The Warriors acquired Brandan Wright - the eighth overall selection - in a trade with Charlotte. (photo: Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE/Getty)

The Golden State Warriors added Brandan Wright, a forward from the University of North Carolina, Marco Belinelli, a guard from Italy, and Stephane Lasme, a forward from the University of Massachusetts, in this evening’s NBA Draft. The league’s annual selection process took place in the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY, with the Warriors basketball operations staff – led by Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin – operating from the team’s draft headquarters in downtown Oakland.

Wright was originally selected by the Charlotte Bobcats with the eighth overall selection in the draft and was acquired by Golden State in exchange for Jason Richardson and the draft rights to the 36th overall pick (Jermareo Davidson). A 6-10 forward, Wright played one season for the Tar Heels, averaging 14.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.00 assist and 1.76 blocks per game, while shooting 64.6% (228-353 FG) from the field. The 19-year-old led the Atlantic Coast Conference in field goal percentage, while also ranking sixth in the conference in blocks (65), 13th in points per game and 14th in rebounds per game. For his efforts, Wright was named ACC Rookie of the Year and was a Second Team All-ACC selection. Additionally, he was named to the NCAA All-East Regional Team after averaging 12.8 points and 7.0 rebounds in four NCAA Tournament contests.

“We are very excited that we were able to get Brandan,” Mullin said. “We targeted him from the outset of the draft and we feel that with his athleticism, length and ability to block shots, he fits perfectly into our up-tempo style of play.”

Golden State selected Italian guard Marco Belinelli with the 18th pick of the Draft.

With the 18th overall pick in the draft, Golden State tabbed Belinelli, a 6-5 guard from Bologna, Italy, who has played professionally in Italy for each of the past five seasons. In 33 games this past season with Fortitudo Bologna in Serie A, the top professional league in Italy, the 21-year-old averaged 16.4 points per game, while shooting 54.4% (99-182 FG) from the field. In 13 Euroleague contests, he averaged 12.9 points on 43.8% (32-73 FG) from the field. A member of the Italian National Team, Belinelli averaged 13.5 points per game during last summer’s FIBA World Championship, including 25 points in a losing effort against Team USA in preliminary round play.

“We feel good about drafting Marco,” Mullin said. “He is a good young scorer who can shoot it and is also a slasher. I have watched him for a few years and we feel that he is a perfect fit for our system.”

Using the 46th overall pick in the draft (16th in the second round), Golden State selected Lasme, a 6-8 forward who played four seasons at UMass. A native of the West African country of Gabon, Lasme averaged 13.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 5.09 blocks per game as a senior, while shooting 61.1% (165-270 FG) from the field.

The Warriors picked up Stephane Lasme with their final pick in the NBA Draft.

Lasme ranked second in the NCAA in blocks, 13th in field goal percentage and tied for 20th in rebounds, joining #1 overall pick Greg Oden as the only players in the nation to rank in the top-25 in three statistical categories. He recorded four triple-doubles during his senior campaign, joining Jason Kidd (Cal, 1993-94) and Michael Anderson (Drexel, 1985-86) as the only players in NCAA history to record four in a single season. As a junior, he was named Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year and finished third in the NCAA in blocks (3.86 bpg).

“We like Stephane,” Mullin said. “He has a defensive mentality that we like and has shown the ability to block shots and rebound.”

Richardson has spent his entire six-year NBA career with the Warriors, appearing in 438 regular season games, while averaging 18.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.23 steals per contest. The 6-6 guard, who was originally selected by Golden State with the fifth pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, leaves the Warriors ranked first in franchise history in three-point field goals made (700) and attempted (2001), while also ranking ninth in steals (538).