2021 NBA Draft Grades
The NBA Draft has been completed and now that I finally figured out who was traded and where everyone will be playing, I have completed my grades for the Draft. I only included draft selections and trades on draft day (or right before draft day that I never addressed in the blog) involving draft picks; as such, Minnesota will not be included here despite trading Ricky Rubio on that day since no 2021 picks were involved. Additionally, I will not punish teams for moves that didn’t occur (i.e. I won’t punish the Warriors for not trading the 7th and 14th picks for Bradley Beal when that trade didn’t sound like this was an option) or for anything that was out of their control (especially won’t punish teams for not being able to select a player who was already drafted). I also emphasized how I thought the fit with the team (based on long-term or short-term depending on the situation of the team) in my grades more than how I evaluated any given player or if they could have drafted a player I like more; most rankings focus on that, and I think it is the wrong way to handle this. Lastly, my grades do not include any moves in free agency; I wrote most of them prior to free agency and did not think it was fair to grade their moves on draft night when the other moves weren’t known yet. There are some comments I made in this post that allude to free agency; some of these might be outdated, and I will make an evaluation of free agency moves later in the offseason.
Atlanta Hawks
· Drafted
o
Jalen Johnson (20)
o
Sharife Cooper (48)
I didn’t feel like Atlanta had too many needs to fulfil, so
they drafted two players who I think have a high upside. Johnson was expected to be a top-10 pick
prior to his freshman year, but fell to 20.
He is a high upside player who loves being a playmaker, something that
could be nice from a big wing. Cooper is
another player who is a great playmaker and effective scorer who I think has
All-Star upside, so he could be a solid backup to Trae Young in the coming
years, which isn’t bad at 48. The upside
picks were a smart move for them. Grade: A+
Boston Celtics
· Drafted
o
Juhann Begarin (45)
I’ll confess that I’m not the biggest fan of Begarin; he’s a
great athlete, but I don’t know that I trust him enough to be any sort of
skilled player. I didn’t think it was a
horrible pick because of the athleticism at that point; further, the team won’t
be getting a player who would be a project on the NBA roster. Ultimately, the draft-and-stash option of
Begarin might be the best due to his athleticism, but I cannot justify giving
this pick a high grade. Grade: C
Brooklyn Nets
· Drafted
o
Cameron Thomas (27)
o
Day’Ron Sharpe (29)
o
Kessler Edwards (44)
o
Marcus Zegarowski (49)
o
RaiQuan Gray (59)
·
Traded For
o
Jevon Carter
·
Given Up
o
Landry Shamet
Brooklyn doesn’t have much cap space for this offseason, so
they will be relying on minimum deals. I
think acquiring so many players they did is a good idea. Thomas is an aggressive volume scorer who could
be a strong scorer off the bench, though he is a bit raw. Sharpe is also raw, but he can do a lot on
both ends while displaying some passing ability. Edwards is a player I could see being a
quality backup 3-and-D kind of player, though I’m not sure how he will be a
1-on-1 defender initially. Zegarowski is
a sharpshooter who isn’t the best athlete but has playmaking chops, making him
a good option on or off the ball. Gray
might be able to provide some defensive help for them in small doses, though he
was a bit heavy for his height at the combine, which is something to watch. With Shamet eligible for an extension, trading
him for Sharpe and Carter, who is a point guard who can shoot and defend,
sounds like a good idea. All of it might
work in the short term and long term. Grade: A-
Charlotte Hornets
· Drafted
o
James Bouknight (11)
o
Kai Jones (19)
o
JT Thor (37)
o
Scottie Lewis (56)
·
Traded For
o
Mason Plumlee
·
Given Up
o
57th pick (Balsa Koprivica)
o
2022 1st round pick (Top-18 protected)
There was a lot that worked out in Charlotte’s favor for the
draft. The most important thing might be
