12:20 a.m.: The 2014 NBA draft is in the books. Here’s a rundown of final 20 selections:
41) Nuggets: Nikola Jokic, PF, Serbia
42) Rockets: Nick Johson, SG, Arizona
43) Hawks: Walter Tavares, C, Spain
44) Timberwolves: Markel Brown, SG, Oklahoma State
45) Hornets: Dwight Powell, PF, Stanford
46) Wizards: Jordan Clarkson, PG, Missouri
47) 76ers: Russ Smith, SG, Louisville
48) Bucks: Lamar Patterson, SF, Pittsburgh
49) Bulls: Cameron Bairstow, PF, New Mexico
50) Suns: Alec Brown, C, Wisconsin-Green Bay
51) Knicks: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, SF, D-League
52) 76ers: Vasilije Micic, PG, Serbia
53) Timberwolves: Alessandro Gentile, SF, Italy
54) 76ers: Nemanja Dangubic, SG, Serbia
55) Heat: Semaj Christon, PG, Xavier
56) Nuggets: Roy Devyn Marble, SF, Iowa
57) Pacers: Louis Labeyrie, C, France
58) Spurs: Jordan McRae, SG, Tennessee
59) Raptors: Xavier Thames, SG, San Diego State
60) Spurs: Cory Jefferson, PF, Baylor
11:18 p.m.: The picks are coming fast and furious now. Here are Nos. 35 through 40:
35) Jazz: Jarnell Stokes, PF, Tennessee
36) Bucks: Johnny O’Bryant, PF, LSU
37) Raptors: DeAndre Daniels, SF, UConn
38) Pistons: Spencer Dinwiddie, PG, Colorado
39) 76ers: Jerami Grant, SF, Syracuse
40) Timberwolves: Glenn Robinson III, SF, Michigan
11:07 p.m.: The Cavaliers select Virginia guard Joe Harris with the 33rd pick, and the Knicks follow by picking Wichita State’s Cleanthony Early at No. 34. Many thought Early would be a first-rounder entering tonight.
11 p.m.: Clemson’s K.J. McDaniels goes to the Sixers at No. 32. McDaniels led the ACC in blocks in each of the last two seasons.
10:57 p.m.: French power forward Damien Inglis is the first pick of the second round, going to the Bucks at No. 31.
10:45 p.m.: The NBA champion San Antonio Spurs close out the first round by selecting UCLA small forward Kyle Anderson.
10:38 p.m.: With the second-to-last pick of the first round, the Thunder select Stanford small forward Josh Huestis. Huestis is a defensive maven, with his 109 career blocks ranking first in Cardinal history.
10:31 p.m.: The Los Angeles Clippers take Washington shooting guard C.J. Wilcox at No. 28.
10:26 p.m.: The earlier-reported Magic-Sixers trade has been confirmed. Orlando sends No. 12 pick Dario Saric, a future first-round pick and a future second-rounder to Philadelphia in exchange for No. 10 pick Elfrid Payton.
With the No. 26 pick, the Suns have selected Serbian shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic.
10:20 p.m.: The Heat have selected ex-North Carolina star P.J. Hairston, who spent last season in the D-League after being suspended by UNC. He’s the first D-League player to be selected in the first round.
If the proposed trade goes through, Hairston will be sent to Charlotte in exchange for Shabazz Napier.
10:12 p.m.: The Rockets select Swiss power forward Clint Capela with the 25th pick. Capela most recently played professionally in France. He’s definitely a project pick, but scouts seem to believe he can develop into a Serge Ibaka-type defender within a few years.
10:06 p.m.:��LeBron James might get his wish.
The Charlotte Hornets selected UConn point guard Shabazz Napier with the 24th overall pick, but reports now are circulating that Napier will be traded to the Miami Heat. The Hornets will receive the Nos. 26 and 55 picks, as well as a future second-rounder, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
Had he remained in Charlotte, Napier would have been reunited with former UConn teammate Kemba Walker.
