The Golden State Warriors have signed second round draft choice Chris Taft to a multi-year contract, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.
Taft, 20, played two seasons at Pittsburgh and was selected by the Warriors with the 42nd overall selection in the 2005 NBA Draft (12th in the second round) with a pick that the Warriors acquired from New Jersey as part of the Clifford Robinson trade during the 2004-05 season. In three games during the Reebok Vegas Summer League, Taft averaged 7.3 points and 5.3 rebounds, while shooting 52.9% (9-17 FG) from the field. After registering nine points and five rebounds in 15 minutes in the team’s third summer league contest, he suffered a strained lower back that forced him to sit out the team’s final two games.
A 6-10 forward, Taft led the Big East and ranked 22nd in the country with a .580 field goal percentage as a sophomore. He also averaged 13.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.72 blocks in his second season, en route to earning All-Big East Honorable Mention honors. As a freshman, he was named Big East Rookie of the Year and was a unanimous selection to the Big East All-Rookie Team after averaging 10.9 points 7.5 rebounds and 1.67 blocks per contest. Taft left school ranked sixth on Pittsburgh’s career blocked shots list with 110 blocks.