starved Los Angeles Clippers laid the foundations for a return to the playoffs by selecting gifted power forward Blake Griffin with the number one overall choice in the NBA Draft on Thursday. Connecticut's shot-blocking center Hasheem Thabeet was taken by Memphis with the second pick, before Arizona State shooting guard James Harden was grabbed by Oklahoma City. Sacramento took Memphis shooting guard Tyreke Evans at number four and then Minnesota selected Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio with one of its four picks in the opening round. The Clippers have made the playoffs just once in the last 12 years and see Blake as the cornerstone of their rebuilding effort. At 6ft-10in (2.08), 250 pounds, Griffin dominated the paint at both ends of the floor for the University of Oklahoma over the last two years. A 20-year-old Oklahoma City native, Griffin averaged 22.7 points and 14.4 rebounds last season for the Sooners and was the consensus collegiate Player of the Year. Minnesota traded up with the Washington Wizards to get the fifth pick and their selection of the 18-year-old Rubio drew cheers from the crowd at Madison Square Garden's WaMu Theater. Whether Rubio remains with the Timberwolves remains to be seen since his Spanish club, DKV Joventut, wants a $6.6 million buyout to allow the teen to jump to the NBA. The shooting ability of the 6ft-4in (1.93m), 180-pound Rubio has been a nagging question mark. Rubio was on the Spanish team that won the silver medal in the Beijing Olympics. Davidson guard Stephen Curry, the son of former NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry, went to Golden State with the seventh pick, while 2008 collegiate Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina was picked by Indiana at number 13. Twenty-one-year-old forward Omri Casspi was taken by Sacramento with the 23rd pick, becoming the first Israeli ever drafted in the first round. Elsewhere eight-time All-Star guard Vince Carter has been acquired by the Orlando Magic in a multi-player trade with the New Jersey Nets, the teams said on Thursday. Carter, who was born in Daytona Beach and has a home in Orlando, will join the Eastern Conference champion with forward Ryan Anderson in exchange for guards Rafer Alston and Courtney Lee, and forward Tony Battie.
