Five Jayhawks selected in NBA Draft

By Case Keefer

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."

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