NBA Draft Blog – Page 18 – NBA Blog

Heat, Hornets swap Shabazz Napier, PJ Hairston in draft-day trade

The Miami Heat announced today that they have acquired the draft rights to guard Shabazz Napier (24th overall) from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for the draft rights to P.J. Hairston (26th overall) and Semaj Christon (55th overall), a 2019 second-round draft choice and cash considerations.

“Shabazz Napier is a winner, he’s a two-time NCAA champion and he’s one of the elite players in college basketball,” said HEAT President Pat Riley. “We feel very fortunate we were able to acquire him and we feel like he fits in extremely well. He has a high motor, high basketball IQ, is a great shooter and has great character.”

Napier, a two-time NCAA champion, appeared in a school-record 143 career games (98 starts) for the Huskies and averaged 13.7 points, 4.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.76 steals and 32.3 minutes while shooting 41.1 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from three-point range and 81.3 percent from the foul line. He totaled 1,959 points while dishing out 646 assists, becoming the only player in school history to total at least 1,500 points and 500 assists.

During his senior season, Napier helped lead UConn to the 2014 NCAA Championship after appearing in 40 games (all starts) and averaging 18.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.83 steals and 35.1 minutes while shooting 42.9 percent from the field, 40.5 percent from three-point range and 87 percent from the foul line. He was named the 2014 American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and earned the 2014 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award. Additionally, he was a unanimous All-Conference First Team selection and named to the AP All-American First Team. He led his team in points (720), rebounds (196), assists (195), steals (73), field goals made (213), three-point field goals made (87) and free throws made (207) while capping his senior season averaging 21.2 points during the NCAA tournament, earning the Final Four and East Regional Most Outstanding Player honors.

Utah Jazz select Dante Exum, Rodney Hood in 2014 NBA Draft

The Utah Jazz selected guard Danté Exum with the fifth overall pick of the first round and added forward Rodney Hood with the 23rd overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft, held Thursday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The 6-6, 188-pound native of Melbourne, Australia, Exum averaged 18.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists with the Australian National Team at the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship in Prague. The 18-year-old led his team to the semifinals and was named to the 2013 U19 World Championship All-Tournament team.

In 2013, Exum guided his high school, Lake Ginninderra College, to the Australian School Championship. In addition, he participated in the 2013 Nike Hoop Summit for the World Select Team.

Exum’s father, Cecil, won an NCAA Championship with the University of North Carolina in 1982 alongside Michael Jordan and James Worthy, and was later selected by the Denver Nuggets in the 1984 NBA Draft.

Exum joins centers Enes Kanter and Rudy Gobert as the third international player on the current roster and becomes the sixth active Australian born player in the NBA.

Hood spent two seasons at Duke University after starting his collegiate career at Mississippi State University. A 2014 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Second Team selection, the Meridian, Miss., native averaged 16.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 42 percent from three-point range in 35 games his sophomore season. He also earned a spot on the conference’s All-Academic Team.

Duke’s team captain in 2013-14, Hood redshirted the 2012-13 season after transferring from Mississippi State. While at Mississippi State, he was selected to the 2012 All-Southeastern Conference Freshman Team.

The 21-year-old Hood becomes the first Duke product ever to be drafted by the Jazz.

Exum will wear jersey number 11 for the Jazz, while Hood will wear number No. 6.

Andrew Wiggins is first overall pick in 2014 NBA Draft

The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Andrew Wiggins with the first overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. The team also selected Joe Harris (33rd overall pick) in the second round.

Wiggins, 19, was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-League in his only year at Kansas. The Ontario, Canada native was selected to the John R. Wooden All-American Team, and a Second Team All-America choice by the AP, NABC, USBWA, SI.com and Sporting News. In 35 contests with the Jayhawks, the 6-8, 200-pound guard averaged 17.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.0 block in 32.8 minutes per game. He set Kansas freshman records in scoring average (17.1 ppg), points (597), field goals attempted (422), free throws made (176) and free throws attempted (227), while connecting on .775 from the free throw line and .341 from the three-point line.

Wiggins led Kansas in steals with 41 and was second on the team with 34 blocked shots. He posted a career high and freshman record 41 points at West Virginia on March 8 (first Jayhawk to break the 40-point barrier since Terry Brown on Jan. 5, 1991). He has represented Canada in FIBA play and averaged 15.2 points with 7.6 rebounds at the 2012 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, helping Canada finish third.

