NBA draft: Hawks land two with Philly ties: De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish
It was no suspense when Zion Williamson was selected first overall by the New Orleans Pelicans.
NEW YORK -- Two players from the Philadelphia area who played against each other in high school in the Friends Schools League are now teammates after a wild night of trading during the NBA draft Thursday at the Barclays Center.
De’Andre Hunter, a forward from Virginia via Friends’ Central and Duke’s Cam Reddish, of Norristown and the Westtown School, will be teaming up with the Atlanta Hawks. Hunter was the fourth overall pick while Reddish was selected 10th.
The first three picks in the draft went as many expected, with Zion Williamson of Duke going No. 1 to New Orleans, Murray State point guard Ja Morant to Memphis at No. 2 and Duke’s R.J. Barrett No. 3 to the New York Knicks.
Hunter will have to wait until July 6 to officially become a Hawk. Technically, Hunter is a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, who owned the fourth pick but traded it to the New Orleans Pelicans in the Anthony Davis blockbuster. ESPN reported that New Orleans traded the No. 4 pick to Atlanta for the Nos. 8 and 17 selections in the first round and No. 35 in the second round.
There will be no waiting for Reddish. He is a Hawk now and the thought of two Philadelphia-area players from the same league now on the same team had him shaking his head in amazement.
“Philly is a basketball city for sure,” Reddish said. “I am from Norristown, Pennsylvania, which is also a basketball city. It’s crazy, it’s crazy.”
That can be the way to describe Hunter’s journey from a player who sat out his freshman year to winning the national championship as a redshirt sophomore and scoring 27 points in the Cavaliers’ 85-77 overtime championship win over Texas Tech.
“I’m just really happy,” Hunter said. “A lot of nerves, a lot of excitement going into tonight. I’m just happy that I got picked pretty early.”
He had an inclination the Hawks were interested, and Atlanta was the only team he worked out for in the pre-draft process.
“I didn’t know they were going to trade up to the fourth pick," Hunter said. “I know they were trying to do something to get earlier in the draft.”
The 6-foot-7, 224-pound Hunter was considered one of the most complete two-way players in the draft. In addition to earning first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors, Hunter was also the ACC defensive player of the year. He was also the NABC national defensive player of the year.
This season, he averaged 15.2 points, and 5.1 rebounds and made 46 of 105 three-point shots (43.8 percent).
Reddish had the logo for Norristown High School on the lining of his suit jacket.
Reddish (6-8, 207) didn’t get to work out with teams because he had core surgery earlier this month. He did interview with several.
Considered the third option on a Duke team behind Williamson and Barrett, Reddish averaged 13.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.6 steals.
He was an honorable mention All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection.
In another trade, former 76ers forward Dario Saric was dealt by Minnesota along with the No. 11 pick to Phoenix for the No. 6 selection, according to ESPN.
The No. 6 pick, Jarrett Culver of Texas Tech, is headed to Minnesota. Phoenix will get North Carolina forward Cam Johnson, chosen at No. 11, Johnson was a player apparently on the Sixers’ radar.