FAYETTEVILLE - The Denver Nuggets didn't have a pick in Thursday's NBA Draft, but that didn't stop them from jumping back in late Thursday night to acquire Chicago Bulls selection Sonny Weems.

The former Arkansas Razorback from West Memphis was traded to Denver from Chicago after the Bulls took the 6-6 wing with the 39 th overall pick in the second round of the draft.

Weems was part of a threeteam trade. The Bulls gave up his rights and received the draft rights to Omer Asik, a 6-11 center from Turkey, and the 36 th overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers. Denver traded its 2009 second-round pick to Portland, which also received a pair of future picks from Chicago.

Attempts to reach Weems were unsuccessful Friday, but his agent, Roger Montgomery, said Weems is looking forward to the chance of playing for a franchise that made the playoffs last season and has the veteran talent to make another run in the competitive Western Conference.

Denver finished 50-32 last season and was the Western Conference's eighth seed in the playoffs, where they were swept in the first round by the Los Angeles Lakers.

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"They did have an interest in Sonny throughout this entire process," Montgomery said. "They liked him, and he was a guy they had targeted. He was a guy they went after when there was an opportunity to get him."

Having a chance to obtain Weems appeared to be a draft night priority for Denver, which traded away all of its picks prior to draft day, including sending the 20 th overall pick of the first round to Charlotte for a future No. 1.

According to Denver media reports, the Nuggets had Weems ranked among the top 20 prospects on their board. When he wasn't expected to go until the second round, vice president of basketball operations Mark Warentien said his team decided to pursue Weems' draft rights.

The Nuggets have reportedly been scouting Weems since his junior college playing days at Arkansas-Fort Smith. They also attended predraft workouts that Weems was a part of in Orlando, Fla., and Oakland, Calif.

Not every team was as high on Weems, which eventually proved beneficial to the Nuggets.

"It's just kind of the nature of the draft," Warkentien said through a news release. "In the NBA, now the time you can work guys out is more limited. Often guys hit a certain point in the draft... they reach those pockets and they need parachutes because they are falling.

" With Sonny slipping, we chose to make a play."

Rex Chapman, the former Kentucky and NBA guard who is the Nuggets' vice president of player personnel, told the Denver Post the organization considers Weems "a world-class athlete."

"I think he and [Denver guard J. R. Smith ] might have a dunk contest or two," Chapman said.

Chapman's scouting reports projected Weems as an athletic leaper with a good midrange jumper who needs to improve his outside shooting consistency and defending at the NBA level.

"We feel very fortunate to get a quality player, a quality young man at 39," said Chapman, who along with Nuggets Coach George Karl talked to Weems on Thursday night. "[Weems ] was very excited."

Weems joins a star-studded roster in Denver that is highlighted by guard Allen Iverson, forwards Kenyon Martin and Carmelo Anthony and center Marcus Camby. Offense is hardly lacking, so the Nuggets traded for Weems hoping he can find other ways to contribute.

He'll be fighting veterans Eduardo Najera and Chucky Atkins and younger players such as Bobby Jones, Taurean Green and Yakhouba Diawara for a roster spot.

"There's a niche, whether it's for Sonny or somebody else, for dirty dog, run the floor, defender, wingtype guys," Warkentien said. "He will be in that mix."