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On Thursday night, Utah point guard Delon Wright was taken by the Toronto Raptors with the 20th pick of the 2015 NBA Draft, becoming just the 10th player in Ute history to be drafted in the first round. Knowing he had strong interest from the teams with picks 18-22, Wright was watching carefully in Los Angeles at his own personal draft party as the Raptors called his name.
“It feels good. I finally I made it,” Wright said. “I just felt like each pick within that [18-22] range, I had a chance of going. They picked me, and I was happy about that.”
Upon invitation, some of the top prospects flock to New York to participate in the Draft in person, and Wright was one of those few that received an invite. Instead of buying a questionable-looking suit that he will never wear again and going up on stage to shake Adam Silver’s hand, however, Wright opted to stay home, where he felt more comfortable.
“I didn’t want to go to New York and be away from most of my friends and family,” Wright said. “I wanted to stay in LA and share that moment with my friends and family.”
TMZ Sports released a video of Wright’s draft party, where he can be seen hugging his family members — namely his brother and current Trail Blazer Dorrell — after his name appeared onto the big screen. The moment was enjoyable, but it didn’t last long. That same night, or rather, early the next morning, Wright found himself boarding a plane at 1:00 a.m. to head to Toronto, his new home.
He may have a new address, but loyal Ute faithful here in Salt Lake City will never forget Wright and what he has done for the Utah program. Upon his selection in the first round, Runnin’ Ute fans, and even former Utes, exploded with excitement for Wright via Twitter.
Wright hasn’t forgotten his Utah supporters, either, saying that he “appreciated all the fans at Utah” for “making me feel at home.” However, he is a Raptor now, and some of his new teammates are considered to be some of the top talent in the Eastern Conference in Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan.
While roles have not been specifically discussed yet, and won’t be until the roster is officially set, Wright has a feeling he knows what his niche will be once he starts playing with the Raptors.
“I see myself as a backup,” Wright said. “I’d be coming in to play good defense, and just do my job.”
Next up for Wright is getting back to the grind. Between interviews, workouts and the Draft itself, he hasn’t had much time to get dialed in and focus on the things he needs to improve on. Additionally, Wright will be focusing a lot of his time on getting his body in NBA season mode in preparation for the Las Vegas Summer League.
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