Kyrie Irving wants to be the cornerstone of the Cavaliers' franchise.
In a mildly shocking move at No. 4 overall, the Cavs selected Texas power forward Tristan Thompson.
Cavs general manager Chris Grant said they identified the two players early in the process.
The Cavs added the consensus No. 1 player in the 2011 draft.
Tonight, it came true as the Milwaukee Bucks drafted him with the No. 10 overall pick. Fredette emerged a few hours after his selection as a member of the Kings.
“(The contract) was a little thing that helped keep my mind straight,” Fredette said. At BYU, Fredette averaged 28.9 points, scoring 30 or more on 16 occasions. The Bucks received Stephen Jackson, Charlotte’s Shaun Livingston, Udrih and the rights to former Tennessee forward Tobias Harris, who was Charlotte’s No. 19 pick. The Bobcats locked up the No. 7 overall pick, Bismack Biyombo, and Corey Maggette from Milwaukee.
The Kings acquired guard John Salmons from Milwaukee and the rights to Fredette.
Thompson, who played at St. Benedict’s in Newark during his sophomore and part of his junior year will join former teammate Samardo Samuels and St. Patrick guard Kyrie Irving in Cleveland.
In an NBA draft full of surprises, the next great Canadian phenom may have provided the biggest.
Brampton’s Tristan Thompson, a tireless worker, ace rebounder and highly-regarded person for his level of maturity and personality, elevated himself to unprecedented heights when he was chosen fourth overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in one of the more shocking developments of Thursday’s draft.
The 6-9 power forward, who cut his basketball teeth in the United States prep school system before attending the University of Texas for one season, became the highest-drafted player ever from the Greater Toronto Area.
“We’re excited that people, I guess, call us pioneers,” Thompson said during the pre-draft process. It’s exciting that Cory and I led the way for a younger generation, I’m excited.
“Just ‘welcome to the family,’” was what Thompson got from Scott. I know a lot of people never expected it . . . it just shows the wonders that hard work puts in.”
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