The Golden State Warriors selected Vanderbilt University center Damian Jones with the 30th overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft and acquired the draft rights to University of Nevada, Las Vegas guard Patrick McCaw (38th overall pick in the second round) from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for cash considerations, the team announced.
Jones, 20, posted career averages of 13.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.69 blocks and 27.2 minutes in 99 games over three seasons at Vanderbilt, garnering First Team All-SEC honors as both a sophomore and junior. In his junior season in 2015-16, Jones (7’0”, 245) averaged 13.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.64 blocks and 26.2 minutes in 33 games, helping the Commodores to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2011-12. Jones hit 56.6 percent from the field during his three-year career at Vanderbilt, the third-best mark in school history, while finishing second on the Commodore’s all-time blocks list (167) behind only Festus Ezeli—who was selected by the Warriors with the 30th overall pick in 2012.
A native of Baton Rouge, La., Jones won back-to-back state titles in his junior and senior seasons at Scotlandville Magnet High School in Baton Rouge, earning Louisiana’s 5A Player of the Year honors as a senior. Jones will wear No. 15 for the Warriors.
McCaw, 20, averaged 12.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.98 steals and 31.7 minutes in 65 games over two seasons at UNLV, garnering Second Team All-Mountain West Conference honors as a sophomore. McCaw (6’7”, 185) was also named to the Mountain West All-Defensive Team in his sophomore season in 2015-16, averaging 14.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.45 steals (second in the nation) and 33.7 minutes in 33 games.
A native of St. Louis, Mo., McCaw attended Montrose Christian High School in Rockville, Md., and helped lead them to a National Christian School Athletic Association Division I title. McCaw will wear No. 0 for the Warriors.
The league’s annual selection process took place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., with the Warriors’ basketball operations staff working from the team’s draft headquarters in downtown Oakland.