Sonics draft picks

RUSSELL WESTBROOK (First round, No. 4)

Position: Guard
Height/weight: 6-3/187
Born: Nov. 19, 1988
College: UCLA

Stats: Averaged 12.7 points and a team-best 4.3 assists last season. He played a school-record 1,318 minutes. Shot 46.5 from the field, 71.3 from the line last season; 46.4 from the field and 68.5 from the line in his two-year career.

The skinny: Considered a good defender – Westbrook was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year last season – he’s also a good athlete with an upside. … Offense needs some polishing, but has good explosiveness and leaping ability.

We talked to Russell Westbrook in a conference call at the Furtado Center and you can listen to part of that conversation here.

For a slide show of Westbrook, click here.

SERGE IBAKA (First round, No. 24)

Position: Forward/center
Height/weight: 6-10/220
Born: Sept. 18, 1989
Team: C.B. L’Hospitalet (Spain)

Stats: Playing in the Spanish LEB Gold League, Ibaka averaged 11.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game. He shot 53.3 from the field and 62.1 from the line.

The skinny: Most accounts say Ibaka, who has yet to turn 19, is a physical specimen with tremendous leaping ability but has raw skills and needs to add bulk. He’s a native of the Congo who has played only 30 professional games.

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Kaun is a 6-11 center out of Kansas. He's the fifth Jayhawk to be drafted tonight. And, he's got great potential for playing off his name... Chaka Khan, Genghis Kahn, The Wrath of Kahn, etc...

Sadly (??) he won't be a Sonic. GM Sam Presti told the media Kaun has been traded to Cleveland for cash. A Kaun-spiracy maybe?

Anyway, here are the final picks of the second round (52-60).

52. (Miami) Darnell Jackson, Kansas

53. (Utah) Tadija Dragicevic, Serbia

54. (Houston) Maarty Leunen, Oregon

55. (Portland) Mike Taylor, Idaho Stampede... 1st pick ever from NBDL

56. (Seattle) Sasha Kaun, Kansas

57. (San Antonio) James Gist, Maryland

58. (Lakers) Joe Crawford, Kentucky

59. (Detroit) Deron Washington, Virgina Tech

60. (Boston) Semih Erden, Turkey

With the 50th overall pick, the Sonics used a second-round pick to draft Cal center DeVon Hardin.

Hardin is a 6-11, 250-pound center who averaged 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots last year as a senior for the Bears. He finished his college career as teh school's second all-time leading shot blocker (132).

More second round picks:

46. (Detroit) Trent Plaisted, BYU

47. (Washington) Bill Walker, Kansas State

48. (Phoenix) Malik Harriston, Oregon

49. (Golden State) Richard Hendrix, Alabama

50. (Seattle) DeVon Hardin, Cal

51. (Dallas) Shan Foster, Vanderbilt

FYI: Seattle still has the 56th pick in this round.

Attorneys for the City of Seattle and Sonics finished closing arguments on Thursday, and U.S. District Court judge Marsha Pechman said she plans to post her decision on Wednesday afternoon.

Read my story from the final day of the trial here.

In an interview after the close of the trial, Seattle deputy mayor Tim Ceis said he was pleased with the way lead attorney Paul Lawrence presented the city's case in closing arguments, and believes the city has a strong case.

"He clearly laid out the strength of the city’s case to the judge, the strength of our claim for specific enforcement of the lease and why that is so important to the city of Seattle," Ceis said. "And not only to the City of Seattle but the people we represent. I thought it was particularly telling that the judge asked about sentimentality, how is it that the city can represent that sentiment of its citizens and the fans of basketball."

Listen to the full interview with Ceis and Lawrence here, and here.