10:03 p.m.: Sorry for the delay, folks. Here’s a quick rundown of the latest picks:
18) Suns: Tyler Ennis, PG, Syracuse
19) Bulls: Gary Harris, SG, Michigan State
20) Raptors: Bruno Caboclo, SF, Brazil
21) Thunder: Mitch McGary, PF, Michigan
22) Grizzlies: Jordan Adams, SG, UCLA
23) Jazz: Rodney Hood, SF, Duke
9:25 p.m.: James Young is the pick for the Celtics.
Young, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard out of Kentucky, was a key part of the Wildcats’ run to the national title game, and he joins No. 6 pick Marcus Smart as the second backcourt player selected by the Celtics in this draft.
“Raw” is a word often used to describe Young, who doesn’t turn 19 until August and still has work to do in the ballhandling and shooting consistency departments.
9:19 p.m.: In a truly awesome moment, commissioner Adam Silver honored Baylor’s Isaiah Austin by selecting him on behalf of the NBA.
Austin, who is blind in one eye, was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome just days before the draft, ending his NBA career before it started. Austin always talks about not letting these hardships hold him back, and it was a pretty cool move for the league to give him some recognition.
Back to the draft, the Bulls select Jusuf Nurkic at No. 16. He’ll be sent to Denver if the proposed Doug McDermott trade is approved.
The Celtics now are on the clock to make their second selection.
9:09 p.m.: Adreian Payne goes to the Atlanta Hawks at No. 15.
An older player at 23, Payne is very athletic in the paint and also has the ability to drift out and shot from 3-point range. He averaged 16.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 0.9 blocks as a senior at Michigan State and has been praised for his character and intangibles.
9:01 p.m.: The Phoenix use the No. 14 overall pick to select N.C. State forward product T.J. Warren.
Warren earned ACC Player of the Year honors this past season, averaging 24.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game for the Wolfpack. He’s considered a great finisher with a nose for the basket, but scouts have torn apart his so-called “ugly” jump shot.
8:55 p.m.: The Minnesota Timberwolves have selected UCLA’s Zach LaVine with the 13th pick.
LaVine’s game is a bit raw, but he’s an absolute freak of an athlete. YouTube him, and you won’t be disappointed.
There’s also rumored to be another trade in the works. The Magic are set to trade Dario Saric to Philadelphia in exchange for Elfrid Payton, according to multiple reports. Stay tuned on that one.
8:52 p.m.: The Magic have used their second pick of the first round to select Croatian forward Dario Saric at No. 12.
It’ll be a while before Saric will be able to make his NBA debut, though. He’s signed through the next two years (his three-year contract includes a second-year opt-out clause) with a team in Turkey, which many experts believe will be a positive for his development.
8:48 p.m.: Whelp, that was quick.
Minutes after being drafted by the Nuggets, McDermott was traded to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for the Nos. 16 and 19 overall picks in this draft. The trade is still awaiting league approval.
8:42 p.m.: Dougie McBuckets is off the board.
The Denver Nuggets have used the No. 11 pick to select Creighton’s Doug McDermott, the consensus national player of the year. As his nickname suggests, McDermott is an elite scorer, leading all of Division I with a 26.7 points-per-game average as a senior.
In his pre-draft interviews, though, McDermott said he wanted to prove he can do more than put the ball in the net.
“I feel like I can move a lot better than people give me credit for,” he said after a workout with the Celtics earlier this month. “I think I’m a little more athletic, as well. I think people know I can shoot, but I feel like I can shoot off one or two dribbles. I feel like I’ve really improved in that area.”
8:34 p.m.: With their second pick tonight, the Sixers take Louisiana-Lafayette’s Elfrid Payton.
Payton, considered by some to be the best pure point guard in this draft, saw his stock skyrocket over the last few months. He’s an excellent passer, averaging 5.9 assists per game for the Ragin’ Cajuns during his junior season.
8:28 p.m.: Haverhill, Mass., native Noah Vonleh goes No. 9 overall to the new-look Charlotte Hornets.
Vonleh was a rebounding force during his one season at Indiana, leading the Big Ten with 9.0 boards per game, and his 88-inch wingspan makes him a formidable rim protector.
