2024 NBA Draft Grades
Now that I finally have figured out where everyone is going, I have my draft grades for this year! The grades are completed by team, and while my evaluation of a player does play a role, I also grade based on fit, role, and how high the draft pick is.
Atlanta Hawks
Drafted
· Zaccharie Risacher (1)
· Nikola Djurisic (43)
Traded
· AJ Griffin
· Cash
Atlanta had a draft that was largely what I expected with
the top pick, though they did acquire a second pick as well. The hype around Risacher is that he can fit
really well with the team; so congratulations to Atlanta, you got someone who
fits, even though you were still bad enough to not make the playoffs and
qualify for the lottery (I know that they made the play-in, but they still
couldn’t make the playoffs). Eventually,
if you consistently are at best an 8-seed with he exception of one year when
you get lucky and stumble into the Conference Finals based on matchups, you
have to be aware and maybe wonder what the best way to make you a great team
is, fit be damned. As for Risacher, he’s
a good shooter and defender who moves a lot off the ball and has upside, but I
think people will be stunned by how limited he is on the ball and just how raw
he is; he is not a good driver, finisher or passer at this point. While a lot of people are acting like he’s a
40% 3-point shooter, I honestly think he projects to be around a 37% 3-point
shooter; while that might not sound like a big difference, it really is in this
situation. While I have been a big fan of
Griffin since he was drafted, but he didn’t play much last year and struggled
when he did, so I don’t blame them for trading him. They end up with Djurisic, who is super raw,
but an interesting prospect due to his upside as a shooter, playmaker, and
defender; that said, I think the best thing for him is to remain overseas for a
year or two. I think Risacher is a solid
player, but I think Atlanta did not think it through properly when drafting him
with the top pick. Grade: C+
Boston Celtics
Drafted
· Baylor Scheierman (30)
· Anton Watson (54)
Boston had two picks entering the draft, and exited with the
players they selected with those draft picks.
While there were several players that it sounded like were possible,
Scheierman makes a lot of sense as a role player with the team considering he
can do a lot. He is a talented shooter,
solid defender, skilled playmaker, a competitive rebounder, and is so smart on
both ends. I think he is someone who
could make an immediate impact off the bench due to the versatility. As for Wanton, I’m not the biggest fan of
him, but he’s the 54th pick, so he probably will be a 2-Way player
anyways. I don’t think he’s an NBA level
player, but he’s competitive, so why not.
Grade: A
Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn made no draft moves, so they do not get a
grade. Grade: N/A
Chicago Bulls
Drafted
· Matas Buzelis (11)
Chicago only had one selection, but they used it on the
hometown G-League Ignite prospect Buzelis.
I will confess that I’m not high on Buzelis (as is evident in a couple
of my most recent posts), as I don’t think he’s a good shooter and question
what he can even do right now offensively, which often doesn’t work well
initially. Chicago is in a situation
where I’m not sure what they’re going to do, so it makes sense to draft someone
who has high upside. That said, I don’t
think Buzelis will ever reach the upside some expect him to achieve. Grade:
C+
Charlotte Hornets
Drafted
· Tidjane Salaun (6)
· KJ Simpson (42)
Charlotte’s draft was certainly interesting, and one that I
didn’t expect. Salaun was not someone I
had heard associated with Charlotte, but I don’t hate the pick. His athleticism and cutting ability will make
him an interesting fit alongside the current roster, as will his upside
defensively. That said, he is raw,
chaotic, and doesn’t have good shot (something I’m also low on for his upside)
and handle, which makes me wonder how good he will be offensively. As for Simpson, I’m low on him due to his
size and upside defensively and finishing, but he is a good shooter and
playmaker who competes like crazy; the path for smaller guards to find a role
that is more of a 2-Way player isn’t easy, but he at least has some of the
traits needed to give it a shot.