Bouknight, an electric scorer I thought had no shot of falling out of the top
8, fell to them at 11, which will help their offense off the bench. Giving up a pick for next year for Jones is
interesting considering how raw he is, but he has immense upside; the
protection will help. They moved up 20
picks in the second round by taking on the contract of Plumlee, who will be a
starting center and allow Jones to develop some more. With the pick that was included, Thor is a freak
athlete and fantastic defender for his age, which will be a nice development
project. Lewis is another amazing
athlete and defender who might be ready for the NBA in a limited role. I thought they nailed it. Grade:
A+
Chicago Bulls
· Drafted
o
Ayo Dosunmu (38)
Chicago had only one pick, and I thought Dosunmu is a good
selection at that spot. He is an NBA
ready defensive combo guard who should be able to fit in with the Bulls due to being
a jack-of-all-trades kind of player. I
don’t expect him to be a star by any means or even a lead point guard in the
NBA, but I think he will be a quality player who is sought after in the
league. I’m a big fan of his and thought
he should have been a first-round pick; he will be valuable off the bench for Chicago. Grade:
A
Cleveland Cavaliers
· Drafted
o
Evan Mobley (3)
Cleveland had one pick, and they used it to take possibly the
best player remaining. Some have argued
that Mobley has the highest ceiling out of anyone in this draft (I don’t), but
he is a guy who is skilled at both ends.
He’s already a great defensive player for a prospect of his age, can score
like crazy, is a good passer, loves to win, and is a very smart player. He needs work with his shooting (which I’m
not particularly optimistic will be good, unlike many) and is too small to play
center at this time. Even if he never
becomes a good shooter, it wouldn’t surprise me if he is a multiple time
All-Star. Grade: A+
Dallas
Mavericks
Dallas had no draft picks entering the night, so they do not
receive a grade. Grade: N/A
Denver Nuggets
· Drafted
o
Nah’Shon Hyland (26)
There are people saying this pick was the replacement to
Jamal Murry, and I think it was more of a guard replacement for depth. I think either Monte Morris or Facundo
Campazzo will start for Murray, but I could see Hyland providing up to 10 PPG
if he were playing 20-25 MPG due to his shooting ability. He isn’t the best defender, passer, and is skinny,
but he can shoot and score both on and off the ball, which will be a natural
fit alongside their lead playmaker in Nikola Jokic. If nothing else, Hyland is a talented player
who will provide depth and fit with the team.
Grade: A
Detroit Pistons
· Drafted
o
Cade Cunningham (1)
o
Isaiah Livers (42)
o
Luka Garza (52)
o
Balsa Koprivica (57)
·
Given Up
o
37th pick (JT Thor)
o
Mason Plumlee
Once Detroit won the lottery, it was expected that they would
take Cunningham. He is an NBA ready
player to start and has shown potential as a big playmaker who can shoot and
has very few weaknesses; he will be a Rookie of the Year frontrunner the second
he takes the court. They don’t have a guaranteed
star, but they have multiple players who look like good players. I think Livers is a talented shooter and
competitor who I think could have been a first-round pick had he not been
injured at the end of the season. I
expected someone would take a crack at drafting Garza, and I think it’s worth a
shot; while he isn’t a great athlete or defender, he is a crafty and complete
offensive player who plays hard. I think
it’s tough to have to move back 20 spots in the draft to get rid of Plumlee,
especially since he had a good year last year and could be a starting center for
many teams, including Charlotte. With the
57th, I don’t think Koprivica was the best player available, but I
don’t know the back end of whether other players weren’t interested in playing
in G-League or something like that.
Koprivica is raw offensively to say the least, but his size and
defensive potential might make him an interesting backup big. Ultimately, I think the choices they made
were solid, but it was headlined by Cunningham.
