On Draft Night 2007, the Warriors made big news by trading Jason Richardson to the Charlotte Bobcats. And while initial reactions to the trade have centered on the six-year veteran, much less attention has been given to the player landed in exchange for Richardson - rookie Brandan Wright. Still more than two months away from seeing his first NBA regular season action, Wright wasn’t just a throw-in in this deal. He was the deal.
"We are very excited that we were able to get Brandan," Warriors Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin said on draft night. "We targeted him from the outset of the draft and we feel that with his athleticism, length and ability to block shots, he fits perfectly into our up-tempo style of play."
Although he’s just a rookie, Wright is well aware of the fact that he has some large shoes to fill.
"He was a consistent performer on this team," Wright said of Richardson in an exclusive warriors.com interview. "He was a guy who was loved around this city, a guy who helped win this team’s first playoff series in a while. He’s definitely going to be missed, but hopefully I can do even more."
Wright joins the Warriors with quite a pedigree. The No. 8 selection in the 2007 NBA Draft, the 6-foot-10 forward played one season for one of the premiere programs in all of college basketball at the University of North Carolina. Wright did more than just hold his own with the Tar Heels.
He earned Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year and Second Team All-ACC honors for a freshman season that saw him lead the conference in field goal percentage (64.6 percent) while averaging 14.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.76 blocks per game.
source : NBA.com
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