Philadelphia 76ers got the player they wanted and Lonzo Ball the team he wanted.

The 76ers selected guard Markelle Fultz on Thursday night with the No. 1 pick after trading up earlier in the week to grab the high-scoring freshman guard from Washington.

The Los Angeles Lakers followed by taking Ball as the draft started with a pair of freshmen point guards from the Pac-12 Conference.

Meanwhile with their 36th pick, the 76ers chose Australian Jonah Bolden, the son of Bruce Bolden, who played in the NBL for 17 years. 

Jonah Bolden will join fellow Australian Ben Simmons at the 76ers. 

A night that's usually about the rookies quickly was jolted by another of the big moves involving veterans that have come in a flurry since the NBA Finals.

Chicago Bulls traded three-time All-Star Jimmy Butler and the 16th overall pick to Minnesota Timberwolves for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the No. 7 overall draft pick.

While that was being completed, Thursday night's draft at Barclays Center got off to a familiar start with the same top-four picks as last year: Philadelphia, the Lakers, Boston and Phoenix.

Fultz averaged 23.2 points last season, tops among freshmen, and added 5.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game, the only Division I player to reach those stats.

The 76ers had the No. 1 pick for the second straight year after trading with the Boston Celtics on Monday. Now they add Fultz to a promising young core that includes Rookie of the Year finalists Joel Embiid and Dario Saric, plus Australian Ben Simmons, the top pick from last year who sat out all season with a foot injury.

"In high school I told my trainer Keith I wanted to be the No. 1 player in the country and the No. 1 draft pick, so it was a goal I set out there, and that's what I was striving for," Fultz said.

Ball then got the wish he and his father, LaVar, wanted all along by staying in Los Angeles, where he starred last season at UCLA.

"Tonight was supposed to be a good night. Definitely was, and now I'm just focused on playing," Lonzo Ball said.

"Just want to get on the court."

The Celtics then took Duke small forward Jayson Tatum at No. 3, Phoenix Suns selected Josh Jackson of Kansas and Sacramento Kings took Kentucky guard De'Aaron Fox at No. 5.

The run of freshmen continued when Orlando Magic selected Jonathan Isaac and Minnesota Timberwolves took Finnish seven-footer Lauri Markkanen.

French guard Frank Ntilikina was taken eighth by New York Knicks, guard Dennis Smith ninth by Dallas Mavericks with Sacramento Kings-bound seven-foot centre Zach Collins rounding out the top 10.

AP