Grade: A-
Golden State Warriors
· Drafted
o
Jonathan Kuminga (7)
o
Moses Moody (14)
Many are criticizing the Warriors for this draft because they
didn’t trade these two for a star. On
the other hand, I wasn’t even expecting them to make any; I didn’t expect
Bradley Beal would be traded, Philadelphia wouldn’t like that offer for Ben
Simmons, and they wouldn’t think anyone else would be worthwhile (watch out for during the season, when these players will be valuable then). As such, the most athletic player in the
draft in Kuminga (with all due respect to Jalen Green) who is a bit of a
project but would develop alongside some stars and in the G-League; that said,
I think someone like James Bouknight would have been more of a blessing with
that pick given what the team needs. Moody
is a talented player on both ends and has a higher floor than a lot of people
were giving him credit for. I thought
there was no way he would fall past the 8th pick, so the fact that they
were able to get Moody so late is amazing, especially since he should be a
great 3-and-D player. I love the Moody
pick and like the Kuminga pick since I thought both were the best
available. Grade: A-
Houston Rockets
· Drafted
o
Jalen Green (2)
o
Alperen Sengun (16)
o
Usman Garuba (23)
o
Josh Christopher (24)
·
Given Up
o
2022 1st round pick (Top-16 protected)
(DET)
o
2023 1st round pick (Top-14
protected) (WAS)
Houston had the worst record in the NBA and desperately
needs some long-term talent to fit with potential players in Christian Wood,
Kevin Porter Jr., KJ Martin. and Jae’Sean
Tate. While some thing Evan Mobley is
better than Green, I like Green’s upside a bit more and think he has a higher
floor. Green is he next great athletic wing
and improved substantially in the G-League, so I think he will be ready almost
instantly. Giving up two first rounders
is risky for a first rounder, but they are protected and Sengun is an
interesting prospect. There are some
that think he should have been number 1 (I’m not one), but he is still a big
who should be able to pass and shoot; that said, his defense needs to improve
to be better than a good passing and shooting Enes Kanter. I think Garuba would pair very well with
Sengun because of his athleticism, defensive ability, and ability to switch; this
pair could be what Indiana hoped Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis could be
since Garuba should be able to guard bigger or smaller defenders. Christopher is an interesting prospect
because of his athleticism, defensive upside, and finishing ability, though he
is inconsistent in several aspects, but Houston has the time to improve
him. They got 4 guys with nice upside
(as well as 3 who have a solid floor), and the time to develop all of
them. Grade: A+
Indiana Pacers
· Drafted
o
Chris Duarte (13)
o
Isaiah Jackson (22)
·
Given Up
o
Sandro Mamukelashvili (54)
o
Georgios Kalaitzakis (60)
o
Aaron Holiday
o
More favorable 2024 2nd round pick
(IND, CLE, UTA)
o
More favorable 2026 2nd round pick
(IND, MIA)
With the Pacers being largely ready to compete some next
year, I think it makes sense to draft a guy like Duarte who is NBA ready. Duarte is a great shooter, solid defender,
and plays hard, so he should be a good fit off the ball for them; he also
should be ready to contribute day one.
The route to acquire the rights to Jackson was interesting: they turned the 54th, 60th,
and 2 future 2nd rounders into the 31st pick, and then
turned that and Holiday into the 22nd pick. I’m not necessarily opposed to them trading
up for this pick; it was a lot to give up, but the picks for this year weren’t
too bad, and Holiday is up for an extension, so effectively they turned 2 late
2nd rounders, 2 future 2nd rounders, and a player that it
was uncertain if he was in their long-term plans and likely wouldn’t be
extended for the 22nd pick. I
think this pick was more focused on a player with long-term potential; I expect
Domantas Sabonis is their future center, and Indiana also has Myles Turner (who
is consistently in trade rumors) and Goga Bitadze (don’t expect him there for
long), so this pick is more long-term. I’m
not in love with the fit, but I think Jackson will be a good player. Grade:
B
Los Angeles Clippers
· Drafted
o
Keon Johnson (21)
o
Jason Preston (33)
o
Brandon Boston Jr. (51)
·
Given Up
o
25th pick (Quentin Grimes)
o
2024 2nd round pick
o
2026 2nd round pick (DET)
o
Cash
With the Clippers dealing with some cap space issues, the draft
was the perfect place to acquire players at a discount rate, but there was one
issue: they only had the 25th
pick. No problem, they had a way to
change this. They started by acquiring
the 21st pick from the Knicks in exchange for the 25th
pick and a 2nd rounder, then got the 33rd pick for another
2nd rounder, and the 51st for cash. Johnson is a player that I’m a big fan of due
to his defensive ability, athleticism, and finishing ability; while he needs to
improve his offensive ability, he is a talented player who I thought should
have been drafted in the top 10 and should be able to play a role in at least
10-15 MPG immediately. Preston is a
talented point guard who should be able to be a backup playmaker while being
able to score, something the Clippers have been desperate for over the last couple
seasons; that said, he isn’t a great athlete or defender, so don’t expect him
to play a major role in the end of games.
