Guard Yuki Togashi was selected by the Santa Cruz Warriors in the second round (27th overall pick) of the 2014 NBA Development League Draft on Saturday.
The Texas Legends, the Dallas Mavericks' D-League affiliate, acquired the rights to Togashi on the same day.
The 21-year-old Togashi played for the Mavs during the NBA Las Vegas Summer League in July. He was invited to camp by Dallas, but didn't make the team's opening day roster and thus wasn't protected by the NBA club, which enabled Santa Cruz to call his name in the draft.
On Twitter, Togashi wrote that he was "very pleased to be able to play for the Texas Legends." He was also the recipient of numerous messages on the social media site, including from Japan women's national team guard Yuko Oga, a former WNBA player with the Phoenix Mercury, who wished him "good luck."
There are 18 teams in the D-League, and 122 players were selected in the draft.
Texas, coached by former NBA forward Eduardo Najera, opens its season on Nov. 14 against the host Bakersfield Jam.
The 167-cm guard Togashi, a native of Niigata Prefecture, starred for the bj-league's Akita Northern Happinets during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 season, making his pro debut in February 2013 for the Tohoku-based squad. He led the bj-league in assists (7.9 per game) last season.
Former Yokohama B-Corsairs guard Marcus Simmons, a University of Southern California product, was the final pick of the sixth round, going to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