Overall, this group is a bit of a crapshoot; if it hits, it could be a
slam dunk, but I’m lower on Salaun and Simpson reaching their upside. Grade:
B-
Cleveland Cavaliers
Drafted
· Jaylon Tyson (20)
This offseason is going to be a pivotal one for the Cavs, especially
with mystery surrounding who will be on the team out of their four top
players. While they have tried to find
the right remaining starter with several attempts, it makes sense to draft a
player who is able to operate in a more off-ball role and succeed as a 3-and-D
guy if needed no matter what happens, as they will be guaranteed to have at
least 2 of their stars. I had Tyson as a
top-10 player in this draft due to his ability off the ball and defending,
which I thought would be his role in the NBA and would minimize his weaknesses
when being a role player. He was more
dominant on the ball in college and can probably do that in glimpses, though I
think his skillset will transition more into an supporting cast role in the
NBA. I think the fit will the team
whether he ends up being a starter or a bench piece, as he can easily fill a
role. Even though there were Green Room
invitees still available, I had Tyson ranked higher than several of those
players; I liked that they didn’t take a flyer on someone that made no
sense. Grade: A+
Dallas Mavericks
Drafted
· Melvin Ajinca (51)
Traded
· 58th pick (Ariel Hukporti)
· Draft rights to Petteri Koponen (2007, 30)
· Cash
Dallas had one late 2nd round pick entering this
draft, and used it to move up. They
traded up to get Ajinca, who is young and raw, but could end up being a solid
3-and-D player in the NBA; I expect he will stay overseas for at least a year
or two as a draft-and-stash option. If
he pans out, that would be a nice fit alongside Luka Doncic. What’s interesting about this pick is that
they gave up cash and the draft rights for a player who has retired (you don’t
usually see that one). I think this one
is worth a shot at that point in the draft; if it doesn’t work, most picks in
the 50’s don’t either. Grade: B+
Denver Nuggets
Drafted
· DaRon Holmes (22)
Traded
· 28th pick (Ryan Dunn)
· 56th pick (Kevin McCullar)
· 2026 2nd round pick
· 2031 2nd round pick
Denver had their guy going into the draft, and they got
their guy, though it was at a cost. It
was widely speculated that Denver had given a first round promise to Holmes;
the fit is interesting, as he is a big who has upside as a shot blocker who
might be able to shoot (the jumper is improving), though he turns the ball over
a lot and is a bit more raw than I think people realize as a junior. As for the fit, Denver has been desperate to
find a backup big who isn’t a massive drop off from what happens when Nikola
Jokic is on the court. I’m now of the
mindset that you probably won’t find a backup big unless they pay the money
they did back when Mason Plumlee was on the team, so you might as well get one
or two who you’re confident can give you a few strong minutes off the bench, no
matter the cost. Speaking of cost, they
traded up to get Holmes, and they really gave up quite a bit; while the 56th
pick this year isn’t the worst thing to give up since that pick rarely pans
out, the 2 future second rounders does feel like a steep price for someone who
I think there’s a serious chance might not pan out. Denver had a draft that was certainly a risky
move, especially since the prize was a backup big. Grade:
C+
Detroit Pistons
Drafted
· Ron Holland (5)
· Bobi Klintman (37)
Acquired
· Wendell Moore
Traded
· 53rd pick (Cam Spencer)
Detroit had a draft that I expect a lot of people would find
polarizing, though I personally liked now that they have a new coach. They surprised everyone by selecting Holland
5th, which is a pick that I am a fan of despite shooting woes. He is an amazing athlete who has upside as a
passer, finisher, and defender who also plays extremely hard on both ends,
something that isn’t as common for a top prospect as a rookie. The shot and shot selection are not good, but
the good news is that Monty Williams will not be coaching him, so they don’t
run the risk of having what happened with Ausar Thompson on offense last year,
where Williams consistently had an atrocious shooter stand in the corner to
shoot corner 3’s. I personally am really
high on Holland and think that it makes sense to take him no matter what the
fit is, especially considering that the Pistons have been an absolutely an
atrocious team and drafting for fit in the draft wouldn’t improve them to more
than a 20-win team. Later, Detroit took
advantage of the fact that Minnesota was interested in minimizing their tax
bill and moved up 16 spots to select Klintman.
