Miles Bridges‘ versatility convinced Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak to take a chance on him in the first round.

Bridges is thrilled he did.

The Hornets wound up with the Michigan State wingman in the first round of the NBA draft after trading down one spot with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Charlotte initially selected point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from Kentucky with the 11th overall pick Chad Thomas Jersey Elite , but traded him to the Clippers for the 12th overall pick and second-round picks in 2020 and 2021. The Clippers then selected Bridges for the Hornets.

”He’s one of the highest character players in the draft, very athletic, plays hard and he’s very versatile,” Kupchak said. ”… There is not much to not like about Miles Bridges.”

Charlotte later traded up to No. 34 overall with Atlanta to draft Kansas point guard Devonte Graham, a consensus All-American who averaged 17.3 points and 7.2 assists per game last season. Graham, who is from Raleigh, North Carolina, is expected to backup two-time All-Star Kemba Walker Justin Reid Color Rush Jersey , providing the team doesn’t trade him. The Hornets surrendered second round picks in 2019 and 2023 to get him.

Charlotte initially took shooting guard Hamiduo Diallo from Kentucky at No. 45 as part of the impending trade that will send Dwight Howard to the Brooklyn Nets, but then sent his rights to Oklahoma City.

The Hornets drafted Arnoldas Kulboka from Lithunia at No. 55.

Kupchak said Bridges can play both the three and four position on offense at the NBA level just as he did at Michigan State, and also has the size and athleticism to guard four positions on defense.

The 6-foot-7, 225-pound Bridges was a unanimous All Big 10 first team choice after averaging 17 points and seven rebounds last season for the Spartans. He ranked sixth in the Big Ten in scoring last season, 11th in rebounding and fourth in free throw percentage (85.3 percent).

Bridges is expected to be a better offensive option at small forward than starter Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who is considered a strong defender but not a great scorer. Bridges has an NBA ready body and is one of the most explosive leapers in the draft. He scored frequently on perimeter spot ups and off screens while with the Spartans as well as on pick and roll opportunities.

”I want to get better at ball handling so I can create my own shot and just be a threat everywhere on the floor from the 3 to mid-range to getting to the basket,” Bridges said. ”I definitely want to be more aggressive. I felt like in my college career I could have been more aggressive.”

Bridges did not work out for the Hornets despite the team’s repeated attempts to bring him in. Bridges said he had planned to visit after working out in Los Angeles, but ”something popped up.”

Some Hornets fans on social media were upset over the team’s decision to pass on Michael Porter Jr. Ravens Lamar Jackson Jersey , who went two picks later to the Denver Nuggets.

Kupchak said the team had talked extensively about Porter in the weeks leading up the draft but decided to ”move in a different direction” after he cancelled the playing portion of his scheduled workout in Chicago.

Kupchak is off to a busy start as Hornets general manager.

His decision to trade down comes one day after agreeing to trade Howard, an eight-time All-Star center, to the Brooklyn for center Timofey Mozgov and two second-round draft picks, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on Wednesday on condition of anonymity because the league cannot approve the deal until the trade moratorium ends on July 6.

The 32-year-old Howard was due to make $23.8 million in the final year of his contract next season.

The Hornets failed to make the playoffs last season for the third time in four seasons, prompting owner Michael Jordan to part ways with general manager Rich Cho and coach Steve Clifford.

Kupchak hired James Borrego as the team’s new head coach in May.

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AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.

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Eras change. Stars change. Coaches change. Styles change.

Coming into this week, the Pittsburgh Penguins had won nine of 10 meetings in the postseason against the Washington Capitals. It is a history marked by epic collapse, unlikely comebacks and wild finishes.

Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and company rewrote the script a bit this time around: Washington is moving on after ousting the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins in six games. Here’s an updated history lesson:

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THE YEAR: 1991

THE ROUND: Patrick Division Finals

THE RESULT: Penguins in 5.

THE DEFINING MOMENT: The Capitals scored three times in the first 10:26 of the third period of Game 2 in Pittsburgh to take the lead. Randy Gilhen – he of the three career playoff goals – jumped onto the ice during a delayed Washington penalty and emerged from a sea of bodies to tie it with less than 5 minutes left in regulation. Kevin Stevens won it with a wrist shot off a pretty setup by Ron Francis 8:10 into overtime to even the series. The Capitals scored three goals total the rest of the way as the Penguins advanced to the conference finals for the first time in franchise history.