41. (Indiana) Nathan Jawai, Australia

42. (Sacramento) Sam Singletary, Virginia

43. (Sacramento) Pat Ewing Jr., Georgetown

44. (Utah) Ante Tornic, Croatia

45. (San Antonio) Goran Dragic, Slovenia

36. (Portland) Omir Asik, Turkey

37. (Milwaukee) Luc Richard Mbah A Moute, UCLA

38. (Charlotte) Kyle Weaver, WSU

39. (Chicago) Sonny Weems, Arkansas

40. (New Jersey) Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis

Were four picks into the second round, and with the report of the Sonics trade, we're a little behind. Let's get caught up:

No. 31 (Minnesota) Nikola Pekovic, Montenegro

No. 32 (Seattle/Detroit) Walter Sharpe, UAB

No. 33 (Portland) Joey Dorsey, Memphis

No. 34 (Minnesota) Mario Chalmers, Kansas

No. 35 (L.A. Clippers) DeAndre Jordan, Texas A&M

ESPN is reporting that Seattle has traded two second round picks, No. 32 and No. 46, to Detroit for the rights to Detroit's first-round pick, D.J. White.

White was selected with the No. 29 pick. White, a 6-9, 251-pound forward, was the Big Ten's player of the year. He averaged 17.4 points and a conference-leading 10.3 rebounds for Indiana.

Personal: White turns 22 on Aug. 31. ... Was second-team All-America as a senior.... Finishes as Indiana's 16th all-time leading scorer and ninth all-time leading rebounder.

The World Champion Boston Celtics end the first round by taking J.R. Giddens from New Mexico with the 30th pick.

The Sonics have the 32, 46, 50 and 56 picks of the second round.

Next up: Minnesota (via Miami)

Forward D.J. White, who averaged a double-double last year at Indiana, is drafted by the Pistons with the next-to-last pick of the first round.

Next up: Boston (final pick of first round)

Donte' Green of Syracuse was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies with the No. 28 pick. Green, a 6-9 221 pound forward, is the 10th freshman taken.

Next up: Detroit

The Hornets draft Kansas's Darrell Arthur, who dropped in the drafted because of a kidney issue, with the No. 27 pick.

ESPN is reporting that Portland has traded with New Orleans for the rights to Arthur, who averaged 12.8 points for the Jayhawks last year.

Next up: Memphis (via Lakers)

The San Antonio Spurs drafted George Hill of IUPUI, a guard who is not in the draft media guide here at Sonics central.

Next up: New Orleans

Full name: Serge Jonas Ibaka Ngobila

Birthdate: Sept. 18, 1989 (18 years old)

Height: 6-10

Weight: 220

From: The Congo; played for C.B. L'Hospitalet in Spain last season, averaging 11.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.0 blocks.

Personal: Has 17 siblings. Both parents played basketball. Lived with his grandmother in the turbulent Congo in the mid-to-late '90s in a house that had no electricity or running water.

The Houston Rockets dipped into France to take 19-year-old swingman Nicolas Batum (6-8, 190 pounds) with the 25th pick.

Next up: San Antonio

Serge Ibaka, apparently, is a forward/center from the Congo.

He's listed at 6-10 and 220 pounds and is not yet 19 years old. His birthdate is Sept. 18, 1989.

This was the pick, from Phoenix, acquired in the Kurt Thomas deal.

Next up: Houston

Koufos, a big center out of Ohio State, goes one pick before the Sonics were to draft.

Next up: The Sonics for their second pick.

Lee, as you might know ... or not ... was the Sun Belt player of the year at Western Kentucky.

Next up: Utah

New Jersey grabs the Pac-10's leading scorer from last year, Cal forward Ryan Anderson. Anderson, who you might remember torched the Huskies, averaged 21.1 points per game.

Next up: Orlando

Charlotte drafts a 7-0, 220 pound center from France. Taht's Alexi Ajinca, no relation to Mohammed Sene as far as we know. He's supposed to have a 7-8 wingspan.

Next up: New Jersey (via Dallas)

At No. 19, the Cleveland Cavaliers take J.J. Hickson of North Carolina State, a 6-9, 235 pounder. He's the eighth freshman drafted so far.

Next up: Charlotte (via Denver)

Javale McGee is just drafted No. 18 by Washington, and promptly upstaged by a Portland-Philadelphia trade.