Boston is raw and isn’t a good decision maker, but he has shown glimpses
as a skilled scorer and passer, and was also a top recruit prior to college; he
likely fell due to poor interviews, but I think that was the difficulty of
going through the process without college teammate and friend Terrence Clarke. Excellent draft for them. Grade:
A+
Los Angeles Lakers
· Traded For
o
Russell Westbrook
o
2024 2nd round pick (WAS)
o
2028 2nd round pick (WAS)
·
Given Up
o
22nd pick (Isaiah Jackson)
o
Kyle Kuzma
o
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
o
Montrezl Harrell
I think the decision to trade for Westbrook was a risky move
and one that screams desperation. I
think the biggest reason is that the Lakers didn’t want to deal with a case of
LeBron James and Anthony Davis injured again without a superstar, which makes
sense. That said, there is a big issue
with this: how on earth does he fit in
if nobody is injured? He is an abysmal
shooter and isn’t that good off the ball, which won’t make him the best pairing
with James. However, he is still a
player who can turn a below average team into a playoff team. Making this move did cause them to lose Kuzma
(who I thought wasn’t a good fit the last couple years), Caldwell-Pope (a move
I expect will sting), Harrell (a move that isn’t too consequential), and a first-round
pick (ouch). They do get two 2nd
rounders, but I fear this was not a calculated decision and done more out of
fear and to acquire names. Grade: C-
Memphis Grizzlies
· Drafted
o
Ziaire Williams (10)
o
Santi Aldama (30)
·
Traded For
o
Eric Bledsoe
o
Steven Adams
o
2022 1st round pick (Top-10
Protected) (LAL)
·
Given Up
o
17th pick (Trey Murphy)
o
51st pick (Brandon Boston Jr.)
o
Jonas Valanciunas
o
2 future 2nd round picks
Memphis’s draft was…interesting, to say the least. It started with a polarizing trade that sent
Jonas Valanciunas to the Pelicans for Bledsoe, Adams, and the Laker’s pick next
year, while also swapping picks to move up in both rounds. Many thought that giving up Valanciunas was
unwise, but this year is his last year under contract and the young team will
get expensive soon, so I’m not opposed to this move, especially since Adams’
presence is being overlooked. That said,
we’ll see what happens with Bledsoe, since I’m not sure how tradeable he
is. It was heavily rumored that they
favored Josh Giddey, but when he went 6th, they opted for
Williams. This move has been often
criticized, but he is a skilled player who good defender, ball handler, and
playmaker; he will need to improve as a shooter and scorer for him to be in the
team’s future. They got the 40th
pick from the Pelicans, but traded up for the 30th pick and selected…Aldama,
who I didn’t think would be drafted. Don’t
get me wrong, he’s a good shooter and playmaker for a big man, but there are
too many red flags for me to justify in the top-45: injury concerns, lack of athleticism, low
level of competition, underwhelming free throw percent. He’s a smart player, but it’s a major reach
to draft him there. Overall, I would say
it was a puzzling draft for them to say the least. Grade:
C+
Miami Heat
Miami had no draft picks entering the night, so they do not
receive a grade. Grade: N/A
Milwaukee Bucks
· Drafted
o
Sandro Mamukelashvili (54)
o
Georgios Kalaitzakis (60)
·
Traded For
o
More favorable 2024 2nd round pick
(IND, CLE, UTA)
o
More favorable 2026 2nd round pick
(IND, MIA)
·
Given Up
o
31st pick (Isaiah Todd)
Milwaukee had the 31st pick, but flipped it with
Indiana for picks 54 and 60, as well as 2 future picks. I admittedly am not necessarily opposed to it
since this gives them more potential players, but there were players who I thought
would be good fits that were available (though I didn’t think Todd was
necessarily one). I expect they made the
