Kansas’ superb athlete Andrew Wiggins and Duke’s offensive force Jabari Parker went first and second in the NBA Draft on Thursday night.
They probably can thank Joel Embiid’s fractured foot for their status.
Embiid almost universally was ranked as the draft’s top choice, but a stress fracture in his foot incurred during workouts resulted in surgery last week and caused the top two teams to pass. That left Embiid for the Sixers at No. 3.
And it opened the door for Wiggins to go to the Cavs at No. 1 while leaving Parker for Milwaukee, his preferred location.
“A thousand thoughts are going through my head right now. It’s a dream come true. I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I was a little kid,” said Wiggins, who became the second consecutive native Canadian to be drafted No. 1 — and the second by the Cavs as he joined last year’s top choice, Anthony Bennett.
But Wiggins might not have realized that dream if not for his 7-foot Kansas teammate, Embiid, who also suffered an in-season back injury.
“A proud day. Me and Jo Jo, we became so close this year,” said Wiggins, regarded as an exceptional defender who drew criticism for deferring on offense. “It was so good that I had the chance to really share the journey with somebody that’s close to me … I’m just proud of him. He worked so hard. He didn’t let nothing get to him.”
Parker, considered the most NBA-ready player in the draft, especially offensively where he can score inside and outside, wanted to be selected by Milwaukee with its proximity to his hometown of Chicago. And he liked the Bucks because they obviously liked him.
“I was just going off what I was given. They told me that they’re all in,” Parker said. “They’re a young team. I feel like I can contribute right off the bat. I feel like I’m going to be able to grow with that organization and I’m trying to be a throwback player, only stick with one team. This might bite me in the butt years from now, but right now I just want to stick with whoever’s rolling with me.”
The Magic chose 6-foot-9 Arizona forward Aaron Gordon fourth and the Jazz took athletic Australian combo guard Dante Exum No. 5. The Celtics grabbed Oklahoma State point guard Marcus Smart at No. 6, which could open a market for Rajon Rondo. The Lakers, with a rare lottery pick along with the Celtics, took Kentucky forward Julius Randle, ignoring reports of a foot injury.
“I really wasn’t worried about it. Whatever organization or team I went to, I would be blessed to go to,” Randle said about falling.
Rounding out the top 10, the Kings selected Michigan guard Nik Stauskas eighth, the Hornets grabbed 6-foot-10 Indiana forward Noah Vonleh ninth and the Sixers raised some eyebrows at 10 when they took Louisiana-Lafayette’s Elfrid Payton, a point guard, the same position manned by reigning Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams.
But those eyebrows quickly dropped with one of the night’s trades. Philly sent Payton to Orlando for the 12th pick, Dario Saric, a 6-foot-10 Croatian forward who already is signed to play in Turkey, plus future first- and second-rounders.
In between 10 and 12, the Nuggets, with the No. 11 pick originally owned by the Knicks, took Doug McDermott, Creighton’s 3,000-point scorer. McDermott was sent along with Anthony Randolph to the Bulls for Denver’s 16th and 19th picks and a 2015 second-rounder.
Thursday’s picks turned out to be 6-foot-11 Bosnian center Jusuf Nurkic and Michigan State shooting guard Gary Harris.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, the man who banned Clippers owner Donald Sterling, received an overwhelmingly favorable reception early and earned more points with the crowd when, after the 15th pick, he announced, “The NBA selects Isaiah Austin.”
Austin is the Baylor center, blind in one eye, whose pro career was permanently dashed when it was discovered he suffers from Marfan syndrome, a genetic condition that weakens the body’s connective tissue. Doctors told him to immediately stop playing because physical contact to his sternum or chest could be life-threatening.
Syracuse guard Tyler Ennis went No. 18 to the Suns, who had taken N.C. State shooting guard T.J. Warren 14th. UConn two-time NCAA title-winning point guard Shabazz Napier was chosen 24th by the Hornets — and promptly traded to the Heat, with whom he has a very big backer in one LeBron James.