Klintman is extremely raw, but is an amazing athlete who is big and
long; he has immense upside as a defender, playmaker, and shooter, who also has
a solid handle already. I think he is
absolutely worth a second round pick.
They also acquired Moore in the trade, who hasn’t played much in his 2
NBA seasons, but has upside as a shooter, and is turning 23 this year. While I get it if some don’t like this draft,
a horrible team drafting two of the best players remaining at each slot sounds
like a win to me. Grade: A
Golden State Warriors
Drafted
· Quinten Post (52)
Acquired
· Lindy Waters
Traded
· Cash
There aren’t many situations where a team trades a pick and
then trades back for the same pick, which happened here. Golden State traded their pick initially for
Waters, who didn’t play much for OKC, but is a good shooter on a minimum
deal. Then they bought the pick back
from OKC to select Post, who probably isn’t going to do much while being a
2-Way player, but he is a good shooting big.
The issue with this is that they now hard capped themselves with the new
rules regarding cash being used in trades with draft picks. While they were planning on cutting back on
salary this year, is making these moves worth the hard cap? I’m not certain it is, but if that was the
plan anyways, then it doesn’t matter. Grade: B-
Houston Rockets
Drafted
· Reed Sheppard (3)
Acquired
· AJ Griffin
Traded
· 44th pick (Pelle Larsson)
After speculation that Houston would trade the third pick in
the draft, I was a little surprised that they didn’t, but I liked that
decision. I think Sheppard is the best
shooter in the class and is a better athlete and playmaker than he receives
credit for. While he is smaller and will
likely struggle defensively, Houston has a lot of length that can make up for
his deficiencies in that end long term.
Ultimately, he won’t play a lot initially, but has nice upside that will
be beneficial once they move on from starters like Fred Van Vleet and Dillon
Brooks and are instead built around whoever they still have from the
combination of Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith, Amen Thompson, Tari
Eason, and Cam Whitmore, which is an exciting young group. As for their second rounder, they weren’t
going to find minutes for whoever they selected, even if they had a 2-Way
contract open, so it makes sense just to trade it for a more experienced
player; while Griffin didn’t play much last year and struggled when he did, he
was successful as a rookie and is a really good shooter. At worst, Griffin can fill in some minutes if
Houston gets the injury bug. Overall, I
really like the moves they made. Grade: A
Indiana Pacers
Drafted
· Johnny Furphy (35)
· Tristen Newton (49)
· Enrique Freeman (50)
Traded
· 36th pick (Juan Nunez)
· Cash
While Indiana didn’t have a first round pick, they still
ended up being busy, as they made 3 second round picks. They traded up a spot to select Furphy 35th,
who is a good dunker and shooter and was expected to be a first round
pick. I’m not high on Furphy since I
don’t think he’s that good of an athlete and I don’t think he can do much else
besides dunking and shooting, but you could certainly get a worse skillset to
build around a young, raw player. I
expect Newton and Freeman will both be signed to 2-Way contracts, but both
could probably play a role. Newton is a
really good playmaker who is also a good shooter and competes, though he can
also get a bit trigger happy with his shot and isn’t an elite athlete. Freeman is really competitive, is a good
athlete, and is an improving shooter, though having him in the G-League more
this year would help him make the adjustment from Akron. They really didn’t need to hit a home run in
this draft, but I still thought they made some interesting moves. Grade:
B+
Los Angeles Clippers
Drafted
· Cam Christie (46)
The Clippers only had one second rounder, and they took a
guy who is raw, but also can fill a role.
He is a talented shooter who has also shown glimpses of upside when
passing and defending. He isn’t a good
finisher, so I expect he would end up mostly being assigned to be behind the
arc. While Christie had been rising
late, I still viewed him as a second-round pick. I don’t hate this pick, especially since you
realistically won’t get someone who isn’t on a 2-way contract here, and mostly
end up guys who play fewer than 15 MPG.