GUT PUNCH LEVEL: 2. The massively talented Penguins had seven Hall of Famers on the roster (eight if you include the ageless and sure-to-be inducted Jaromir Jagr) and won their first Cup two rounds later.

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THE YEAR: 1992

THE ROUND: Patrick Division Semifinals

THE SERIES: Penguins in 7.

THE DEFINING MOMENT: The Capitals sprinted to a 3-1 series lead. After getting drilled at home in Game 5 Vita Vea Buccaneers Jersey , Washington led 4-2 4 minutes into the second period of Game 6. And then Mario Lemieux happened. Super Mario scored or assisted on three power-play goals over the final 30 minutes as the Penguins tied the series, then shut the Caps down in Game 7, a 3-1 win on the road to propel them to a second straight Cup.

GUT PUNCH LEVEL: 8. Pittsburgh had a bit of a Cup hangover after winning it all in `91 and appeared on the verge of collapse after the Capitals crushed them 7-2 in Game 4. And then … well, consider this the start of a trend.

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THE YEAR: 1994

THE ROUND: Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

THE SERIES: Capitals in 6.

THE DEFINING MOMENT: Washington again jumped out to a 3-1 series lead only to lose Game 5. Back home for Game 6, the Capitals went up 3-0 only to have the Penguins cut it to 3-2 after the first period. Momentum teetering, Washington defenseman Calle Johansson beat Tom Barrasso 1:25 into the second to restore the Caps’ two-goal lead and Washington closed out Pittsburgh for the first time.

GUT PUNCH LEVEL: 6. Pittsburgh viewed 1994 as a redemption tour after its bid for a three-peat was derailed by the Islanders in the 1993 playoffs. The Penguins won the Northeast Division and had the third-best record in the league only to lose to a Capitals team that started the season 0-6 and fired coach Terry Murray at midseason and replaced him with Jim Schoenfeld.

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THE YEAR: 1995

THE ROUND: Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

THE SERIES: Penguins in 7.

THE DEFINING MOMENT: Lemieux sat out the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season due to fatigue and the Capitals took advantage in the playoffs. Washington – stop us if you’ve heard this before – headed to Pittsburgh with a 3-1 lead and jumped ahead four separate times in front of a stunned crowd at the Igloo. Kevin Stevens, however, drew the Penguins even with 8:18 left in regulation and Luc Robitaille kept Pittsburgh’s season alive with his OT winner 4:30 into the first extra period to give the Penguins a 6-5 victory. Pittsburgh went on to win Games 6 and 7 by a combined 10-1.

GUT PUNCH LEVEL: 9. For a franchise that didn’t exactly have a reputation for answering when pushed Adidas Henrik Sedin Jersey , Washington’s remarkable play in Game 5 went against the grain and it didn’t have to worry about Lemieux. And yet …

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THE YEAR: 1996

THE ROUND: Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

THE SERIES: Penguins in 6.

THE DEFINING MOMENT: Make it defining moments. All of them seeming to come in an epic Game 4 . The Capitals led 2-1 and didn’t have to contend with Lemieux after he was ejected late in the second period for fighting Washington’s Pat Peake. Regulation ended tied at 2. So did the first overtime. And the second (after Washington’s Joe Juneau couldn’t convert the first overtime penalty shot in NHL history). And the third. With 45 seconds left in the fourth extra period, Petr Nedved threw a shot in from outside the left circle that slipped by Olaf Kolzig and into the net to tie the series. Pittsburgh captured the next two to advance to the conference finals.

GUT PUNCH LEVEL: They might not have invented the number yet to rate the emotional toll of this one. Say ”Nedved” around Caps fans at your own risk.

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THE YEAR: 2000

THE ROUND: Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

THE SERIES: Penguins in 5.

THE DEFINING MOMENT: Washington lost 7-0 in Game 1, but had a chance to even the series when Game 2 went to overtime. Jaromir Jagr, however, effectively ended the competitive portion of things with a power-play goal 5:49 into overtime as the Penguins – who finished a middling third in the Atlantic Division – knocked off the Southeast Division champions with relative ease.

GUT PUNCH LEVEL: 3. Washington’s record was a bit of a mirage in a division that included the teams (Atlanta and Tampa Bay) that finished with the two worst records in the NHL.

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THE YEAR: 2001

THE ROUND: Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

THE SER.