trade to save some money in salary. Mamukelashvili
is a big playmaker who plays hard and can shoot some, but that’s about it; he
is an erratic shooter, isn’t that good in the half court, isn’t a good
defender, and hasn’t shown any ability in the post, even against smaller
defenders. I don’t expect he will get
much playing time since he likely wouldn’t fit with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Kalaitzakis is another big playmaker, but I
don’t think his game is developed enough beyond that to make an impact immediately. If he is a draft-and-stash guy, then maybe he
can do something eventually; if he comes over immediately, he’ll flame out. Grade:
C
Minnesota
Timberwolves
Minnesota had no draft picks entering the night, so they do
not receive a grade. Grade: N/A
New Orleans Pelicans
· Drafted
o
Trey Murphy (17)
o
Herbert Jones (35)
·
Traded For
o
Jonas Valanciunas
o
2026 2nd round pick (POR)
o
Cash
·
Given Up
o
10th pick (Ziaire Williams)
o
40th pick (Jared Butler)
o
43rd pick (Greg Brown)
o
53rd pick (Charles Bassey)
o
Eric Bledsoe
o
Steven Adams
o
2022 1st round pick (Top-10 protected)
(LAL)
The Pelicans had a busy draft day, but their most notable
move wasn’t a draft pick; rather, the major move of the day was dumping both
Bledsoe and Adams. Adams is a good
player, but wasn’t a good fit in New Orleans alongside Zion Williamson, and
Bledsoe wasn’t doing much of anything for them, so it made sense to dump their
massive salaries. While many seem to be
excited about Valanciunas going to New Orleans, I think it will be a horrid
fit; while he is a solid shooter, majority of his points come from post
ups. While he theoretically is a better
fit than Adams in the paint, the issue is that Valanciunas will likely take
away shots from Zion in the paint since he will want his post ups. They traded back to get the 17th
and 51st picks; while they sold 51 to the Clippers, they took Murphy
with the 17th pick. I think he
will be a good 3-and-D player, meaning he should be a good fit; while he isn’t
good on the dribble, he won’t need to with this team. Jones will be a good fit for a Pelicans team
that will is desperate for defense, but I’d be shocked if he becomes that good
of an offensive player for a few years.
I’m not surprised that they got rid of their other 3 picks (43rd
pick for a future 2nd, 51st for cash, and 53rd
for cash) since they wouldn’t have the roster spots, but I’m admittedly a fan
of Bassey and think they could have tried developing Brown and Brandon Boston
(drafted 51st), but there wouldn’t have the roster spots (maybe a
2-way spot though?). Grade: B-
New York Knicks
· Drafted
o
Quentin Grimes (25)
o
Rokas Jokubaitis (34)
o
Miles McBride (36)
o
Jericho Sims (58)
·
Traded For
o
2022 1st round pick (Top-18 protected)
(from CHA)
o
2024 2nd round pick (from LAC)
·
Given Up
o
19th pick (Kai Jones)
o
21st pick (Keon Johnson)
o
32nd pick (Jeremiah Robinson-Earl)
Many have criticized the Knicks draft, but I think that
criticism is a bit overhyped. While I
think the return for neither the 19th or 21st pick were
enough (a 1st rounder and then the 25th pick and a 2nd
rounder, respectively), I don’t think Jones was the right fit given Mitchell
Robinson’s presence at center (unless he isn’t a long-term solution). I’m a big fan of Johnson, but I think Grimes
will be a good fit who can contribute immediately as a 3-and-D guy off the
ball. I like them traded the 32nd
pick for the 34th and 36th picks, but a big part of that
is because I’m not a big fan of Robinson-Earl. Jokubaitis is an interesting draft-and-stash
prospect who could be a slightly bigger point guard who is skilled all-around,
but he isn’t too comfortable from 3 and isn’t the best athlete. I’m a big fan of McBride and thought he
should have received attention in the top-20; he is a great athlete, strong
