Nevada will have a new player in the NBA. Kobe Sanders was taken in the NBA Draft on Thursday night with the No. 50 pick.
The Los Angeles Clippers traded with the New York Knicks to land the 6-foot-8 Sanders, whom the Knicks had initially selected. The Clippers then selected 6-8 French forward Mohamed Diawara at No. 51 and traded him to the Knicks.
Sanders averaged 15.8 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 46 percent overall and 34.2 percent from 3-point range in one season at Nevada.
Sanders is the 17th player in Nevada history taken in the NBA draft. He is the highest-drafted Wolf Pack player since Cody Martin was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in 2019 at No. 36.
Sanders played at Cal Poly his first four seasons in college basketball, then used his extra COVID season to transfer to Nevada.
Sanders earned third-team All-Mountain West honors ths past season.
“Sanders is a skilled, oversized wing initiator with excellent feel, so he can play the Ben Simmons role for the Clippers,” NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor wrote on Yahoo Sports. “But he actually has an ability to hit some shots off the dribble. He’s limited by a lack of athleticism, but his size, touch, and passing acumen give him a chance to stick in the NBA.”