The NBA splitting its draft into a two-night affair helped limit the number of trades during the first round.
Commissioner Adam Silver announced two of the three proposed trades Wednesday night. No deal can be official until July 6 when the league’s new year begins, but that’s never stopped NBA teams from swapping players and selections.
Before the draft got under way, the Portland Trail Blazers acquired forward Deni Avdija from the Washington Wizards in exchange for guard Malcolm Brogdon, the 14th pick in this year’s draft and a first-round pick in 2029.
A person familiar with the deal confirmed the trade to the The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because it had not been announced. Silver later detailed the deal during the first round.
The Blazers made the pick, selecting Carlton “Bub” Carrington out of Pitt. Carrington averaged 13.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in his lone college season. The Wizards also took French center Alex Sarr with the No. 2 overall pick.
Minnesota also agreed on a trade with the San Antonio Spurs to get Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham, the eighth overall pick.
The Timberwolves will complete the deal by sending to the Spurs their unprotected 2031 first-round pick and make a 2030 swap that’s protected for the top pick, both ESPN and The Athletic reported.
Dillingham spent his only college season at Kentucky, averaging 15.2 points, 3.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 23.3 minutes per game while making 44.4% of his 3-point attempts. The native of North Carolina is a shot creator and dynamic scorer who can give the Timberwolves some needed production off the bench.
The Suns made the final move of the first round, dealing their No. 22 pick to the Denver Nuggets for the No. 28 pick, No. 56 pick and two future second-round selections.
The Nuggets took Dayton big man DaRon Holmes II at No. 22 while the Suns grabbed Virginia’s Ryan Dunn with the 28th pick, adding arguably the draft’s premier defensive prospect. Denver might’ve gotten a steal with Holmes, a three-time All-Defensive player while averaging 20.4 points his final college season.
Denver general manager Calvin Booth said the team liked the jump Holmes took as a 3-point shooter along with his experience. The Nuggets saw Minnesota as a potential threat to grab Holmes.
“It was important for us to get ahead and get our guy,” Booth said.
The Nets didn’t wait for the draft to start, making a big move Tuesday night trading Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks, where he’ll be rejoining former Villanova teammates in a deal confirmed to The Associated Press under condition of anonymity because it is not yet official.
It was the first trade between the New York rivals since 1983 and will put Bridges in the lineup alongside Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, players who helped Villanova win two NCAA championships, and join a core that got the Knicks to the Eastern Conference semifinals last season.
The Knicks will pay big to get him, with ESPN reporting that they are sending Bojan Bogdanovic to the Nets along with four unprotected first-round picks and one protected pick.
___ AP Sports Writers Tim Reynolds, Anne M. Peterson, Dave Campbell, David Brandt and Noah Trister and AP Freelance Writer Dennis Georgatos contributed to this report.
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