Boston Celtics draft pick Marcus Thornton – the 45th overall selection in last month’s NBA draft who was expected to play for the Maine Red Claws – has signed with the Sydney Kings of Australia’s National Basketball League.
The Celtics will retain the NBA rights for Thornton, the Colonial Athletic Association player of the year last season and William & Mary’s all-time leading scorer.
Thornton averaged 5.1 points per game while shooting 27.1 percent from the field with the Celtics’ summer league team. A highlight was a 21-point performance in a victory against the Miami Heat.
Celtics president Danny Ainge said shortly after the draft that it was likely Thornton would play next season either overseas or in the D-League for the Red Claws. The Celtics had five guards on their roster before the draft, then selected two more – Louisville’s Terry Rozier (16th overall) and Georgia State’s R.J. Hunter (28th) – ahead of Thornton.
The NBL is an eight-team league in Australia and New Zealand. The season runs from October to early March, with teams playing 28 games in the regular season.
The Kings went 9-19 last year. Former NBA player Josh Childress is on their roster.
“It’s a great acquisition for this club,” Kings Coach Damian Cotter said. “Marcus’ versatility, athleticism and skill set are going to cause matchup problems for opponents, and he’ll be coming in to a situation where he will have the opportunity to lead a very talented team. There has been a great deal of research done on Marcus, and after watching him in the summer league and during his time in college, he is a perfect fit – both in character and as a player.”
The release said Thornton is expected to join the team for preseason training in late August.
CAVALIERS-PACERS TRADE: Cleveland traded second-round pick Rakeem Christmas to Indiana for a second-round selection in 2019.
The Cavs selected Christmas, who averaged 17.5 points and 9.1 rebounds as a senior at Syracuse, with the No. 36 pick.
Christmas was thought to have a shot at making Cleveland’s roster for next season, but General Manager David Griffin decided instead to acquire a future asset for him.
KINGS: The team signed veteran forward Caron Butler to a two year deal worth $3 million.
Butler averaged 5.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 20.8 minutes with Detroit last season. The 35-year-old has averaged 14.3 points and 5.1 rebounds in a 13-year career.
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