Sioux Falls Skyforce Watches Timberwolves and Pistons Drafts With Anticipation of New Players - NBA Draft 2006

MLN Newswire - Sioux Falls, SD (June 29, 2006) – The Sioux Falls Skyforce announced today that the 2006 NBA Draft was conducted last night at Madison Square Garden in New York. While some fans were interested in the #1 overall pick, Skyforce fans were anticipating the picks of the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves, their affiliates for this coming season.
 
Beginning with the 2005-06 season, the NBA and the NBA Players Union agreed under the Collective Bargaining Agreement that players with zero or one year of NBA experience could be assigned to a D-League affiliate. The assignment system provides young players in the NBA an opportunity to develop their skills during actual in-game experiences while continuing to earn their NBA salaries and benefits.
 
The Detroit Pistons had just one pick in the draft and selected guard Will Blalock (60th overall) from Iowa State University. The Pistons also acquired the draft rights to Cheick Samb (51st overall) from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Maurice Evans.
 
The Timberwolves had the sixth overall pick in the first round and selected guard Brandon Roy from the University of Washington. Roy was later traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for the draft rights to guard Randy Foye (seventh pick). Foye, a 6-4 guard from Villanova, was the 2005-06 Big East Player of the Year. In the second round the Timberwolves selected forwards Craig Smith (36th overall) and Bobby Jones (37th overall) along with center Loukas Mavrokefalidis (57th overall) from Greece. Bobby Jones was later traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for a future second-round draft pick and cash considerations.
 
“It was great to watch the draft with extra excitement last night as our NBA affiliates made their selections,” said Skyforce Team President Mike Heineman.  “With four second round picks acquired by our affiliates, we should definitely anticipate seeing a few of these players in Sioux Falls this season.”