Tobias picked by Bobcats, sent to Bucks

NEWARK -- The Milwaukee Bucks apparently saved the best for last. Tennessee freshman Tobias Harris of Dix Hills worked out for 12 teams before Thursday night's NBA draft at the Prudential Center. His last stop was Tuesday in Milwaukee, and that's where he ended up when Charlotte selected him with the 19th overall pick in the first round and sent him to the Bucks as part of a three-team deal.

The trade manipulations made for a little confusion when the pick was announced, but Harris said agent Henry Thomas told him there was a chance the Bucks would have Charlotte select him.

"I knew it was Milwaukee,'' Harris said when he finally emerged from a holding room where he and other players involved in the trade were forced to remain until details of the deal were finalized after the first round ended.

"I had a very good workout for the Bucks,'' he said. "I could tell by the vibe I got from the coaches that they were impressed. I showed the ability to score and create plays. It was one of my best workouts. If I didn't go there, I thought I'd go to Denver [at No. 22].''

Harris competed in that workout against Florida State's Chris Singleton, who was one of four small forwards to come off the board in the six picks before the Bucks chose him. Yet Harris showed no sign of nerves during the wait to hear his name called, and when commissioner David Stern finally delivered the good news, Harris simply leaned back and smiled.

"I knew God has a plan, and whichever team picked me would be a great situation,'' Harris said. "I wasn't nervous or upset. I was happy for the guys picked before me. This is a lifetime dream for all of us.''

Said Harris' father, Torrel: "This is a blessed day. I really like the fit in Milwaukee with [point guard] Brandon Jennings.''

The elder Harris, who is a former basketball agent, saw another connection that might have had something to do with his son's fate. Noting that Kelvin Sampson is an assistant on the Bucks' staff, the elder Harris said, "When Tobias was in the eighth grade, Kelvin Sampson offered him a scholarship to Indiana.''

Sampson no longer coaches the Hoosiers, but he'll finally have a chance to work with the 6-8, 225-pound Harris, who averaged 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds for Tennessee and helped the Volunteers reach the NCAA Tournament. "He's a great guy,'' Tobias Harris said of Sampson, who works under head coach Scott Skiles. "He's always had an interest in me.''

Harris, who starred at Long Island Lutheran and Half Hollow Hills West, also was happy about the chance for playing time with the Bucks. Their starting small forward last season was Carlos Delfino, but he figures to give way to Stephen Jackson, who was acquired from Charlotte as part of the three-team deal. Harris has a strong chance to be a part of the rotation as Jackson's backup, and he'll get to play with a strong post man in center Andrew Bogut as well as the high-scoring Jennings.

"It's a young team that likes to get up and down, and they have a great point guard,'' Tobias Harris said. "I just see myself coming in and working hard.''