Originally published June 26, 2008 at 7:22 p.m., updated June 26, 2008 at noon
Kansas added to its historic basketball season this evening as a record five players were taken in the NBA Draft from this year's championship team. Only two other college teams, Florida in 2007 and Connecticut in 2006, in the history of the NBA Draft had that many players chosen.
Brandon Rush was the first Kansas player to hear NBA commissioner David Stern call his name when the Portland Trailblazers selected him 13th overall. Rush wasn't a Trailblazer for long, though. Portland traded Rush to the Indiana Pacers shortly after. Rush said he anticipated the swap.
"My agent kind of told me about that when they called my name," Rush said on ESPN. "He said it might happen, it might not. I'm happy about it anyway"
Rush will team up with his brother Kareem in Indiana. Rush and Arthur almost found themselves teammates in the NBA. With the 27th pick, the Portland Trailblazers grabbed Darrell Arthur via the New Orleans Hornets. The Blazers received the Hornets' pick before the draft for cash considerations.
Confusing already, right? It had just begun. The Trailblazers dealt Arthur to the Houston Rockets for French-player Nicolas Batum later in the night. But Arthur finally wound up in Memphis as the Grizzlies traded one of their first-round draft picks, Syracuse forward Donte Green, for him.
"It was nervous for me," Arthur said on ESPN. "I was just waiting patiently and trying to see what team was going to take me."
ESPN.com's Ric Bucher reported Arthur fell below where he was expected to be taken because of a previously unknown issue with his kidneys. Arthur, however, told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that his kidneys were healthy.
"My health is fine," he said. "I took another blood test in Washington and everything came up fine."
The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Mario Chalmers 34th overall, fourth in the second round, and traded him to the Miami Heat for two future picks and cash considerations. Because he fell to the second round, Chalmers will not receive a guaranteed contract and will have to play his way onto the team next season.
The Heat used their final pick, 52nd overall, on Darnell Jackson and just like Rush and Arthur, it looked imminent that Chalmers and Jackson would team up in the NBA. Not so fast. In the middle of the night, the Miami Heat traded Jackson to the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team that Kansas coach Bill Self said had great interest in Jackson prior to the draft.
Sasha Kaun will play in Russia next year for CSKA Moscow but the Seattle SuperSonics still picked the Kansas center with the 56th selection. The Sonics subsequently traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who will hold his rights in case he decides to return to the United States.
"It's awesome to get the opportunity to join a good program," Kaun said. "I worked out there and had a lot of fun."
A wild night at the draft
Five Jayhawks were selected in this year’s NBA Draft, but each was ...
Oh, the places Hawks will go!
Coach Bill Self expects five Jayhawks to be picked in this year’s ...
Cavs give ex-Jayhawk a chance, contract
Darnell Jackson signs contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers while Sasha Kaun will ...
Summer leagues offer beneficial practice for former ...
Mario Chalmers shows off his potential to Miami and guarantees himself a ...
Where will all the Jayhawks go?
As three Jayhawks hope to become first round picks in Thursday night's ...
High expectations for KU alumni in the ...
All eyes, especially Cole Aldrich’s, are on NBA rookies Brandon Rush, Mario ...
Jayhawk rookies starting to shine in NBA
Rush, Chalmers look to All-Stars for guidance in NBA
Chalmers to stay in the NBA Draft
Chalmers will forfeit his final year of eligibility at Kansas to pursue ...
Former Hawks take game to NBA
Mario Chalmers leads the pack of former-Jayhawk rookies in the NBA. Check ...
Profiling the legends: Rush and Chalmers
Brandon Rush and Mario return to Allen Fieldhouse next weekend for Legends ...
Former players in the NBA
More than 69 former players have been drafted to the NBA, twenty ...
Jayhawks off to the NBA
Brandon Rush and Darrel Arthur declared their intention to enter the NBA ...
Simien's dreams come true in NBA draft
Chalmers’ second round pick belies his worth
The former KU guard's slip into the second round might have proven ...
Should he stay or should he go?
Champion debaters take sides on Sherron Collins’ basketball future.
Jayhawks move on after losing star player ...
The Kansas men’s basketball team has started preparing for next season without ...
Rush still undecided about draft
Brandon Rush will announce by the end of the week whether he ...
Former Jayhawks look to soar in NFL
FedEx Orange Bowl MVP Aqib Talib taken in first round; also drafted ...
Success of NBA players crucial to college ...
Former Jayhawks' success in the NBA help out the team.
Former Jayhawks booted from NBA program
Chalmers and Arthur expelled from rookie symposium after getting caught with marijuana
Dar(r/n)ell off the bench
Darnell Jackson and Darrell Arthur took entirely different roads to Kansas basketball. ...
Rush earns All Big 12 First Team ...
Collins wins Sixth Man of the Year; Chalmers, Robinson named to Big ...
Sarraf: Rush should stay in draft
Another year with the Jayhawks would not do much to improve the ...
Morning Brew: Pick your player
Two first year NBA players have similar records, but remarkably different salaries.
Departing players leave uncertain future for Jayhawks
Kansas stands to lose five players to graduation and other may be ...
Exhibition game brings former Jayhawks
Sprint Center game brings Mario Chalmers, Cole Aldrich, and Nick Collison close ...
Chalmers announces he will enter draft, not ...
The junior guard held a press conference at 2 p.m. today and ...
Collison, Aldrich remain legends
Legends of the Phog Cole Aldrich and Nick Collison stand tall in ...
Four Jayhawks NFL-bound
Talib was the second cornerback taken in the NFL Draft.
Rush signs up for NBA
Rush met with Self to discuss the pros and cons of leaving ...
Morning Brew: A look at Jayhawks in ...
Live from the NBA Draft
Cole Aldrich, Xavier Henry and Sherron Collins will likely be selected in ...
Davis: Next year's NBA draft could have ...
New season, new focus for Arthur
Sophomore forward Darell Arthur is sharpening the passing facet of his game ...
Rush, Arthur headed to the NBA
Brandon Rush and Darrell Arthur announced their intentions to enter the NBA ...
Who will be back for the '07-'08 ...
After a disappointing end to an otherwise successful season, speculations arise about ...
Morning Brew: The top-five worst draft picks ...
A look into the past at some of sports worst draft picks.
Chalmers faces tough competition in draft
Mario Chalmers will be entering the NBA Draft without an agent, meaning ...
Two Jayhawks left out of NBA draft
Connecticut Sun draft McCray at No. 7
Kansas’ senior guard joins overall No.1 pick, UConn’s Tina Charles, in Connecticut.
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
KUnited presidential candidate Libby Johnson and vice presidential ...
1 comment
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID