scoring (27.4 ppg) and assists (8.7 apg), while also averaging 3.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 35.4 minutes (.422 FG%, .360 3FG%, .861 FT%) in 32 games (all starts). His scoring average was the highest in Big 12 history and his assists per game rank second on the all-time list. The Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Year award winner, Young was also a unanimous All-Big 12 First Team selection and named the conference’s Freshman and Newcomer of the Year.

“We love his (Young) ability to pass the ball, to make other players better with his court vision,” said Hawks General Manager and Head of Basketball Operations Travis Schlenk. “Obviously, he gets a lot of notoriety for his long-range shooting, but I think his ability to pass the ball is what we really liked about him.”

A former McDonald’s and Jordan Brand All-American in high school, Young recorded four 40-point games at Oklahoma and became the first major conference player in NCAA history to tally 800 points and 250 assists in a single season.

Huerter, also an early-entry candidate, averaged 14.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 34.4 minutes (.503 FG%, .417 3FG%, .758 FT%) as a sophomore while starting 32 games, garnering All-Big 10 Honorable Mention and All-Academic Big 10 honors. He ranked fourth in the conference in minutes per game and ninth in 3FG%. For his career, the 6’7 Huerter posted 12.0 points, 5.0 rebound and 3.0 assists in 31.9 minutes (.466 FG%, .394 3FG%, .748 FT%) in 65 games (all starts).

Huerter won a Gold medal with USA Basketball at the 2016 U18 FIBA Americas and a Bronze medal at the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup.

“Kevin is a versatile player with the ability to really shoot the ball, and we’re thrilled he was available at 19,” Schlenk said. “With his size and athleticism, he’ll be a great fit with our club.”

Spellman entered the draft after a redshirt freshman season at Villanova that saw him named the Big East Freshman of the Year while helping the Wildcats to the 2018 National Championship. He averaged 10.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 28.1 minutes (.476 FG%, .433 3FG%, .700 FT%) in 40 games (39 starting assignments).

The 6’9 Spellman ranked second in the Big East in blocks and fourth in both rebounding and 3FG%.

“Omari is a proven winner with great work ethic and I believe he’ll be able to help our team in a number of areas,” Schlenk said. “His skills and range for a player his size are impressive and we’re excited about what he’ll bring to the team.”

Additionally, the Hawks acquired two future second round picks from Charlotte in exchange for the draft rights to Atlanta’s second round pick (34th overall) Devonte’ Graham.