Blazers make draft-day trade to get Bayless
In this Feb. 2, 2008 file photo, Arizona's Jerryd Bayless, center, drives to the basket and scores against UCLA's Kevin Love, right, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, left, during the first half of the college basketball game in Los Angeles. By Associated PressPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Portland Trail Blazers were at it again on draft night, but the most significant deal they made Thursday was one they couldn't talk about. The Blazers unofficially acquired Jerryd Bayless, the 11th overall pick in the NBA draft by Indiana, and forward Ike Diogu in a draft-night trade with the Pacers. Portland selected Brandon Rush, a 6-foot-6 guard out of Kansas, with the 13th overall pick. But no sooner than his name was announced came word that he had been dealt. Portland sent Rush, guard Jarrett Jack and forward Josh McRoberts to Indiana in exchange for Bayless and Diogu, a four-year veteran. Rush's agent, Mark Bartelstein, revealed the deal Thursday night. However, neither the Blazers or Pacers could confirm it on the record because it hadn't been approved by the league. The Trail Blazers also acquired the 27th overall pick, forward Darrell Arthur out of Kansas, from New Orleans. The deal was made prior to the draft. But Arthur was also dealt before the end of the busy night for Portland general manager Kevin Pritchard, who has a reputation for maneuvering during the draft. "I can tell you right now we're on cloud nine," he said. "We feel like we improved our team." Last year the Blazers had the No. 1 pick in the drafted and selected 7-foot center Greg Oden, who had knee surgery before the season started and has yet to play for the team. Portland plans to build around a core of Oden, Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. As a freshman at Arizona last season, Bayless led the team in scoring with an average of 19.7 points per game. The 6-foot-3 guard appeared surprised during the draft telecast when told he was going to be a Blazer. "They're a great team already," he said. "I think they're just missing one or two parts." Diogu averaged 6.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game for the Pacers last season. Jack, who provided a spark off the bench for the Blazers, averaged 9.9 points, 3.8 assists and 2.9 rebounds. McRoberts, a rookie, had stints in the NBA's developmental league. Arthur was the sentimental favorite at the draft in New York when he was the last of the invited players to be selected. Teams apparently shied away from him because of undisclosed kidney problems. NBA commissioner David Stern applauded as Arthur came to the stage to a standing ovation at Madison Square Garden. The 6-foot-9 forward, known for his turnaround jumper, averaged 12.8 points and 6.3 rebounds for the NCAA champion Jayhawks. Portland acquired the selection from New Orleans for cash. In the second round, the Blazers selected Joey Dorsey, a 6-foot-9 forward out of Memphis, with the 33rd overall pick. With the 36th pick, Portland took 7-foot center Omer Asik of Turkey. But the Blazers weren't done dealing, and they traded Arthur and Dorsey to the Houston Rockets in exchange for the 25th overall pick, French forward Nicolas Batum. Asik was traded to Chicago for second-round picks next year. With the 55th pick, Portland selected guard Mike Taylor from the Idaho Stampede of the NBA's developmental league. Taylor played one season for Iowa State but was dismissed from the team last summer. Then the Blazers traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers for a second-round pick next year. Earlier Thursday, the Blazers announced that three-point specialist James Jones had decided not to exercise his contract option with the team. That makes Jones a free agent. The option would have made Jones a Trail Blazer through the upcoming season and paid him about $3.1 million. He can begin negotiating with other teams on Tuesday. The rest of the draft Derrick Rose is going home, and a record crowd of freshmen are following him to the NBA. The Chicago Bulls selected Rose, who grew up on the city's South Side, with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft Thursday night, choosing the Memphis guard over Kansas State forward Michael Beasley. With Beasley going second to Miami and Minnesota picking O.J. Mayo at No. 3, college freshmen made up the first three picks for the first time in draft history. "We actually talked about this earlier," Beasley said. "We all grew up together and we all grew up playing against each other and we all made a pact together that we would all be here. Just to see it all fall into place and see it all happen is kind of crazy." The Timberwolves dealt Mayo's rights to Memphis for the rights to Kevin Love, the No. 5 pick, in an eight-player deal after the draft ended. Minnesota also gets Mike Miller, Jason Collins and Brian Cardinal, and sent Antoine Walker, Marko Jaric and Greg Buckner to Memphis. A person with knowledge of the deal confirmed it to The Associated Press, speaking on the condition on anonymity because the trade had yet to be officially announced. Five of the first seven players selected and 10 in the first round were freshmen, both NBA records. It was also a big night for the Pac-10 Conference, which had five of the first 11 picks. Rose led the Tigers to the national championship game in his lone college season. The Bulls opted for the point guard's playmaking ability over the scoring and rebounding of Beasley, who ranked in the top three in the nation in both categories. "We talked so much about it. We really did," Bulls general manager John Paxson said. "Very honestly, at the end when we made our decision, it was unanimous with my scouts and coaches and myself. This was the direction we wanted to go in