Portland picked the former MU forward at No. 27, then dealt him to the Denver Nuggets.
Shortly after the Portland Trailblazers selected former MU forward Linas Kleiza with the 27th pick in the first round, they traded him to the Denver Nuggets. In return, the Jazz received the rights to Jarret Jack, pick No. 22, and Ricky Sanchez, pick No. 35.
Kleiza’s standing as a first-round pick is undoubtedly a surprise to many. Most mock drafts had him slated as a second-round selection. Kleiza’s size (6-8, 225) was an issue for some scouts. He was considered too big to excel at small forward in the NBA, yet too small to play power forward.
Kleiza could not be reached for comment Tuesday. On Saturday, he said that he would watch the draft telecast with his family in White Plains, N.Y.
Kleiza led the Tigers with 16.1 points per game and 7.6 rebounds as a sophomore last year.