Paul Sancya / AP

Ty Lawson starred at North Carolina.

updated 11:24 p.m. ET June 25, 2009

DENVER - The Denver Nuggets have traded a future first-round draft pick to Minnesota for the rights to North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson.

The Nuggets, who lacked a first-round pick for the fourth straight year, landed Lawson in exchange for a future first-round pick they acquired from Charlotte last year.

The Nuggets have coveted Lawson, who opted to return to school last year and then led the Tar Heels to the national championship. Denver needed a reserve point guard to spell Chauncey Billups, who tired toward the end of the Nuggets’ run to the Western Conference finals last month. Billups will be 33 next season.

With the 34th overall pick, the Nuggets selected another point guard, Sergio Llull of Spain, whom they traded to Houston for cash considerations.

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