He also has absolutely massive hands — a note that was discussed ad nauseam in the pre-draft process.
8:22 p.m.: Another Canadian is off the board, as the Kings select Big Ten Player of the Year Nik Stauskas of Michigan with the No. 8 pick.
Stauskas can shoot the lights out — averaging 17.5 points per game as a sophomore — and is especially deadly from deep. He’s also dangerous in transition, though, with the ability to stretch the floor and throw down an alley-oop or two.
His weakness: defense. He doesn’t play a whole lot of it.
8:17 p.m.: The Lakers, picking in the lottery for the first time in quite a while, select Kentucky’s Julius Randle with the seventh overall pick.
Randle is another big man who’s been rumored to have injury problems, though he’s denied those reports on multiple occasions.
During his post-selection interview, Randle told ESPN’s Jay Williams that he “should have gone higher for sure.”
8:12 p.m.: Marcus Smart is your newest Boston Celtic.
The Oklahoma State point guard was a projected top-five pick after the 2012-13 season before deciding to return for his sophomore year. He led the Cowboys in points (18.0 per game), assists (4.8) and steals (2.9) this past season while ranking second in rebounds with 5.9 per game.
Smart’s selection brings up an obvious predicament, as the Celtics already have an established point guard in Rajon Rondo. Smart raved about Rondo after his workout with the team, though, saying he would be honored to learn under the All-Star.
8:06 p.m.: Dante Exum is the first point guard off the board, as the Utah Jazz select the Australian with the sixth overall pick.
Most NBA fans probably do not know a whole lot about the 18-year-old, as he did not play college ball in the U.S., but Exum is the real deal, having reportedly drawn serious consideration from the Cavs as a potential No. 1 overall pick. Also, he just came out with a hilarious series of Foot Locker ads, which are worth checking out.
OK, here’s the big moment, Celtics fans. Boston is on the clock.
7:59 p.m.: The Magic select Arizona’s Aaron Gordon with the No. 4 pick.
Gordon is incredibly athletic and an elite defender, though he’s caught significant flak over his poor shooting, especially from the free throw line. He said at a workout with the Celtics recently that he has completely retooled his shot during the offseason.
Many Celtics fans here at TD Garden wanted to see Gordon drop to No. 6, and they made their displeasure known upon the announcement of Orlando’s selection.
7:53 p.m.: Joel Embiid will not be a Boston Celtic. The Sixers have selected Kansas product with the No. 3 overall pick.
It’s the second year in a row Philadelphia has used its top pick on an injured big man, following the selection of Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel last season.
When Embiid is healthy enough to play — he’s out for four to six months after undergoing foot surgery — he, Noel and defending Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams have the potential to form a dynamite young nucleus down in Philly.
And, the Sixers still have a first-round pick to spare. They’ll pick 10th — a spoil from the trade for Noel last season.
The Orlando Magic are on the clock
7:50 p.m.: Some Celtics news while the 76ers sit on the clock: Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Celtics and Kings are discussing a deal that would send Ben McLemore — a 2013 first-rounder — to Boston in exchange for the No. 6 pick.
7:47 p.m.: The Bucks do indeed select Jabari Parker, who made the leap to the NBA after one very successful season at Duke.
Parker, a Chicago native, was a first-team All-American and the national freshman of the year in 2013-14 after averaging 19.1 points and 8.7 boards per game for the Blue Devils.
Although he’s just 19 years old, Parker is arguably the best offensive player in this draft. He has some work to do on the defensive end, but he should be primed to make an immediate impact in Milwaukee.
7:40 p.m.: With the first pick in the 2014 NBA draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select … Andrew Wiggins.
No surprise here: the Cavs were said to be deciding between Wiggins and Jabari Parker, and Parker made it pretty clear this week that he has zero desire to play in Cleveland.
Wiggins, the second Canadian to go No. 1 in as many years (following fellow Cavs selection Anthony Bennett), was tabbed as the top NBA prospect before he even pulled on a Kansas jersey, and he did little to hurt his stock during his lone season in Lawrence.