shooter, quality defender, and solid playmaker, making him look like a good point
guard for the future for the team, even if as a reserve. They weren’t going to get anything other than
cash for the 58th pick, so I think selecting Sims was a good choice
due to his athleticism and potential to be a rim-running center. I think their draft wasn’t spectacular, but
it was better than advertised. Grade: B
Oklahoma City Thunder
· Drafted
o
Josh Giddey (6)
o
Tre Mann (18)
o
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (32)
o
Aaron Wiggins (55)
·
Traded For
o
2022 1st round pick (Top-16 protected)
(DET)
o
2023 1st round pick (Top-14
protected) (WAS)
·
Given Up
o
16th pick (Alperen Sengun)
o
34th pick (Rokas Jokubaitis)
o
36th pick (Miles McBride)
After being linked to Jonathan Kuminga and James Bouknight,
Oklahoma City went in a totally different direction by drafting Giddey…but the
thing is, it’s not necessarily the wrong pick.
I consider Giddey to be the best playmaker in this draft class at 6’8,
is a strong finisher, smart player, and good rebounder. While he isn’t a good shooter or defender (he
also isn’t a great athlete, so there’s a ceiling on his defense), I think he
will fit alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander due to his size, playmaking, and the
fact that I like Gilgeous-Alexander off the ball as well. I’m not opposed to them giving up the 16th
pick of Sengun for two picks; I think he could be a great player, but his
defensive is what stops me from being in the party of people who think he will
be an MVP (I would even argue there’s almost as much of a possibility he is
closer to Enes Kanter than Domantas Sabonis).
I’m torn on Mann; he is a great shooter and good playmaker, but he is
not a great athlete and I expect he will be an atrocious defender. My biggest issue with Mann is that he hasn’t
even shown much of an effort on defense at any point, so I’m not sure if he’ll improve
his defense enough to be better than a backup point guard. While I think it was a good idea to trade the
34th and 36th picks for the 32nd pick
considering how many picks they had; I’m not in love with the selection of
Robinson-Earl. Teams fell in love with
him due to his ability as a playmaker, work ethic, reading plays, and (most
importantly in the draft) interviewing ability; that said, I don’t think he’s a
good athlete or shooter and will struggle staying in position due to wanting to
help too much, and I think he’ll be lucky to become what Grant Williams
currently is. I think Wiggins is a good
pick at 55; while he needs to improve his consistency on both ends, he could be
a solid 3-and-D guy eventually and could play well as a 2-way player in the
short term. Overall, not great, but not
horrible. Grade: B-
Orlando Magic
· Drafted
o
Jalen Suggs (5)
o
Franz Wagner (8)
·
Traded For
o
2026 2nd round pick (DET)
o
Cash
·
Given Up
o
33rd pick (Jason Preston)
Orlando was among the luckiest teams in the draft when Suggs
landed in their laps at pick number 5 despite being considered among the top-4
stars. While they have multiple guards
who have potential in Cole Anthony, RJ Hampton, and Markelle Fultz, Suggs is
more likely to be a star and is a more polished offensive player
immediately. After getting an offensive star
in Suggs, Wagner is a versatile player who can do a lot on both ends of the floor
as a supporting cast player. Playing with
Suggs, who is an underrated playmaker, would be able to enhance his role. While I’m not quite in love with the return
they got for the 33rd pick (a future second and cash), the first two
picks make it the greatest kind of trade imaginable. Grade:
A+
Philadelphia 76ers
· Drafted
o
Jaden Springer (28)
o
Filip Petrusev (50)
o
Charles Bassey (53)
·
Given Up
o
Cash
