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The D-League draft will be tonight, and Maine selects eighth as it stocks a first-year roster.

By MIKE LOWE, Staff Writer November 5, 2009

PORTLAND — Take the best player available.

Tonight the Maine Red Claws will subscribe to that theory when they participate in the NBA Developmental League draft.

The Red Claws, Portland's D-League expansion franchise affiliated with the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Bobcats, will pick eighth in the 16-team, eight-round draft that begins at 7 p.m. And if you look at the seven players currently invited to training camp, you'll notice a lack of size.

But, said Jon Jennings, the president and general manager, the team won't be locked into looking at any particular position.

"We will look for size," he said. "You do have to rebound. But in this league you have to look at the best player available, particularly in the early rounds. You don't want to draft players just for position. This is not a league dominated by big guys."

And this year, in particular, could be a good one to have a deep, talented roster. With several NBA teams carrying the minimum roster of 13 players (as opposed to the maximum of 15), Jennings expects many D-League players to get NBA playing time this season.

"The D-League is the place to be for a player whose goal it is to be in the NBA," said Jennings. "Inevitably there are going to be injuries (among NBA teams). I think there could be a lot of call-ups this year, which has a positive effect for a lot of guys.

"From an NBA Developmental League standpoint, you really have to be on top of the personnel in replacing players you may lose."

Which means mining the free- agent lists or making trades. So while you want to have balance, you also want to have quality talent, no matter what position. Some of the players drafted tonight, said Jennings, could be quickly moved in trades.

D-League teams cannot trade draft picks or players during the draft. But after it's over, teams can make trades and likely will. Jennings said he's already been on the phone talking to other teams.

"We're talking about all the scenarios, with all the teams," he said. "Obviously one thing we feel blessed with is having some really good players who could potentially play for us. As long as all those guys sign, we could have a competitive team."

The Red Claws will invite 14 to 17 players to their training camp, which opens Nov. 14 at the Portland Expo. On Wednesday, the team released the names of seven players invited to training camp.

They included two players selected in the expansion draft – Billy Thomas, a 6-foot-5 guard from Kansas, and Noel Felix, a 6-9 forward from Fresno State – two from the allocation draft (where teams can draft territorial rights to players) – 6-foot guard Will Blalock from Iowa State (and a former second- round pick of the Detroit Pistons) and 6-11 forward Tyrell Blair from Boston College – and three from their tryout camps – 6-2 guard Abdulai Jalloh of James Madison, 6-11 forward Michael Williams of Bryant and 6-5 forward Stanley Thomas of Robert Morris.

The Red Claws will hold a draft party at Binga's Stadium on Free Street in Portland, the doors opening at 6:30 p.m. The draft will be televised on NBA TV and streamed live on-line at NBA.com.

"We're as prepared as we can be," said Jennings.

Staff Writer Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or at:

mlowe@pressherald.com