Harris, 22, spent four years at Virginia where he ranks first all-time in school history with 135 games played. The 6-6, 225-pound guard averaged 12.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 30.3 minutes for his career at Virginia. He also connected on .407 from the three-point line and owns the second-most three-pointers made in school history (263). Harris was named Second Team All-ACC as a senior and First Team All-ACC as a junior. The Chelan, Washington native also averaged double figures in scoring in each of his four years at Virginia and ranked 11th all-time in school history with 1,698 points scored.

Last season, Harris helped lead Virginia to its second ever outright ACC regular season title, with a 16–2 conference record, as well as only their second ever ACC Tournament title.

Magic trade Arron Afflalo to Nuggets

The Orlando Magic have acquired guard/forward Evan Fournier (forn-yay) and the draft rights to guard Roy Devyn Marble (56th overall pick) from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for guard Arron Afflalo, General Manager Rob Hennigan announced tonight.

“We’re excited to welcome Evan (Fournier) and his family to Orlando,” said Hennigan. “We believe Evan’s intriguing blend of talent and skill will be a benefit to our backcourt and to the continued growth and development of our team. Roy had an outstanding collegiate career and we look forward to adding him to our team.”

“We’d like to thank Arron (Afflalo) for his two seasons here in Orlando,” continued Hennigan. “Arron is a consummate professional and competitor, and we certainly wish him all the best.”

Fournier (6’7”, 204, 10/29/92) played in 76 games last season with the Nuggets, averaging 8.4 ppg., 2.7 rpg. and 1.5 apg. in 19.8 minpg., while shooting .376 (89-237) from three-point range. He led (or tied) the team in scoring six times and in assists twice. Fournier scored in double figures 27 times and had 20+ points four times, including a career-high 27 points on Feb. 23 vs. Sacramento.

Originally selected by Denver in the first round (20th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft, Fournier has appeared in 114 career NBA regular season games, all with the Nuggets, averaging 7.4 ppg., 2.1 rpg. and 1.4 apg. in 16.9 minpg., while shooting .381 (111-291) from three-point range. He also played in four career playoff outings, averaging 4.8 ppg. and 1.0 apg. in 13.3 minpg.

Marble (6’6”, 200, 9/21/92) played in 136 career games during four years at the University of Iowa, averaging 12.5 ppg., 3.4 rpg., 2.9 apg. and 1.29 stlpg. in 27.6 minpg. He ranks second on the school’s all-time games played list with 136. Marble also ranks in Hawkeyes’ history in scoring (fifth, 1,694 points), assists (sixth, 397) and steals (seventh, 176).

As a senior (2013-14), Marble played and started in 33 games, averaging 17.0 ppg., 3.6 apg., 3.2 rpg. and 1.82 stlpg. in 30.2 minpg. He was named First Team All-Big Ten after leading the team in scoring and ranked second in assists. Marble scored in double figures 27 times.

During his junior campaign (2012-13), Marble played and started in 37 games, averaging 15.0 ppg., 4.0 rpg., 3.0 apg. and 1.14 stlpg. in 30.5 minpg. He led the Hawkeyes in scoring and assists, and was named Third Team All-Big Ten.

Marble is the son of Roy Marble, a former NBA player and the all-time leading scorer in Iowa history.

Lakers trade for draft rights to Jordan Clarkson

The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired the draft rights to Jordan Clarkson, selected 46th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, from the Washington Wizards in exchange for cash considerations, it was announced tonight by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

Clarkson, a 6’5’’ junior guard from Missouri, was named Second Team All-SEC by the coaches in his lone season with the Tigers. An early entry candidate, Clarkson ranked among NCAA leaders in both free throws made (72nd) and percentage (101st), as well as field goals (51st) in 2013-14. The San Antonio, TX native spent his freshman and sophomore seasons at Tulsa, where he was selected First Team All-Conference USA in 2011-12, following his C-USA All-Freshman team honors in 2010-11.

Knicks draft Cleanthony Early, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, trade for Louis Labeyrie

New York Knicks President Phil Jackson announced today that in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft, the team has drafted Cleanthony Early from Wichita State with the 34th overall selection and Thanasis Antetokounmpo from Athens, Greece and the Delaware 87ers of the NBA D-League with the 51st overall selection. Both picks were acquired yesterday from Dallas.

Early, 6-8, 219-pounds, averaged 16.4 points and 5.9 rebounds in 36 games for the Shockers last season. The Middletown, NY native was named to the All-Valley First Team as a junior and senior after being named the NJCAA Division III Player of the Year twice for Sullivan County Community College.

Antetokounmpo, 6-7, 215-pounds, averaged 12.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in 50 games for the 87ers last season after playing professionally in Greece for two seasons.

In addition, the Knicks acquired the draft rights to Louis Labeyrie, the 57th overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft from Indiana for cash considerations. Labeyrie, 6-10, 200-pounds, is a 22-year-old Gonesse, France native who played professionally in his home country for the past three seasons.