There were many that expected Ben Simmons to be traded prior
to the draft, but it sounded like nothing would be done due to difference in
what the offer should be. As such, Philadelphia
selected Springer, a guy who is a strong defender, talented athlete, and solid
playmaker, but he won’t take threes…sound familiar? I think Springer can be a good player if he
gets more comfortable with his shot (he shot 44.4% in 45 attempts and shot well
from the line) and gets more creative at the rim, but I think Philadelphia is
the worst possible place for him. They
purchased the 53rd pick and selected centers with picks 50 and 53
with Petrusey and Bassey respectively. I
think both picks are fair since the hope is that one of them winds up being a
decent backup center (especially if Petrusey does something crazy like stays
overseas for another year, giving him another year of eligibility on his rookie
deal). Petrusey looked like an old-school
center at Gonzaga before going to Europe and becoming the MVP of his league by
torching the league from deep, but he is a bit skinny and not the best athlete,
so I fear he might be a step or two slow a lot of times. Bassey will likely be an old-school type
center due to limitations in switching defensively or passing, but I think he could
be good due to his defensive and finishing abilities, as well as his ability at
the free throw line; I thought he would be drafted in the 30’s and would have started
considering him in the 20’s. Grade: B-
Phoenix Suns
· Traded For
o
Landry Shamet
·
Given Up
o
29th pick (Day’Ron Sharpe)
o
Jevon Carter
Phoenix had the number 29 pick, but flipped it and Carter
for Shamet. It is a move that will save
them a little bit of money for when they try to resign Chris Paul. I also think Shamet will play a role and
gives them a little bit of security in the event that they decide they don’t
want to resign Cameron Payne. He could
be a backup combo guard for them and is a sharpshooter for them. He will play a bigger role for them than Carter
or most of the players they could have selected with the 29th pick,
so I think it works for them. The
question is whether they extend him or not.
Grade: B+
Portland Trail Blazers
· Drafted
o
Greg Brown (43)
·
Traded For
o
2026 2nd round pick
The Trail Blazers didn’t have a draft pick entering the
draft, but traded for the rights to Brown.
Brown is one of the rawest prospects that was drafted, but is also a
freak athlete. Prior to his freshman
year, he was expected to be a top-10 pick, but fell after it became clear that
his fundamentals are not up to par. That
said, drafting him here is a low-risk, high-reward kind of pick; his
athleticism gives him All-Star upside despite a low floor. While there’s a case to be made that Portland
should have tried getting a more ready prospect, that wouldn’t be what
convinces Damian Lillard to stay; I approve of this. Grade:
B
Sacramento Kings
· Drafted
o
Davion Mitchell (9)
o
Neemias Queta (39)
It seemed as though Sacramento would draft Franz Wagner
(they reportedly made a soft promise), but when Orlando selected him, they
opted to select Mitchell instead. I’m a
big fan of Mitchell considering his defensive ability, playmaking skills, and increased
offensive ability. That said, three-point
shooting early in careers typically is better predicted by free throw percentage,
and he only shot 64.1% from the line this year, which isn’t a good sign for the
short term. I think he is too small and
not a good enough shooter to play alongside both De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese
Haliburton consistently, which was my initial reaction to this selection. I think Queta is a good selection for them
because he has upside as a quality defender, though he is raw and will have a
jump from the competition Utah State played.
