Booker drafted by T-Wolves, dealt to Wizards

MINNEAPOLIS — Former Clemson standout Trevor Booker was part of a wild trading frenzy during the first round of the NBA Draft.

The Minnesota Timberwolves used their top pick on Syracuse forward Wesley Johnson, drafted Nevada shooter Luke Babbitt at No. 16, then immediately shipped him and veteran Ryan Gomes to Portland for swingman Martell Webster.

They then took Clemson Booker at No. 23.

As part of a proposed deal with Washington, the Wolves agreed to send Booker and the 56th overall pick to Washington for pick Nos. 30 and 35. They took Marquette forward Lazar Hayward at the end of the first round and Serbian forward Nemanja Bjelica at No. 35.

Booker was the first senior to be drafted in the 2010 class. The 6-foot-7, 236-pound Booker is a physical presence. He averaged 15.2 points and 8.4 rebounds for the Tigers last year.

With the selection, Clemson has now had a first-round pick this season in baseball, basketball and football. C.J. Spiller was the No. 9 pick of the NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills, while Kyle Parker was the 26th player taken by the Colorado Rockies in the MLB Draft.

It marks only the second time in school history Clemson had first-round selections in all three

sports in the same year. In 1987, Horace Grant was the No. 10 pick of the NBA Draft, Bill Spiers was pick No. 13 of the MLB Draft, and Terrence Flagler was selection No. 25 in the NFL Draft. Clemson, Georgia Tech and Texas are the only schools in the country this season with first-round draft picks in all three sports.

Booker’s selection was the first for a Clemson player in the first round since Sharone Wright was the sixth pick of the 1994 draft. Booker is the seventh first-rounder in Clemson history, and all seven have been post players.

Booker had an outstanding career at Clemson and left as the school’s all-time leader having played in 93 victories in his four years with the program. He finished his career third in Clemson history with 1,060 rebounds and fifth with 1,725 points. He led the Tigers to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and to the championship game of the ACC Tournament as a sophomore in 2008.

He was second-team All-ACC as a junior in 2008-09 when he led the conference in both rebounding and field goal percentage, and then was named to the first team as a senior this past season. He was the first post player from Clemson to be named first-team All-ACC since both Elden Campbell and Dale Davis in 1990. Campbell and Davis both went on to play over 10 years apiece in the NBA. Booker was also a two-time All-ACC Defensive Team selection.