Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Monday 19 June 2017

AP source: 76ers, celtics Agree on trAde for no. 1 Pick

has not been formally ap- Angeles Lakers at No. 2,
proved by the league. The Boston at No. 3 and Phoe-
agreement between the nix at No. 4.
Celtics and 76ers was struck Fultz’s rise to stardom has
not long after Fultz worked been rapid.
out for Philadelphia. In 2014, he was playing ju-
Once the trade goes nior varsity basketball in
through, Philadelphia will high school. Barely three
own the NBA’s No. 1 selec- years later, he’s almost cer-
tion for the second straight tainly going to become the
season. No. 1 pick in the NBA draft
Fultz — donning a Phila- — and if he gets to start his
delphia cap as he arrived pro career by calling Phila-
at the team’s practice fa- delphia his new home, he’ll
cility — visited the 76ers in be living roughly a 2 1/2-
a hastily arranged get-to- hour drive from his home-
know-you session, with the town of Upper Marlboro,
workout and meeting with Maryland.
team officials on his itiner- “It would be pretty cool.
ary. Just being with a young
That visit was essentially the team,” Fultz said. “The up-
final hurdle to clear before side of it would be crazy.
Boston and Philadelphia I’m close to home, so a lot
could decide to actually of my family can come out
consummate the trade. and just show love. This city
Boston Celtics, from left, Al Horford, Avery Bradley, Jonas Jerebko and Kelly Olynyk watch from “I don’t really pay attention has great fans.”
the bench during the second half of Game 5 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference finals to everything that’s going The 6-foot-4 guard aver-
against the Cleveland Cavaliers, on Thursday, May 25, 2017, in Boston. Philadelphia and Boston on,” Fultz said. “I’m truly aged 23.2 points, 5.7 re-
have agreed in principle on a trade where the 76ers would acquire the chance to take Markelle blessed to be in this posi- bounds and 5.9 assists in 25
Fultz with the No. 1 pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft, a person with knowledge of the deal told The As-
sociated Press. tion. Whatever happens, games during his lone col-
(AP Photo/Elise Amendola) I’m looking forward to tak- lege season at Washing-
ing my talents to wherever ton, excelling on a team
I go.” that finished 9-22 and lost
By TIM REYNOLDS to take Markelle Fultz with pick, plus an additional first- Barring any other changes its final 13 games.
AP Basketball Writer the No. 1 pick in Thursday’s rounder in either 2018 or before Thursday, the first Fultz led the Pac-12 in
Philadelphia and Boston NBA Draft, a person with 2019, according to the per- four spots in this year’s draft scoring and finished No. 6
have agreed in principle knowledge of the deal told son who spoke on condi- order would mirror the first- among all Division I players,
on a trade where the 76ers The Associated Press. tion of anonymity Saturday four from last year: Phila- and was the top freshman
would acquire the chance The Celtics will get the No. 3 night because the trade delphia at No. 1, the Los scorer in the country.q
All talk, few trades before NHL’s expansion roster freeze

By STEPHEN WHYNO Wednesday. General man- The freeze and submission their list is.” checked, there certainly
AP Hockey Writer ager George McPhee’s of protected lists, which The Flames solidified their was an advantage.”
Mike Smith went from Arizo- phone was already ringing are released Sunday morn- goaltending situation by The Montreal Canadiens
na to Calgary and a cou- Saturday afternoon as his ing at 10 a.m. EDT, creat- getting the 35-year-old recouped a third-round
ple of defensemen traded 30 colleagues did their best ed something of a trade- Smith from the Coyotes for pick from the Buffalo Sa-
places as NHL teams made to shuffle the deck and deadline situation as GMs a conditional pick and a bres for 24-year-old defen-
last-minute moves before protect themselves. had a lot of discussions and prospect, taking advan- seman Nathan Beaulieu,
the Vegas expansion draft “With the expansion pro- looked to make the pieces tage of their ability to pro- who has a connection to
roster freeze. cess upcoming, it forces work. tect a goalie that most Vegas coach Gerard Gal-
None of those defensemen you to make some deci- “It had all the feelings of a other teams in the market lant and would’ve been
came from the Minnesota sions,” Coyotes GM John trade deadline, but there didn’t have the luxury of left exposed in the expan-
Wild, Ottawa Senators or Chayka said. was conditions,” Flames doing. sion draft. The San Jose
Anaheim Ducks, leaving big From Saturday afternoon GM Brad Treliving said by “That’s really one of the Sharks got second- and
questions with the Vegas through Thursday morning, phone. “There’s lots of things we wanted to lever- fourth-round picks for Mirco
Golden Knights poised to after Vegas makes its picks, chatter, but there’s lots of age,” Treliving said. “Hav- Mueller and a fifth-rounder,
acquire some serious talent the rest of the teams can’t teams in the bucket of not ing the ability to have a a safeguard against losing
in their expansion draft win- make trades with each being able to do anything spot to protect someone, a 22-year-old defenseman
dow from Sunday through other. without impacting what if all the other boxes were for nothing.q