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Blazers select forward Hollis-Jefferson, trade him (Yahoo Sports)

The Portland Trail Blazers continued a retooling of their roster Thursday night when they selected Arizona forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson with the 23rd pick of the NBA draft then sent him to Brooklyn as part of a four-player deal. The Blazers acquired center Mason Plumlee and shooting guard Pat Connaughton in exchange for Hollis-Jefferson and guard Steve Blake. Connaughton was the Nets’ second-round pick, the 41st overall selection.

Bhamara hopes historic NBA pick will inspire cricket-mad India

India’s Satnam Singh Bhamara is hoping his historic selection in the NBA will kickstart a basketball boom in his cricket-obsessed home country. The 19-year-old centre admitted he was incredibly nervous in the run up to the NBA Draft, which saw him become the first India-born selection when he was chosen by the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday. The 7-foot-2-inch (2.18m) Bhamara, originally from a village in northern Punjab state, is hoping

T-Wolves take Towns, India-born Bhamara makes history

Teen big man Karl-Anthony Towns was chosen by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the first pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft, while Satnam Singh Bhamara made history as the first India-born selection. Towns averaged 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots a game last season for a University of Kentucky squad that went unbeaten until losing to Wisconsin in the national college tournament semi-finals. “This is what you live for,” Towns