It’s at least worth a shot. Grade: A-
Los Angeles Lakers
Drafted
· Dalton Knecht (17)
· Bronny James (55)
While there were rumors that the Lakers were interested in
moving this pick, I wasn’t surprised that they used their two picks. With their first pick, they ended the fall of
Knecht, who I thought would be a lottery pick and had as a top-10 talent in the
class. While he’s a poor defender, his
shooting ability, athleticism, and IQ both on and off the ball will make him a
natural fit with this team off the bench.
Realistically, it doesn’t often matter who they take with the 55th
pick, so they might as well take someone who might make the face of their
current franchise happy. While I wasn’t
high on Bronny James due to his inefficient scoring from everywhere on the
court, he has potential as a defender and playmaker; I also think that he is
someone who probably would have been drafted higher had he entered the draft
next year (this reminds me of what I think would have happened with Derrick
Jones Jr. in 2016 and Lu Dort in 2019).
I thought they had a successful draft.
Grade: A+
Memphis Grizzlies
Drafted
· Zach Edey (9)
· Jaylen Wells (39)
· Cam Spencer (53)
Traded
· 57th pick (Ulrich Chomche)
· Future 2nd round pick
Memphis has a reputation for making interesting selections
in the draft, and this year was no exception.
With the 9th pick, presumably after Donovan Clingan was
already selected, they went with Edey, presumably since they wanted to select
who they thought the best center remaining was.
The question of whether this was a good pick comes down to what you
think of him. I for one view Edey as a
15-20 MPG backup center at best, so I think this was an awful selection. While some have argued that his improved play
is an indicator of what he will be in the NBA, I can point out the fact that as
soon as he played a team that remembered his weakness was in transition, he was
ineffective (nobody remembers that he went AWOL for a good chunk of the second
half of the game against UConn, which I think will be more of the norm in the
NBA against better teams and coaches). While
you could argue that that they should have just gone with fit considering how
ready this team is to compete again, they will need to get a big in free agency
anyways; they might as well have selected the best player available. Jaylen Wells is a good shooter and might be a
solid defender, so I think that’s a decent second round pick. They traded up for Spencer, who is a great
shooter. The question is what they gave
up to trade up; all that’s reported is a future second round pick, which I
figure has to be protected, otherwise it is so much to move up 6 spots at the
end of the draft. I just don’t get this
draft for them, though their second round was better than their first. Grade:
D
Miami Heat
Drafted
· Kel’el Ware (15)
· Pelle Larsson (44)
Acquired
· Cash
Traded
· 43rd pick (Nikola Djurisic)
Miami took a chance in this draft, and I honestly kind of
like it. Ware is polarizing due to his work
ethic, I am so high on him due to his upside as a defender, shot blocker, and
shooter. Realistically, if any team is
going to be able to get the most out of him, you have to figure that the team
known for getting the most out of their players is going to be able to make it
work. The big question I have is how he
will fit if he does pan out; will he be able to fit alongside Bam Adebayo? If his shot is falling, they could probably
make it work since Adebayo is such a versatile defender. As for the second round pick, I don’t mind
them moving back for Larsson rather than Djurisic (while a lot of people online
prefer Djurisic, I only had Djurisic to be ranked 1 spot above Larsson on my
big board). Larsson will definitely be a
good shooter for them, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he is a solid defender;
he will likely be on a 2-Way contract. I
do like the picks that they made, even if the fit might not be a perfect
fit. Grade: A-
Milwaukee Bucks
Drafted
· AJ Johnson (23)
· Tyler Smith (33)
Milwaukee made it clear in this draft what they
prioritized: youth, upside, and
athleticism. They selected Johnson,
which is an interesting and confusing pick; while there is a lot of upside and
athleticism with him (there is the potential for him to be a bigger point guard
who can thrive in transition), he is super raw and skinny, so I’m not sure how
he can contribute for a contender anytime soon.