ESPN says the Blazers will get Ike Diogu and the rights to Jerryd Bayless while the 76ers get Jarrett Jack and the rights to Brandon Rush.

Next up: Cleveland.

We talked to Russell Westbrook in a conference call at the Furtado Center and you can listen to part of that conversation here.

For a slide show of Westbrook, click here.

And here's some bio information:

Russell Westbrook
Height: 6-3
Weight: 187
Birthdate: Nov. 12, 1988
High School: Leuzinger HS (Lawindale, Calif.)
College: UCLA
Career highlights: Named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the year as a sophomore. Also earn Third team All Pac-10 honors and was named to the league All-Defensive team. Holds the schools single season record for minutes played after logging 1,318 minutes as as sophomore.

Roy Hibbert of Georgetown was picked by Toronto, who is trading this pick to Indiana as part of the Jermaine O'Neal trade.

Hibbert's a big body - 7-2 to be exact, and should help fill the void left by O'Neal, at least in size if not in skill.

Next up: Washington.

Philadelphia grabs a 6-10, 250-pound forward/center to beef up their front line. He averaged 14.5 points for Florida as a sophomore last season.

Next up: Toronto

That's another Pac-10 player, another Stanford guy, and another Lopez drafted. He may be the lesser known Lopez, but he has the most hair between the two.

Next up: Philadelphia

Sorry for the delay, but the Sonics just made Russell Westbrook available via conference call. Expect that audio up on the site soon.

Anyway, here are the picks 12-14:

12. Sacramento: Jason Thompson, F, Rider

13. Portland: Brandon Rush, G, Kansas

14. Golden State: Anthony Randolph, F, LSU

FYI: That's seven freshmen, with Randolph, going in the lottery. That's the most.

Next up: Phoenix.

Bayless, from Arizona, scored 19.7 points last year. He's the fifth Pac-10 player drafted so far.

Next up: Sacramento.

Lopez, the 7-foot center from Stanford who many thought the Sonics would take, instead winds up on the East Coast.

Next up: Indiana

The Bobcats draft the tiny point guard from Texas, passing over Jerryd Bayless of Arizona, which was a surprise to many.

Next up: New Jersey Nets.

Alexander, a forward, averaged 16.9 points for West Virginia last year.

Next up: Charlotte.

The Clippers needed help at guard and grab the high scorer from Indiana. Gordon averaged 20.9 points last year to lead the Big Ten in scoring.

That announcement drew a chorus of boos from the crowd in New York. I guess Knicks fans aren't enamored by the 6-8 forward from Italy or thought their team should have drafted him this early.

A somewhat surprising pick by Sonics considering the players left on the board, but reports had Seattle general manager enamored with Russell Westbrook because of his athleticism and his on-the-ball defense.

Westbrook is certainly not ready to take over the reins at point guard, but will be allowed the learn the ropes from fellow UCLA product Earl Watson.

It's certainly an interesting start to the draft, and I'm interested to see what big man Seattle picks at 24 to help shore up the void in the middle.

Here's some clips of Westbrook in action, thanks to fellow News Tribune staffer Victor Yoshida.

Against Cal.

Against WSU:

Against Oregon:

Against Indiana.

UCLA gets back-to-back picks as the Grizzlies grab the Bruins front court player after the Sonics draft Russell Westbrook.

Next up: New York Knicks.

Here's the info on Westbrook:

Height: 6-3
Weight: 187
Birthdate: Nov. 12, 1988 (19 years old)
College: UCLA

2008 stats: 12.7 points per game, .465 field-goal percentage (.338 3-point percentage), .713 free-throw percentage.

Career highlights: Named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year last season. Earned third-team all-Pac-10 honoers. Holds the school's single season record for minutes played after logging 1,318 minutes last season.

Strengths: Quickness, ability to get by defenders on the drive. Good leaping ability and strength to finish. Considered a lock-down defender, plays unselfish, a good passer. Source: NBA draft guide.

