NBA Draft: Clippers trade up to select Keon Johnson in the first round

The Los Angeles Clippers have selected Keon Johnson, from Tennessee, in the first round of the NBA Draft.

The Clippers have reportedly traded up to the 21st pick to grab Johnson. The 21st pick originally belonged to the New York Knicks before the Clips reportedly made the pick swap.

The Clips are hoping to build off the franchise's most successful season to date. The Clippers made their first trip to the Western Conference Finals after beating the Dallas Mavericks and the Utah Jazz in the previous rounds of the NBA Playoffs. 

Although Los Angeles fell short to the Phoenix Suns, the Clippers were able to take the series to six games without star Kawhi Leonard, who missed the entire conference finals and parts of the Jazz series due to a knee injury.

It is worth noting, however, that NBA teams can not make trades until August 6 so the deal is technically not official as of Thursday, July 29. Teams are allowed to sign, re-sign and trade players starting August 6. With that in mind, neither the Clippers nor the Knicks are expected to make formal announcements of the tentatively agreed deal until then.

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