BROOKLYN – “Buddy Ball” is coming to New Orleans.
Roughly a half-hour into Thursday’s 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center, Adam Silver announced that the Pelicans had selected guard Buddy Hield with the sixth overall draft pick. The 22-year-old played four seasons in college at Oklahoma, emerging in his senior season as one of the most popular players in all of college basketball.
On the afternoon prior to the draft, the native of the Bahamas expressed enthusiasm for the possibility of becoming a Pelicans pick.
“New Orleans was nice. I love those guys,” Hield said of meeting with the Pelicans’ front office in the weeks prior to Thursday’s draft. “Their personality and coaching staff was nice. With everybody, it felt like family. Great coaches and they have a great staff. That’s one of the locations me and my agent are looking at. New Orleans is a good fit. Anthony Davis and the point guards they have, Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans, Ryan Anderson. I’ve been doing my research, and that’s probably a good fit for us.”
New Orleans has consecutive selections slated for the second round, at No. 39 and 40 overall.