That's right, a UCLA guard and not Brook Lopez or Kevin Love.

Next up: Memphis.

The T-Wolves grab O.J. Mayo of USC. Guess all those projections of Kevin Love were w-r-o-n-g.

Next up: Your Sonics.

There was a little anticipation before the Heat's pick, but they went with Michael Beasley from Kansas State.

Up next: Minnesota

OK, so that rated about a 2 on the surprise-o-meter. The Bulls grabbed the Memphis guard who averaged 14.9 points per game in his only college season.

Next up, Miami.

ESPN's Andy Katz is reporting the Chicago Bulls will take Derrick Rose with the No. 1 pick. Apparently, he has the quote-scoop-unqoute on this...

Call me crazy, but that's hardly a bold statement considering all the mock drafts and the speculation that Rose was the Bulls' man all along.

The Milwaukee Bucks shipped forwards Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons to the New Jersey Nets on Thursday in exchange for forward Richard Jefferson.

Click here for the full story.

The Sonics just opened their media room for today's NBA draft a few minutes ago. I will be helping Eric out today with some blogging and whatever he needs, given that he's had a busy day with the trial and all.

Right now, there's maybe five or six people here. More will be rolling in as it gets closer to the draft. TV coverage begins at 4 p.m. but the first pick is not supposed to be made until about 4:20 or so.

The Sonics pick fourth, and with five minutes between picks, are expected to make their selection around 4:40.

A spokesperson for the team has said reports that the Sonics have swapped picks with the Las Angeles Clippers at No. 7 are inaccurate.

ESPN's Ric Bucher first reported the deal, and has updated the proposal, stating that the Sonics will only swap with the Clippers if O.J. Mayo is drafted by Minnesota with the No. 3 pick.

Brad Keller, lead attorney for the Sonics, is finishing up closing arguments for the defense. I'll have a full report from today's trial happenings and then head over to the Furtado Center to begin draft coverage.

ESPN's Ric Bucher is reporting that the Sonics will swap picks with the Los Angeles Clippers, trading down and taking the Clippers No. 7 pick for a lottery-protected pick in 2009 in exchange for the Sonics giving up the No. 4 overall pick.

If the report proves accurate, Seattle could be in the market for UCLA product Russell Westbrook or Stanford big man Brook Lopez, who could fall to the No. 7 pick.

The Sonics are reportedly enamored with Westbrook's athleticism and defensive ability, but there's some question as to how soon he'll be able to run a team.

But he would have the benefit of having fellow UCLA product Earl Watson as a tutor in his first year with Seattle.

Lopez would help fill a void in the middle for the Sonics if he's available at No. 7, but there's still some question about his athletic ability and defensive presence in the post. Stay tuned.

Also, according to an ESPN report, the New Jersey Nets have agreed to send Richard Jefferson to Milwaukee for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons.

Telling Paul Lawrence, lead attorney for the City of Seattle, that you can't use attorney-client privilege at a shield and then turnaround and use itt as a sword, U.S. District Court Judge Marsha Pechman denied Lawrence's request to call Seattle Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis as a rebuttal witness.

The City wished to call Ceis to the stand to refute testimony provided by Wally Walker that the city may have involved in a "poisoned well" plan hatched by Walker, Slade Gorton and other involved in a private investment group to try and keep the Sonics in town.

Paul Taylor, attorney for the Sonics, argued that it would be unfair to allow Ceis to testify because the Sonics had not been allowed to pursue discovery on what Ceis would testify to, and attorneys for the city had not waived the attorney-client privilege.

Lawrence did receive a small victory, when Pechman and attorneys for the Sonics agreed to stipulations in the record allowing the submission of the engagement letter between the city and K&L Gates that stated K&L Gates attorneys Slade Gorton and Gerry Johnson were involved in an effort to keep the team in Seattle, and that Seattle deputy mayor Tim Ceis had no knowledge of the "poison well" powerpoint plan.

Paul Lawrence has no began closing arguments for the city.