LDN - Sports

National Basketball Association roundup

[June 27, 2017] June 26 (The Sports Xchange) - Guard Malcolm Brogdon of the Milwaukee Bucks and Croat forward Dario Saric of the Philadelphia 76ers were unanimous selections for the NBA All-Rookie first team, the league announced.

Center Joel Embiid of Cameroon gave the 76ers two players on the first team, which was rounded out by Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield of the Bahamas and Spanish center Willy Hernangomez of the New York Knicks.

Brogdon, Saric and Embiid were finalists for the NBA Rookie of the Year.

The first team featured a record four international players, topping the previous mark of three. Brogdon is the only American player on the unit.

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Draymond Green of the reigning champion Golden State Warriors was among the selections for the NBA All-Defensive first team, the league announced.

Green is joined on the squad by two players he was competing with for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award -- Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert and San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard.

In helping the Warriors to their second NBA title in three seasons, Green garnered 198 points overall and 99 first-team votes to narrowly edge Gobert (196/97) and Leonard (192/93).

Joining the finalists for the NBA's top defensive award on the first team were guards Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers and Patrick Beverley of the Houston Rockets.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers are continuing to pursue a trade for Indiana Pacers All-Star forward Paul George.

The Cavaliers talked to the Pacers and Nuggets on a three-team trade that would send George to Cleveland and All-Star power forward Kevin Love to Denver, ESPN reported Sunday.

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The 27-year-old George informed the Pacers recently he won't re-sign with the team and plans to become a free agent after next season.

Love, 28, has two guaranteed seasons remaining on his contract, worth $46.7 million, and a player option for $25.6 million in 2019-2020.

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Kentucky coach John Calipari is fine if the rule changes to allow high school players to go directly to the NBA, agreeing with Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski about the one-and-done issue in basketball.

Calipari said he is in favor of the "baseball rule" -- Major League Baseball allows a player from high school to go to the pros or go to college and then not be eligible to be drafted until after his junior season -- but he voiced caution about the motivation behind proposed changes by the NBA.

"I'm good with the baseball rule. As long as they're going directly to the NBA, they're paying them what they deserve to be paid and then it's on them to look after these kids and give them a gap year if they think they can do that in the NBA," said Calipari, speaking on the SEC coaches' summer teleconference.

Krzyzewski said last week he would be in favor of the baseball rule for basketball. ))

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