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.
Advertisement
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.”
Five of the first seven players selected were freshmen, also an NBA record. It was also a big night for the Pac-10 Conference, which had five of the first 11 picks.
Kevin Love went to Memphis at No. 5. The New York Knicks followed 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.
•Long wait: It took a while, but Darrell Arthur finally made it up on stage at the draft. The Kansas forward, initially considered a mid-round pick, fell to the end of the first round when New Orleans took him 27th. Even commissioner David Stern clapped after he announced Arthur's name.
"I was waiting there anxiously, just nervous,” said Arthur, who averaged 12.8 points and 6.3 rebounds last season. "I didn't know when I was going to get picked up. So me and my mom, me and my family were waiting patiently and just trying to see who was going to pick us up.”
There were reports that Arthur dropped because of a kidney condition that scared off some teams.
"I slipped a lot because they said I had a kidney problem,” Arthur said. "But I did some blood work in Washington and everything came out fine.”
•Nets trade Jefferson: The New Jersey Nets decided to part ways with the second-leading scorer in franchise history, dealing Richard Jefferson to Milwaukee hours before the draft Thursday for forwards Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons.
•Pacers send Bayless to Trail Blazers: The Indiana Pacers traded first-round draft pick Jerryd Bayless to the Portland Trail Blazers for No. 13 pick Brandon Rush, Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts.
Bayless was selected 11th overall. The Pacers also sent forward Ike Diogu to Portland.
Compiled from wire reports
Thank you for joining our conversations on NewsOK.com. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Editor's note: It is not our intent to offer comments on crime or fatality stories.
Leave a comment.
Log in below or sign up (it's free).
NEW YORK (AP) -- Minutes after the NBA draft started, Derrick Rose learned he was headed home. Long after it ended, O.J. Mayo and Kevin Love were on the move. A night that began with the expected pick ended with a stunning trade, which had two top-five selections changing teams as part of an eight-player deal between Minnesota and Memphis. The Timberwolves dealt the rights to Mayo, the No. 3 pick, to the Grizzlies for Love, taken two spots later, in a trade that wasn't completed until past 2 a.m. EDT, some two hours after Boston made the 60th and final pick of the draft.
Minnesota also received Mike Miller, Jason Collins and Brian Cardinal, and sent Antoine Walker, Marko Jaric and Greg Buckner to Memphis.
"We fully expected to have O.J. on our team next year," Minnesota assistant general manager Fred Hoiberg said. "This deal came up very late in the draft. We just felt this deal had too many pieces that addressed needs that we had that we just couldn't pass it up."
"Plans are on the fly in this business," Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace said. "We were hoping to get O.J., but awhile back it was obvious he was not going to drop to five."
Sonics pick defense Westbrook wants to get the ball... 06/27/2008 The Seattle SuperSonics selected UCLA guard Russell Westbrook with the No. 4 overall pick in Thursday night's NBA Draft. Westbrook will join Kevin Durant and...
Westbrook a building block for defense 06/27/2008 Your Sonics need a point guard, and with Derrick Rose, Deron Williams and Sir Chris Paul unavailable for selection about 15 minutes into the NBA draft...
Sonics quoteboard 06/27/2008 "When I look at that selection, I cannot believe they passed up on Kevin Love. You can always find some guards later. But a guy like Love, you put Love,...
Sonics draft capsules 06/27/2008 The Russell Westbrook file Age: 19 Position: Point guard Height: 6-foot-3 Weight: 190 Averages: 12.7 points, 4.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 1.6 steals...
2008 NBA Draft Selections 06/27/2008 2008 NBA Draft Selections Thursday, June 26 At New York First Round 1. Chicago, Derrick Rose, g, Memphis. 2. Miami, Michael Beasley, f, Kansas...
Fate of Sonics rests with judge The team will learn... 06/27/2008 SEATTLE — U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman will announce Wednesday whether the SuperSonics can move to Oklahoma City this year or must fulfill the last...
Celtics draft Giddens; Jackson goes to Heat 06/27/2008 Oklahoma City natives J.R. Giddens and Darnell Jackson were both selected in Thursday night's NBA Draft. Giddens, the former John Marshall standout who...
1
Thank you for joining our conversations on NewsOK.com. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Leave a comment. Log in below or sign up (it's free).Editor's note: It is not our intent to offer comments on crime or fatality stories.
Minnesota also received Mike Miller, Jason Collins and Brian Cardinal, and sent Antoine Walker, Marko Jaric and Greg Buckner to Memphis.
"We fully expected to have O.J. on our team next year," Minnesota assistant general manager Fred Hoiberg said. "This deal came up very late in the draft. We just felt this deal had too many pieces that addressed needs that we had that we just couldn't pass it up."
"Plans are on the fly in this business," Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace said. "We were hoping to get O.J., but awhile back it was obvious he was not going to drop to five."