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NBA Draft: Anthony Edwards selected No. 1 by the Minnesota Timberwolves
SportsPulse: The Georgia product will now call Minnesota home after being selected No. 1 by the Timberwolves and USA TODAY Sports’ Scott Gleeson tells us what they can expect.
The Philadelphia 76ers traded Al Horford to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Danny Green in a multi-player, multi-pick deal, a person familiar with the trade told USA TODAY Sports.
The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly until the trade is official.
The 76ers, who also get Terrance Ferguson from Oklahoma City, will also send to Oklahoma City the 34th pick in Wednesday’s draft, a protected first-round pick in the 2025 draft and the rights to Serbian point guard Vasilije Micic, whom the Sixers selected with the 52nd pick in the 2014 draft.
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That wasn’t the only deal the Sixers made on Wednesday. They also acquired Seth Curry from Dallas for Josh Richardson. Sixers coach Doc Rivers is Curry’s father-in-law. Curry is married to Rivers’ daughter, Callie. Rivers also coached his son, Austin, for three-plus seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Oklahoma City continues to stockpile draft picks as it tries to reload. The Thunder now have at least a dozen first-round picks through 2026, giving general manager Sam Presti ample opportunity to score big in the draft. In the past week, the Thunder have accumulated three first-round picks in trades with the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Sixers.
In Wednesday night’s draft, the Thunder have two first-round picks (Nos. 25 and 28) and one second-round pick.
Micic, who plays in the Turkish pro league, may never join the NBA, but he is considered one of the best point guards in Europe.
The Sixers free themselves of a large contract and a bad fit. Horford, who has three years and $81 million left on his deal, just didn’t work in a lineup that featured center Joel Embiid and point-forward Ben Simmons.
Green, who was just traded to Oklahoma City from the Los Angeles Lakers for Dennis Schroder, is a better fit, giving the Sixers 3-point shooting and perimeter defense. Curry also provides 3-points shooting.
These are the first major moves for Daryl Morey, who was named Sixers president of basketball operations shortly after stepping down from a similar role with the Houston Rockets.
Rubio headed back to Minnesota
Just days after acquiring Ricky Rubio from Phoenix, Oklahoma City reached a deal with Minnesota to trade Rubio and the 25th and 28th picks in Wednesday’s draft to the Timberwolves for the No. 17 selection, a person familiar with the deal told USA TODAY Sports. The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly until the trade is official.
Rubio began his NBA career with the Timberwolves and returns with a chance to help them grow into a playoff team with Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards, the No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft.
Thunder GM Sam Presti has accumulated at least a dozen first-round picks through 2026 and used two of those first-rounders to move up to No. 17.
New Pistons GM making moves
The Houston Rockets traded forward Trevor Ariza and the No. 16 pick in Wednesday’s draft to the Detroit Pistons for a future first-round pick, a person with knowledge of the trade told USA TODAY Sports.
The Pistons also acquired the No. 19 pick from Brooklyn in a three-way trade with Brooklyn and the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers traded Landry Shamet to Brooklyn and acquired Luke Kennard from Detroit. The Clippers also sent Rodney McGruder to the Pistons.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly until the deal is official.
The deal gives first-year Pistons general manager Troy Weaver three first-round picks – Nos. 7, 16 and 19.
The Rockets had acquired the No. 16 pick from Portland in a trade that sent Robert Covington from Houston to the Trail Blazers.