Nuggets, Bulls deal Gary Harris, Jusuf Nurkic, Anthony Randolph Doug McDermott in draft-day trade

The Denver Nuggets have acquired the draft rights to G Gary Harris and the draft rights to C Jusuf Nurkic from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for F Anthony Randolph and the draft rights to F Doug McDermott, General Manager/Executive Vice President Tim Connelly announced tonight.

As part of the deal, Denver also received a second-round pick in 2015.

Harris, 6-4, 210, was taken 19th overall after averaging 16.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists as a sophomore at Michigan State last season. He was an All-Big Ten selection and received honorable mention in the Associated Press All-America voting.

Harris, 19, started 67 of 69 games in his college career and became just the third player in Michigan State history to score 1,000 points in two seasons. He also was the Big 10 Freshman of the year after averaging 12.9 points in 2012-13.

Nurkic, 7-0, 280, was selected 16th overall. The 19-year-old big man averaged 11.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in 28 games for Cedevita Zagreb of the Adriatic League in 2013-14.

In the second round, the Nuggets selected Nikola Jokic with the 41st overall pick. Jokic, 6-10, 254, averaged 7.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists for Mega Vizura Belgrade of the Serbian League last season.

Magic, Sixers trade Elfrid Payton, Dario Saric on draft night

The Orlando Magic have acquired the draft rights to guard Elfrid Payton (10th overall pick) from Philadelphia in exchange for the draft rights to Dario Saric (12th overall pick), a second round pick in 2015 and a future first round pick (the pick that was acquired by Orlando from Philadelphia in the Dwight Howard trade), General Manager Rob Hennigan announced tonight.

Payton (6’3”, 190, 2/22/94) played in 100 career games during three years at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, averaging 14.3 ppg., 5.1 rpg., 4.9 apg. and 1.97 stlpg. in 31.6 minpg. He is the school’s all-time leader in steals with 197.

As a junior (2013-14), Payton played and started all 35 games, averaging a team-high 19.2 ppg., 6.0 rpg., 5.9 apg. and 2.29 stlpg. in 35.9 minpg., while shooting .509 (237-466) from the floor. He led the Ragin’ Cajuns to a 23-12 record and their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2005. Payton was named the 2013-14 Lefty Driesell National Defensive Player of the Year and a Lou Henson All-American. He earned First Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors for the second straight season and was the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Payton led the conference in steals for the second straight year with 80. He scored 20+ points 14 times, had 30-or-more points four times and attempted a school-record 302 free throws (second in the nation). Payton was also one of only ten NCAA Division I players to record a triple-double with 34 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists on Jan. 4 vs. Lousiana-Monroe.

During his sophomore season (2012-13), Payton played and started all 33 games, averaging a team-high 15.9 ppg., 5.6 rpg., 5.5 apg. and 2.42 stlpg. in 35.5 minpg., earning First Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors. He was the only player in NCAA Division I to average 15.0 ppg., 5.0 rpg., 5.0 apg. and 2.00 stlpg. Payton led the Sun Belt Conference in assists and steals, ranked second in minutes played, third in scoring, fifth in assists-to-turnover ratio (1.60) and ninth in field goal percentage (.475).

As a freshman (2011-12), Payton played in all 32 games (11 starts), averaging 7.2 ppg., 3.6 rpg., 3.0 apg. and 1.16 stlpg. in 22.7 minpg., leading the team in assists.

Zach LaVine drafted by Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves tonight selected guard Zach LaVine from UCLA with the 13th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

LaVine, a 6-5 guard, appeared in all 37 games, making one start, as a freshman at UCLA this past season. He averaged 9.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, earning Pac 12 All-Freshman honors. He connected on 37.5% from three-point range, finishing the year with 48 made three-pointers, the second-highest made three-pointers by a UCLA freshman in school history. LaVine scored in double figures in 17 games, including nine of his first 10 contests.

Originally from Seattle, Wash., LaVine was a three-year varsity basketball letterwinner at Bothell High School. He was named the 2013 Associated Press Washington state player of the year after averaging 28.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game as a senior. His play earned him Class 4A All-State honors, in addition to being named Washington’s Mr. Basketball by the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association.

Andrew Wiggins selected first in 2014 NBA Draft

With the first pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected… Andrew Wiggins.

Hopefully Cavs star Kyrie Irving is pleased with the selection. Wiggins was expected to go in the two few picks, and was a strong favorite to go first overall, so this is not a surprise.

Here’s Wiggins, in the black/white blazer, black bow tie and a smile: