UNLV’s Patrick McCaw, Stephen Zimmerman drafted in second round

UNLV’s NBA Draft prospects waited Thursday, then waited some more.

The first round came and went, and neither Stephen Zimmerman Jr. nor Patrick McCaw was selected.

But then a little program history was made.

McCaw was taken with the eighth pick (38th overall) in the second round by the Milwaukee Bucks, who agreed to trade his rights to the Golden State Warriors for cash.

Zimmerman’s wait ended quickly afterward when the Orlando Magic selected him three picks later.

This was the first time since the famous 1991 draft that the Rebels had more than one player selected. Three players, including No. 1 pick Larry Johnson, went in the 1991 first round and another went in the second.

McCaw goes to a Warriors team that reached the NBA Finals for the second season in a row. They lost in seven games to the Cleveland Cavaliers a year after winning the title.

Warriors general manager Bob Myers called McCaw a “high-character guy. He plays multiple positions, defends multiple positions, a play-making type kid, so it should be fun.”

Myers said he opted to give up cash rather than trade a second-round pick to get McCaw.

“We don’t have a first-round pick next year,” Myers said. “We made that deal, and we were confident we would get somebody we liked. With McCaw there, our scouts loved him.”

CBSSports.com reported the Warriors paid $2.4 million to acquire McCaw.

“We bought the pick,” Myers said. “We expect him to be on the team. We expect him to sign a contract with us, and I think that’s what we’ll end up doing. We have good expectations of him. He’s a guy we had even higher than (No.) 30 on our board. Hopefully we were right. He’s got a way to go to be ready.

“McCaw’s got some pretty good players in front of him. We’re not an old team, but we’re not a young team anymore, so we want to keep that cupboard filled in some respects.”

Both former UNLV players were projected to go from late in the first round to somewhere in the second. The wait left unanswered the question of whether they made the right decisions to leave UNLV early.

At least one more season at UNLV probably would have helped their draft prospects, not to mention what it would have done for the Rebels’ roster. First-year coach Marvin Menzies has had to undertake a major rebuilding job, and having Zimmerman and McCaw back would have made the Rebels contenders in the Mountain West.

McCaw, a 6-foot-7-inch guard, played two seasons for the Rebels. He was the team’s best player last season, averaging 14.7 points and 5.2 rebounds. The coaches and media named McCaw second-team All-Mountain West, and the coaches also selected him for the All-Defensive Team.

Zimmerman, a 7-foot forward who went to Bishop Gorman High School, averaged 10.5 points and 8.7 rebounds in his one season with the Rebels.

A McDonald’s All-American, he figured to be a one-and-done player when he signed with the Rebels. Zimmerman showed flashes of his potential with his ability as a rim protector, range from 3-point range and athleticism for a big man, but he also was inconsistent and dealt with injuries, including a sprained left knee that cost him five games in February.

But Zimmerman returned from that injury rather than sit out the rest of the season and not endanger his NBA prospects.

Another former Rebel who hoped to be drafted was 6-7 forward Derrick Jones Jr., who spent one season at UNLV. He was not and now can sign a free-agent deal with any club.

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65