HE may not have been drafted in the NBA's first round, but the next best thing happened to Nathan jawai yesterady

Jawai, 21, is likely to be playing in a Toronto NBA singlet next season after a trade between the Raptors and the Indiana Pacers – who picked him at No.41 in yesterday’s basketball draft – is approved.

Click here to see the Nathan Jawai story so far 

Because he was picked outside the first round (top 30), the Bamaga product is not guaranteed an NBA contract next season.

But he is determined to fight his way into the NBA, his late selection acting as motivation rather than disappointment for the first indigenous Australian drafted to the NBA.

"I’m going out there to get this spot, I’m serious," he said from New York yesterday.

"I’ll definitely be playing. I’m going to work my tail off for that.

"It motivates me that I got picked in the second round.

"Thanks to Toronto and the Pacers for picking me."

Under NBA rules the deal can not be officially announced until after July 9, with officials set to carefully scrutinise the complicated trade involving several players.

But a report on Toronto’s website said the Raptors had "agreed to a trade in principle on the eve of the draft, acquiring six-time all-star Jermaine O’Neal and Indiana’s 41st pick".

"So when the Pacers selected Australian centre Nathan Jawai at No. 41, they did so on behalf of the Raptors.

"Jawai, who played for Cairns Taipans of the Australian league, can’t officially be introduced as a Raptor until the trade is finalised," the report said.

Cairns Taipans assistant coach Aaron Fearne said some "left field" picks in the opening round complicated the expected draft order.

"We really thought there was a chance of him going to Detroit with the 29th pick," Fearne said.

But there was still great interest in the forward/centre, with Washington, Cleveland and the Los Angeles Lakers reportedly trying to trade up in the second round to nab the 208cm
behemoth.

With deals done rapidly, Jawai, Fearne and agent Mark Fleischer had no warning of when his number would come up.

Jawai was the first to notice his name had been called.

Host broadcaster ESPN was on a commercial break in the US – as it was in Australia – so pick No. 41 was not announced live, with Jawai first to notice his name next to Indiana in a "ticker" on the bottom of the screen at the ESPN Zone restaurant where he and other prospects were watching the draft.

"‘Look, I just got picked!’ that was my reaction," Jawai said.

Cairns Taipans coach Alan Black described events as
"sensational".

Black said talks with officials in North America led him to believe the Raptors had a spot for Jawai on their roster and he was likely to play next season.

Jawai praised all those that had helped him achieve his dreams – from his close family and uncle Danny Morseu who persuaded him to move to Cairns to play basketball, to coaches, officials and players at the Taipans, Cairns Marlins and Kuiyam Pride.

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