Wiggins averaged 17.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for the Jayhawks, earning Big 12 Freshman of the Year and second-team All-American honors.
The Bucks are now on the clock with the No. 2 pick, which they almost certainly will use on Parker.
7:34 p.m.: Ladies and gentlemen, the Cleveland Cavaliers officially are on the clock. They have five minutes to finalize their choice.
7:15 p.m.: Massachusetts’ own Noah Vonleh is “on the slide,” front office sources tell Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski names the Lakers at No. 7 as a likely landing spot for the Haverhill native.
6:30 p.m.: Speaking of keeping picks, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge just now spoke with reporters, and while he did not speak in absolutes, he said “it looks like most likely” the team will hold onto its current selections (Nos. 6 and 17).
Ainge did add that he has had several “real conversations” about potential deals involving the picks, though.
— Ainge also was asked about the team’s stance on Joel Embiid, whose medical records the Celtics reviewed this week. Unsurprisingly, he declined to give any indication which direction he is leaning on the Kansas product.
“We have processed the information, and I believe in my medical staff,” he responded with a bit of a smirk30. “And that’s all.”
— On his earlier comments about this draft being “overhyped,” Ainge reiterated that he doesn’t see any “franchise-turners” in this draft class.
“I’ve always believed,” Ainge said, “that just like in every draft, there’s going to be players who are good, guys that can start, guys that can play in rotations on championship teams, and there will be a couple of them — two or three or four, maybe — that become NBA All-Stars. I wish I knew what one of those there would be, but when we start making the comparisons of LeBron James and Kevin Durant to kids before they even play a game of college, that’s sort of unfair. That’s what the hype was that I was referring to as overhyped. Let’s let them prove it before we start making comparisons.”
6 p.m.: It looks like the Cavaliers will end up keeping the No. 1 pick, a source told Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski.
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5:20 p.m. ET: With the first pick in the 2014 NBA draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select…
In about two hours, we’ll finally find out how that sentence ends.
The NBA draft is upon us, putting an end to weeks upon weeks of endless speculation, prognostication and overreaction. But after all of that, which player will go No. 1 overall is still very much an open question.
Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins and Duke’s Jabari Parker seem to be the top candidates to hear their name called first, but perhaps the most intriguing prospect on the board for Boston Celtics fans is Wiggins’ former teammate, Joel Embiid.
Embiid was all but penciled in as the No. 1 selection as recently as two weeks ago, but a foot fracture and ensuing surgery has caused him to drop significantly on many draft boards. The most recent report — from ESPN’s Bill Simmons — stated Thursday that Embiid’s injury might scare the Celtics away from selecting him if he falls to No. 6. Then again, it also was reported Wednesday that the center is “highly unlikely” to slip past the Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, who pick seventh.
So, we’ll just have to wait and see.
The Cavs are expected to make their pick — if they decide to keep it, that is — right around 7:30 p.m., followed by the Milwaukee Bucks at No. 2 and the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 3.
Here’s the full first-round order, which is, of course, subject to change:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Milwaukee Bucks
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. Orlando Magic
5. Utah Jazz
6. Boston Celtics
7. Los Angeles Lakers
8. Sacramento Kings
9. Charlotte Hornets (from Detroit)
10. Philadelphia 76ers (from New Orleans)
11. Denver Nuggets
12. Orlando Magic (from New York via Denver)
13. Minnesota Timberwolves
14. Phoenix Suns
15. Atlanta Hawks
16. Chicago Bulls (from Charlotte)
17. Boston Celtics (from Brooklyn)
18. Phoenix Suns (from Washington)
19. Chicago Bulls
20. Toronto Raptors
21. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Dallas via Houston/Lakers)
22. Memphis Grizzlies
23. Utah Jazz (from Golden State)
24. Charlotte Hornets (from Portland)
25. Houston Rockets
26. Miami Heat
27. Phoenix Suns (from Indiana)
28. Los Angeles Clippers
29. Oklahoma City Thunder
30. San Antonio Spurs
Oh, and if draft-night fashion is your thing, here’s what Wiggins is wearing for the occasion:
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Photo via Twitter/@GaryDzen
