The Thunder hope they have run into some more good luck in the second round.
Oklahoma City took Virginia guard Devon Hall with the 53rd overall selection in the NBA Draft on Thursday night and Texas-Arlington forward Kevin Hervey four picks later.
The Thunder got contributions last season from 2015 second-round pick Dakari Johnson and 2013 second-round pick Alex Abrines Tre'Davious White Jersey , and they hope Hall and Hervey can develop and eventually produce. Thunder general manager Sam Presti liked the fact that both were four-year college players.
r1;Hall and Hervey are guys that, any time your17;re picking in the 50s, the main objective is to try to shift the odds and try to pick a player who can play in the NBA,r1; Presti said.
The 6-foot-5 Hall averaged 11.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game last season for the Cavaliers, who entered the NCAA Tournament as the nationr17;s No. 1-ranked team. The stout defensive player shot 43.2 percent from 3-point range last season. He was an All-ACC second team selection.
The Thunder said they watched Hall at the Portsmouth Invitational and had him work out in Oklahoma City.
r1;When you get guys who have been through it with top teams in the country, playing high-level ACC basketball, your17;re happy to add those guys into the program.r1; Thunder vice president Will Dawkins said.
Hervey, a 6-foot-9 forward with a 7-3 wingspan, averaged 20.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game last season and was a first-team All-Sun Belt selection. As a senior T.J. Green Jersey , he scored 24 points against Alabama and 24 points against Creighton. He fell two points short of the schoolr17;s single-season scoring record.
As a junior, Hervey was the Sun Belt Player of the Year. He finished as the programr17;s all-time rebounding leader and second in total points scored, field goals and field goal attempts. He set a program record for most career double-doubles.
r1;With Hervey, her17;s somebody that was asked to carry a lot of load,r1; Dawkins said. r1;Offensively, her17;s somebody who has some upside.r1;
Hervey missed 19 games as a sophomore due to a knee injury. Presti believes her17;s better than his draft position would indicate.
They will join a team that has an uncertain future. The Thunder had high hopes last season after adding Paul George and Carmelo Anthony in trades to join Russell Westbrook, but the Thunder stumbled early, went 48-34 and lost in the first round of the playoffs. George has a player option on his deal and could leave this summer.
ESPN reported that the Thunder traded for the No. 45 pick, Kentucky redshirt freshman Hamidou Diallo. Brooklyn made the pick for Charlotte. Presti said only there was r1;potentially some stuff that happened tonight.r1;
r12;
Billy Hamilton eluded a rundown tag, and the Cincinnati Reds escaped with a victory.
Joey Votto hit a bases-loaded triple in the 10th inning after Hamilton slipped out of a rundown James Hanna Jersey , and the Reds beat the Royals 5-1 on Tuesday night.
r1;Billy showed his athleticism and got out of that jam there and set it up for Joey,r1; Reds manager Jim Riggleman said.
Hamilton got hung up between third and home when pitcher Kevin McCarthy (4-3) tipped Tucker Barnhartr17;s line drive with his glove. McCarthy picked up the ball behind the mound and threw home, and Hamilton looked done until he sidestepped Alcides Escobarr17;s tag and dived back safely into third base to leave the bases loaded with one out.
r1;I see the guy running back toward third base, I said, `Gimme the ball,r1;r17; Escobar said. r1;When I tried to tag him I thought, `Oh my God, where did the guy go?r17; That was a great move right there.r1;
Hamiltonr17;s speed and maneuvering set up the victory.
r1;That goes down as one of the more crazy things Ir17;ve seen him do,r1; said Barnhart, who homered in the ninth to tie it.
Royals manager Ned Yost argued with third base ump Jeff Nelson that Hamilton ran out of the base path.
r1;In their judgment he didnr17;t leave the baseline Kerry Hyder Jersey ,r1; Royals manager Ned Yost said. r1;I said, `In my judgment he did. Can you check with Laz (Diaz, plate umpire)?r17; Laz was of the same opinion. You donr17;t really have much ground there.r1;
Votto then tripled on a 2-1 count to the right-center wall, and Eugenio Suarez singled home Votto.
r1;I was looking for a quality pitch that I could put a little air on,r1; Votto said. r1;Canr17;t hit the ball on the ground there. Canr17;t hit it too shallow. I got a good pitch and put a good swing on it.r1;
Dave Hernandez (2-0) hit a batter and struck out two.
Barnhart drove a 2-2 pitch by Kelvin Herrera over the right-field fence into in the Royalsr17; bullpen to lead off the ninth.
It was Herrerar17;s second blown save in 16 opportunities.
After Barnhartr17;s home run, Herrera walked Votto for his first walk of the season in his 27th relief appearance. He also walked Jesse Winker with two outs before retiring Adam Duvall on a groundball to end the inning.
Ian Kennedy, who has won one of his last 27 home starts, pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing three singles. He was removed after 104 pitches and the Royals holding a 1-0 lead.
r1;I leave it up to the staff to make that decision, not me Jordan Poyer Jersey ,r1; Kennedy said on coming back for the ninth. r1;I kind of felt like Kelvin has been so good this year I imagined that was probably my last inning.r1;
Kennedy retired 12 straight after navigating his way out of a bases-loaded jam to end the second.
The Reds loaded the bases in the second inning on Scooter Gennettr17;s leadoff single and walks by Suarez and Duvall. Kennedy got out of that jam when Jose Peraza flied out to center fielder Abraham Almonte, who threw out Gennett attempting to score.
Hunter Dozier led off the fifth with a 425-foot homer to left on a 2-2 pitch by Sal Romano.
That was the only hiccup for Romano. He allowed only three singles outside of Dozierr17;s home run in eight innings.
The Royals have dropped eight of nine and have lost 22 of 32 home games.
SPELLING LESSON
The Kaufman Stadium scoreboard spelled the opposing team as r1;Cincinatti.r1;
ROSTER MOVES
Royals: RHP Justin Grimm (low back stiffness) was recalled from his minor league injury rehab with Triple-A Omaha and activated. The Royals optioned rookie RHP Trevor Oaks to the Storm Chasers. OF Jorge Bonifacio, who is finishing an 80-game suspension, will begin a minor league rehab assignment Tuesday with Omaha. Major League Baseball suspended Bonifacio for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.
TRAINERr17;S ROOM
Reds: RHP Homer Bailey (right knee inflammation) allowed five runs on six hits in three innings in a rehab start Sunday for Triple-A Louisville. All the runs scored in the fifth when Bailey allowed two doubles and a triple. r1;I talked to (Louisville bench coach) Dick Schofield and he basically said the first two innings looked good and then he got hit hard,r1; Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said.
Royals: Jorge Soler (bruised left big toe) returned to the lineup for the first time since Friday.
UP NEXT
Reds: RHP Tyler Mahle has allowed two earned runs over 10 innings in his first two June starts, going 1-0.
Royals: RHP Jason Hammel is 2-1 with a 2.59 ERA in his past four starts.
