MILWAUKEE (AP) - The Milwaukee Bucks made another big trade just before the draft. Now they must hope the name they’ll be linked with forever doesn’t come back to haunt them.
Milwaukee picked guard Jimmer Fredette with the 10th pick of Thursday’s NBA draft, but were expected to send his rights to Sacramento as part of a three-team trade that also includes Charlotte.
A person familiar with the deal said the Bobcats will send 19th overall pick Tobias Harris to the Bucks as part of Thursday’s deal. The Bucks also received Charlotte forward Stephen Jackson, guard Shaun Livingston and Sacramento guard Beno Udrih, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced.
Harris worked out for the Bucks earlier in June and turns 19 next month. He’ll be given time to develop behind Jackson for a team that’s in need of talented scorers.
Harris played just one season at Tennessee, where he averaged 15.3 points. He was a finalist for the 2010 Naismith High School Player of the Year Award and competed in McDonald’s All-America game.
“Tobias Harris welcome to Milwaukee …. congrats,” Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings posted on Twitter.
Milwaukee also held the 40th pick in the draft.
The Bucks could use an eye-popping scorer like Fredette, who averaged 28.9 points his senior season at BYU and won nearly every collegiate national player of the year honor, after being the worst-shooting, lowest-scoring team in the NBA last year.
Instead, they’ll receive the three veterans in a trade _ similar to what happened 13 years ago in the 1998 draft.
That year, Milwaukee selected Dirk Nowitzki ninth overall, but had already agreed to trade his rights and those of the 19th pick, Pat Garrity, for Robert “Tractor” Traylor, who was the sixth selection of the draft.
Nowitzki went on to be a star and eventual NBA champion this year with the Mavericks. Traylor lasted just parts of two seasons in Milwaukee before being traded and started just 73 games over seven seasons before his NBA career ended.
Even Garrity made a bigger impact on the league than Traylor did.
Still, the new additions provide talent in the backcourt around Jennings and backup Keyon Dooling.
Udrih can play either guard position and is a career 35.8 percent shooter from 3-point range. Jackson can play shooting guard or small forward and is considered an upgrade over John Salmons, who is headed to the Kings. Livingston provides depth.
Jackson’s season ended early last year because of a left hamstring injury, but he had been working out at the Bobcats facility this summer and dropped to 225 pounds, 20 pounds lighter than during the season. He averaged 18.5 points last seasons after three straight seasons over 20 with Golden State and Charlotte.
The Bucks understand Jackson may be reluctant to move again _ his seventh team of his career and third move in the last five seasons, but expect him to play a vital leadership role in a team looking to get back to the playoffs after an unexpected 35-47 season.
Milwaukee still has a need down low to help former No. 1 pick Andrew Bogut. The Bucks hope power forward Drew Gooden will be healthy again after missing half of last season with plantar fasciitis.
After that, Milwaukee has a group of undersized forwards that includes Ersan Ilyasova, Jon Brockman, Carlos Delfino and Larry Sanders. The Bucks also made a qualifying offer to defensive specialist Luc Richard Mbah a Moute to give them the option to match any contract offers the third-year player might receive.
For the third straight year, the Bucks made a big splash before the draft.
In 2008, general manager John Hammond dealt Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons for Richard Jefferson. In 2009, Jefferson departed for Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas and Amir Johnson. Last year, Hammond traded Dan Gadzuric and Charlie Bell for Corey Maggette.
Now Maggette is gone, too, after being hurt early and failing to find consistent minutes or a role in Milwaukee, in an exchange of contracts for Jackson, an explosive scorer with a volatile personality.
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