The Philadelphia 76ers drafted Maryland forward Bruno Fernando 34th overall in the 2019 NBA draft Thursday, then traded his rights to the Atlanta Hawks.
Fernando is a step closer to becoming the first player from Angola to play in the league.
Before the pick was announced, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that Philadelphia sent the No. 34 pick to Atlanta in a trade.
Sources: Philadelphia traded No. 34 to Atlanta for two future second-rounders and No. 57.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 21, 2019
Fernando will reunite with former Terrapins teammate Kevin Huerter, one of the Hawks’ first-round pick a year ago, as well as joining former Maryland center Alex Len.
The 6-foot-10 Fernando starred for the Terrapins for two seasons, averaging 12 points and 8.7 rebounds over 64 games. As a sophomore, he posted 22 double-doubles — tied for second-most in Division 1 — on his way to posting 13.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. The Terrapins reached the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament, coming within a basket of the Sweet 16.
In a letter to Terrapins fans saying he decided to keep his name in the NBA draft, Fernando said Maryland “helped me to grow more than I could have ever imagined.”
“I will forever cherish every moment I had here and will proudly wear Maryland’s colors wherever the big man above takes me next,” Fernando wrote.
Fernando also joins Virginia’s De’Andre Hunter in Atlanta. Hunter went No. 4 overall to the Hawks, a pick that was traded by the New Orleans Pelicans after they acquired it from the Los Angeles Lakers in the Anthony Davis deal.
Hunter’s Cavaliers teammate, guard Ty Jerome, went 24th overall to the Phoenix Suns.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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