Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drafted by the Hornets in 2018 NBA Draft, then traded to LA Clippers

Almost as soon as the pick was announced, SGA was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.

So for now, LA appears to be where this former Cat will begin his NBA career.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Gilgeous-Alexander is the 19th Wildcat to be selected in the NBA Draft Lottery in the John Calipari. He led Kentucky in assists, averaging 5.1 per game, and was the second-leading scorer, as he averaged 14.4 points per game. He was the third-most efficient shooter, shooting at a clip of 48.5 percent from the field. He was also the only player on the team to shoot 40 percent or better from 3-point range.

The one-and-done route wasn’t exactly the one that Gilgeous-Alexander was expected to take this year. He was an unheralded addition to UK’s 2017 recruiting class, coming aboard ranked behind Quade Green in most recruiting services. Green had signed and been considered UK’s next starting point guard. That all changed when practice started, as the two went head-to-head and Calipari saw strengths in each of them.

Eventually Gilgeous-Alexander’s play outpaced Green’s, and he became the most productive player on the team. By the end of the year it was no surprise that he would put his name in the draft.

With his length and his court vision, Gilgeous-Alexander was seen as a lottery pick as soon as he announced his draft decision, and his stock climbed a bit from there, even getting into the top 10 in mocks.

Going into draft day, SGA was projected to go as high as No. 6 to the Orlando Magic, and the lowest protection had him going No. 11 to the Hornets.

Congratulations to Shai. Best of luck to him in his NBA career.

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