the end, and it has nothing to do with the talent of Michael Beasley. This had everything to do with the direction we felt was right for us." Rose is the Bulls' first No. 1 overall selection since they grabbed Elton Brand in 1999. He's the second straight freshman taken with the top pick, following Portland's Greg Oden last year. The 6-foot-3 guard put on a red Bulls cap, hugged some supporters, including Memphis coach John Calipari, and shook hands with Beasley, seated at a nearby table, before walking onto the stage to meet NBA commissioner David Stern. "I was a little nervous when they came back out, but I always had that in mind that I want to be No. 1," Rose said. "So it was great hearing my name and being the No. 1 pick." Rose should be an upgrade over Kirk Hinrich, who now could be traded, and gives the Bulls another option if they don't re-sign guard Ben Gordon. Expected to contend for a division title, the Bulls instead stumbled to a 33-49 record and eventually replaced two coaches. But with just a 1.7 percent chance, they won last month's draft lottery, giving them a chance to quickly return to the playoffs. "It feels great to go in and compete," Rose said. "I'm just blessed to be in that position right now, because a lot of people aren't. And just knowing that we are a few pieces away from really contending as a team, it just makes me happy." Miami settled for Beasley at No. 2, even though he wasn't sure if the Heat would go for Mayo instead. Beasley averaged 26.2 points, third in the nation, and topped Division I with 12.4 rebounds per game. But with questions about his size - he may be 2 inches shorter than the 6-foot-10 he's listed at - the Bulls may not have believed he could play the 4 spot in the NBA. After Mayo's selection, UCLA guard Russell Westbrook was the first non-freshmen taken, going fourth to the Seattle SuperSonics - with new teammate and reigning Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant standing and applauding the pick from the back. Love gave UCLA consecutive picks and the New York Knicks followed at No. 6 with Italian forward Danilo Gallinari, whose father played with new coach Mike D'Antoni overseas. Fans in Madison Square Garden weren't impressed, booing loudly. "It's part of the game, all the players have got to hear this," Gallinari said. "Not every time can you hear good things. It's normal." Indiana guard Eric Gordon became the fifth freshman taken, going to the Los Angeles Clippers at No. 7. West Virginia's Joe Alexander, whose stock began to rise after a strong run at Madison Square Garden in the Big East tournament, went to Milwaukee with the next pick. Charlotte gave new coach Larry Brown a point guard, taking D.J. Augustin of Texas with the ninth pick. New Jersey took Stanford center Brook Lopez at No. 10, and Arizona's Jerryd Bayless joined fellow Pac-10 guards Mayo and Westbrook by going 11th to Indiana. Bayless' rights were later traded to Portland along with Ike Diogu for the rights to Brandon Rush, the No. 13 pick from national champion Kansas, Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts. Rush's agent, Mark Bartelstein, told The Associated Press about the deal shortly after Rush was taken. The Pacers also had a proposed trade with the Toronto Raptors. Indiana would send six-time All-Star forward Jermaine O'Neal to Toronto for T.J. Ford, center Rasho Nesterovic, the 17th pick in the draft and a player to be determined. Sacramento pulled a surprise at No. 12 with Rider forward Jason Thompson, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference player of the year and the first senior taken. Golden State grabbed LSU forward Anthony Randolph - yet another freshman - with the 14th and final lottery pick. Robin Lopez joined twin brother Brook in the NBA when Phoenix chose him at No. 15. That started a run of big men in which Philadelphia took Florida's Marreese Speights, Toronto picked Roy Hibbert of Georgetown at No. 17, and Washington drafted Nevada 7-footer JaVale McGee with the 18th pick. After taking guards earlier, Seattle and Charlotte both went big with their second first-round picks. The Bobcats selected French center Alexis Aninca at No. 20 and the Sonics took Congo's Serge Ibaka four picks later. Darrell Arthur of Kansas was the final player in the green room, lasting until the 27th spot, where New Orleans grabbed him - and dealt his rights to Portland for cash in a previously arranged deal. The Trail Blazers then traded his rights to the Houston Rockets, who shipped them to Memphis in another transaction. NBA champion Boston chose J.R. Giddens of New Mexico with the 30th and final pick of the first round. Mario Chalmers, Darnell Jackson (No. 52, Miami) and Sasha Kaun (No. 56, Seattle) were taken in the second round, giving the Jayhawks five players in the draft - and all had their rights traded. Chalmers was picked by Minnesota but his rights were later dealt to Miami. Cleveland later acquired the rights to both Jackson and Kaun. Joey Dorsey (Portland, No. 33, rights traded to Houston) and Chris Douglas-Roberts (New Jersey, No. 40) of runner-up Memphis also were picked. Texas A&M center DeAndre Jordan, considered a possible lottery pick, tumbled to the Clippers at No. 35. Other well-known names going late in the draft included: UCLA's Luc Mbah a Moute (No. 37, Milwaukee); Georgetown's Patrick Ewing Jr. (No. 43, Sacramento); Kansas State's Bill Walker (No. 47, Washington, rights traded to Boston); and Kentucky's Joe Crawford (No. 58, Lakers). --- AP Sports Writers Cliff Brunt in Indianapolis, Jon Krawczynski in Minneapolis and Andrew Seligman in Chicago contributed to this report. |
YouNews
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled.
Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.
Stay Connected |
Connect with KPICMost Popular
|
You