I like the players they chose, but I’m not sure Mitchell is the right
fit there. Grade: B-
San Antonio Spurs
· Drafted
o
Joshua Primo (12)
o
Joe Wieskamp (41)
Everyone seems to hate the selection of Primo considering he
might not have the ceiling that other players available have. Look, I get that, but he is a skilled
shooter, great athlete, talented playmaker, solid defender, and plays so hard,
making him a tantalizing prospect for the Spurs. My biggest concern is that he flew up draft
boards late, and those kind of players often don’t wind up panning out (the
most notable recent I can think of is Jerome Robinson, who flew up the draft
boards to 13 in 2018 and was recently waived during year 3 of his rookie deal). I fear that Primo will experience something
similar to that, but the Spurs have seemed to almost always nail player
development lately. I think Wieskamp
will be a nice backup because he is a great shooter while showing ability as a
defender and playmaker; he is a smart player all around, so he should fit. While some found the draft underwhelming, I
see it as they took two guys who will be the epitome of Spurs guys. Grade:
B
Toronto Raptors
· Drafted
o
Scottie Barnes (4)
o
Dalano Banton (46)
o
David Johnson (47)
Toronto started with a move that was…interesting, to say the
least. Barnes is a talented player who
is a strong defender, playmaker, and an excellent teammate, which will be nice for
a competitive team. That said, I
question this pick with Jalen Suggs still on the board, especially since he has
a higher upside, fits better with the team (I especially think there will be a
clunky fit between Barnes and Pascal Siakam at times on offense), and possibly
around the same floor for both. I think
Banton was more of an upside pick since he is pretty raw at shooting and
defense, but I think taking a 6’7 playmaker at 46 was a good selection. I’m a fan of Johnson since I think he’s a
good defender and has playmaking potential, but his shooting and ball handling
skill is rough and will likely limit his playmaking initially. Overall, I think this draft wasn’t as bad as many
say it was for Toronto, especially since Barnes is still talented, but I think
it was far from great. Grade: B-
Utah Jazz
· Drafted
o
Jared Butler (40)
·
Traded For
o
2 future second round picks
·
Given Up
o
30th pick (Santi Aldama)
The Jazz entered the draft with the last pick in the first
round and flipped it for the 40th pick and 2 future second rounders. They ended up with Butler, a guy that would
have made sense with the 30th pick for them since he is NBA
ready. He is a great shooter, good
playmaker, and intense defender, though his size might limit what he will be
defensively. The biggest red flag with
Butler is his health; while he was cleared medically, there might be some teams
that were scared off due to his heart issue.
I think Utah is a great spot for Butler since they aren’t desperate for
him if he isn’t healthy, and Butler is great for Utah because he can be a
backup guard for them and has skill on and off the ball. Grade:
A
Washington Wizards
· Drafted
o
Corey Kispert (15)
o
Isaiah Todd (31)
·
Traded For
o
Aaron Holiday
o
Kyle Kuzma
o
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
o
Montrezl Harrell
·
Given Up
o
Russell Westbrook
o
2024 2nd round pick (WAS)
o
2028 2nd round pick (WAS)
In a crazy twist of events, Washington might be among the
biggest winners of the night by getting rid of one of their stars in
Westbrook. They received the 22nd
pick, Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Montrezl Harrel, and then
flipped the 22nd pick for the 31st pick and Aaron
Holiday. Harrell is probably an
afterthought in this trade since he has enough defensive liabilities that he will
likely struggle in the playoffs. I think
Kuzma will be a solid fit long-term since he won’t be expected to be the elite
shooter he needed to be to always have a big role alongside LeBron James and Anthony
Davis; he has enough skill to thrive around other great shooters. Caldwell-Pope is a valuable 3-and-D player
who will fit alongside this team on offense and will be essential for a team
that struggled defensively. I think
Holiday is intriguing since he is a good defender and has shown potential as a shooter,
but I like him more off the ball than on it.
As for their picks, they made it clear that the name of their game is
still shooting by drafting Kispert and Todd.
Kispert is one of the best shooters in the draft and will contribute
immediately due to his shooting ability, capabilities as a defender, and being
a smart player, though he isn’t an elite athlete or defender and is a bit
older. Todd is another strong shooter,
able passer, and solid athlete, but will need work on his shot selection and
coming to the realization that he can do more than Ryan Anderson as a big
man. Still, I think they improved their
team and especially their depth. Grade: A+
What did you think of the draft this year? Any moves you loved? How about any you were surprised by? Let me know in the comments!
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