Hairston, Leunen Picked in NBA Draft Second Round
EUGENE, Ore. -- Oregon seniors Malik Hairston and Maarty Leunen were taken in the second round of the 2008 NBA Draft Thursday night.
Hairston, a 6-6 guard from Detroit, Mich., was selected as the 18th pick in the second round (48th overall) by the Phoenix Suns. Hairston was later traded to San Antonio for the draft rights to the Spurs' second round pick, foreign player Goran Dragic. The Spurs also got a future second round pick and cash considerations.
Leunen, a 6-9 forward from Redmond, Ore., was the 54th pick overall (24th in the second round) by the Houston Rockets.
The 2008 draft marked the first time since 1985 that two Ducks were selected, and the first time ever that two Oregon players were taken in the first two rounds. In 1985, Blair Rasmussen was a first round selection by Denver and Chris Harper was a sixth round pick by San Antonio.
Hairston finished his career ranked tied for sixth in scoring at Oregon with 1,644 points. He also ranked among the top 10 in blocks (6th-71) and field goals (7th-612). He led Oregon in scoring last season, averaging 16.3 points per game.
"Hairston doesn't do anything that wows you, but the guy really knows how to play. He can shoot the ball, has an NBA body and is very steady. The Suns were looking for a swingman and I think he actually has enough talent to contribute a bit," wrote ESPN.com's Chad Ford.
Leunen finished his career as one of the best rebounders at Oregon, ranking second all-time with 903. He is one of only two UO players to score 1,000 points and grab 900 rebounds (Greg Ballard is the other). He ranks 17th in career scoring with 1,259 points and seventh in steals with 121.
Leunen was an all-Pac-10 second team pick in 2007-08, leading Oregon in rebounding at 9.2 per game and ranking second in scoring (15.2 ppg). He also shot 49.2 percent from three-point range, which was the second-best single-season effort in school history.
"He'll play on our summer league team," said Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey of Leunen. "He's going to play overseas. He's someone who we'll keep the rights to. He's a shooting, spacing four who we think has a chance down the road. Obviously, he's been an accomplished player at Oregon in the Pac-10 where they've had a lot of success, and we feel like he's been a part of that. We believe in spacing fours as an important asset."
Hairston became the first Duck drafted by the Phoenix Suns since Fealton Sealey in 1981. Oregon's all-time leading scorer, Ron Lee, was also a Suns' draft choice in 1976. Alex Scales was the last Duck to play for the San Antonio Spurs. He appeared in one game in 2006.
Houston took an Oregon player for the second straight year. Aaron Brooks was the Rockets' first round selection in 2007.
