Editor’s note: As the Emerald went to press, the Phoenix Suns traded Malik Hairston and cash to the San Antonio Spurs for Goran Dragic, a Slovenian point guard drafted 45th overall, and other considerations, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
The long wait for the three Oregon seniors finally came to an end for two of them at the end of the second round of the NBA Draft.
Malik Hairston was the first to hear his name called with the Phoenix Suns making him the 48th pick.
The second Oregon selection may have been somewhat of a surprise, with Maarty Leunen joining former Duck Aaron Brooks in Houston with the 54th pick.
Bryce Taylor, whom some mock drafts had going before both Oregon teammates, went undrafted and will now have to sign a free agent contract and try to make an NBA squad this summer.
Hairston and Leunen appear to have landed in ideal situations.
The up-tempo style of play of Phoenix is similar to what Hairston has been accustomed to at Oregon, but the Suns may see a different style in Phoenix with a full season of Shaquille O’Neal and defense-minded coach Terry Porter replacing offensive maestro Mike D’Antoni.
But with Steve Nash as point guard – and Leandro Barbosa and Amare Stoudemire still on the roster – the Suns can still be expected to play some up-tempo basketball.
Hairston should have an opportunity to contribute with little depth at the guard and small forward spots behind rotation regulars Barbosa, Raja Bell and Grant Hill. Besides them, the 2007-08 roster featured little-used wing players D.J. Strawberry, Alando Tucker, Eric Piatkowski, Linton Johnson and Gordan Giricek.
In Houston, Leunen joins a team that has been able to find contributors in the second round. Carl Landry was a second-round pick and Chuck Hayes went undrafted, yet both were regulars in the Houston rotation under former Portland coach Rick Adelman.
Yao Ming’s presence in the post should be an ideal fit to create open shots on the perimeter for Leunen. Leunen, though, will probably have to earn a spot on the roster during summer league play.
On the whole, the draft was heavy on youth. A record 12 college freshmen were selected in the first round.
The first two picks went to Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley as expected with the Chicago Bulls taking the Memphis point guard and the Miami Heat taking the Kansas State forward.
Five of the first 12 picks came from the Pacific-10 Conference. It started with USC guard O.J. Mayo at three to Minnesota and followed by consecutive UCLA selections with Russell Westbrook to Seattle at No. 4 and Kevin Love to Memphis at No. 5. Mayo and Love were later traded for each other.
Stanford center Brook Lopez and Arizona guard Jerryd Bayless, both at times predicted to go in the top five, instead fell to No. 10 to New Jersey and No. 11 to Indiana, respectively.
The Portland Trail Blazers later acquired Bayless in a trade that sent Jarrett Jack, Josh McRoberts and No. 13 pick Brandon Rush to the Indiana Pacers for Bayless and forward Ike Diogu.