University of Washington basketball fans often wondered how things would have gone had Martell Webster enrolled at the UW and teamed with Brandon Roy, rather than going straight to the NBA with the sixth pick in the 2005 NBA Draft.
Well, those fans will get a close-up view of that teaming many times over the next few years.
Roy, who led the Huskies to two-straight NCAA Tournament Sweet 16s and was the Pacific-10’s Player of the Year last season, will join Webster as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers following a draft-day trade Wednesday.
Roy was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the sixth pick in the NBA Draft and was traded to Portland for Villanova guard Randy Foye, who was taken with the seventh pick by Boston and traded to Portland. Portland made a deal earlier in the day with the Celtics in the hopes of taking Roy in the seventh spot, but Minnesota grabbed Roy before he could fall that far.
It was the second year a Washington player was taken in the first round and immediately traded. Nate Robinson was selected with the 23rd pick by the Phoenix Suns last season and sent to the New York Knicks.
Roy’s UW teammate Bobby Jones, a 6-foot-7 forward who was Lorenzo Romar’s first recruit when he was hired as the UW coach, was taken by the Timberwolves in the second round, the 37th pick overall. It was the first time two Washington players were taken in the draft since 1987.
The Timberwolves traded the rights to Jones to the Philadelphia 76ers for a second-round draft choice and cash.
Neither player was available for comment Wednesday night.
The Blazers had a busy day, also trading with Chicago to acquire Texas forward LaMarcus Aldridge, whom the Bulls picked with the second pick overall, and Phoenix to get guard Sergio Rodriguez of Spain, whom the Suns took with the 27th pick. Portland also drafted English center Joel Freeland with the last pick of the first round. The Blazers earlier traded point guard Sebastian Telfair to Boston. Portland President and interim General Manager Steve Patterson described the day as “a home run.”
Roy is the second-highest Husky ever taken in the draft after Bob Houbregs, who was taken third in 1953. The 6-foot-6 Roy, a former Garfield High School star, was the first guard taken in the draft.
Roy was the sixth Washington player to be selected in the first round.
Romar, reached in San Antonio where he is coaching the U.S. National U-18 team, said he thinks Portland is an excellent fit for Roy.
“It’s a great opportunity for Brandon,” Romar said. “I think he will fit in just fine. Playing for Nate McMillan will be just right for him. I’m very happy for him.”
Roy worked out for the Blazers recently and speculation was that McMillan, the former Sonic player and coach who is now Portland’s head coach, favored taking Roy with the fourth pick of the draft. Instead, the Blazers took LSU forward Tyrus Thomas before trading Thomas to Chicago for Aldridge.
“It seemed like they really liked him,” Romar said of the Blazers. “It seemed like they liked him for a long time. (McMillan) expressed that he really liked Brandon as a basketball player as well as a person.”
Portland finished last in the Northwest Division at 21-61 last season. The Blazers played the Sonics six times, including three times in Seattle.
Roy will join a young, crowded backcourt that includes Webster, the former Seattle Prep High star who averaged 6.6 points as a rookie last season. The Blazers’ top-scoring guard is Juan Dixon, who averaged 12.3 points. Steve Blake, who averaged 8.2 points and 4.5 assists, was the starting point guard and Jarrett Jack came off the bench to average 6.7 points.
The Blazers are one of the youngest teams in the league, and also one of the lowest-scoring, meaning that Roy, regarded as perhaps the best all-around player in the draft, could be asked to be a significant scorer right away. During the ESPN broadcast of the draft, the network’s analysts lauded Roy’s versatility, his character and his ability to lead.
Roy averaged 20.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals last season. He also shot 50.8 percent overall, 40.2 percent on 3-pointers and 81 percent from the foul line. He had declared for the NBA Draft after his senior season of high school, and considered it after his junior year at Washington as well.
Jones, on the other hand, will be asked to do what he’s always done: play defense. The Compton, Calif. native was regarded as possibly the best defensive player in the Pac-10 and if he is to make it in the NBA it will be as a defensive specialist. Jones averaged 10.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals last season.
Romar said seeing three players drafted in the last two years is a great advertisement for his program.
“It shows you can come in (to the UW) and reach your goals of getting to the next level.” Romar said. “I’m like a proud papa. I’m excited for those guys. They’re going to have great opportunities.”
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