As for Smith, he is a good shooter and great athlete, though he is a
poor defender who could be played off the court on that end and struggles to
finish in contact, making me wonder how he will score when his shot isn’t
falling. I don’t think either pick will
contribute in the next couple years, making them surprising picks; that said,
if either reaches their ceiling, my grade could be different. Grade:
B-
Minnesota Timberwolves
Drafted
· Rob Dillingham (8)
· Terrence Shannon (27)
Acquired
· Future 2nd round pick
· Cash
Traded
· 2030 1st round pick swap (top-1 protected)
· 2031 1st round pick
· Wendell Moore
· 37th pick (Bobi Klintman)
Minnesota had an eventful draft, while even trading into the
lottery. They gave up 2 future first
rounders to get the 8th pick and acquire Dillingham. It is a risk to trade those picks that far
out, but I think Dillingham will fit well in Minnesota since he is an
aggressive scorer and skilled playmaker and shooter. While he isn’t a good defender due to his
size, Minnesota has had success defensively with a smaller point guard who
competes in Mike Conley. I expect
Dillingham will come of the bench this year, which will be a good way for him
to develop a bit more. While Shannon is
theoretically a good 3-and-D player, I’ve been lower on him ever sense it
realized just how bad his defensive intensity was as he got older; while he
could theoretically be a better defender in the NBA without having as high a
workload offensively, the defense doesn’t usually taper off as a player gets
older. While they had the 37th
pick, they moved that to get off of Moore; while he doesn’t make much, his
contract adds a sizeable tax bill, which doesn’t make sense for a player who
doesn’t play much. Ultimately, they made
a few trades to get off of the pick, and resulted in cash and a future 2nd
round pick (I expect this pick is protected, but I haven’t found exactly what
the pick is). I think Minnesota had a
solid draft by getting a potential star and saving money. Grade:
B+
New Orleans Pelicans
Drafted
· Yves Missi (21)
· Antonio Reeves (47)
Traded
· 2030 2nd round pick swap
· 2031 2nd round pick swap
There were certainly a lot of directions that New Orleans
could have taken with this draft since there are questions about what their
team will look like, but they prioritized a direction I thought they
would. Since Jonas Valanciunas will
likely not resign with the team, I figured they would take a center, and Missi
was the best remaining. While he is raw
and likely won’t be starting for a year or two, there is tremendous upside as a
finisher, rebounder, and rim protector.
They turned two pick swaps (which was interesting to get this instead of
giving up a pick or two) into the 47th pick, which was used to
select Reeves. He will likely be a 2-Way
signing, and while I question what his defensive upside is in the league, he is
a good shooter, which will allow him to find a spot whenever they need to call
him up. I liked their draft. Grade:
A+
New York Knicks
Drafted
· Pacome Dadiet (25)
· Tyler Kolek (34)
· Kevin McCullar (56)
· Ariel Hukporti (58)
Acquired
· 2025 2nd round pick (more favorable of BOS/DAL)
· 2026 2nd round pick (GSW)
· 2027 2nd round pick (most favorable of 4 picks)
· 2027 2nd round pick (2nd most favorable of 4 picks)
· 2028 2nd round pick (BOS, top-45 protected)
· Draft rights to Petteri Koponen (2007, 30)
· Cash
Traded
· 24th pick (Kyshawn George)
· 38th pick (Ajay Mitchell)
· 2029 2nd round pick (less favorable of IND/WAS)
· 2030 2nd round pick
· Draft rights to Dani Diaz (2015, 54)
New York had one of the craziest draft, which is interesting
since the team was in pretty good shape with their roster going into the first night. They had the 24th pick, but moved
that in exchange for picks 26 and 51.
With pick 25, they took Dadiet, who has nice size and upside as a
shooter, passer, and defender; he is raw, and, if he decides to come over to
the NBA this year, will likely spend a lot of time in the G-League
initially. They flipped the 26th
pick for 5 future 2nd rounders, which is justifiable since they
really don’t need any rookies playing at this point. They then traded for the 34th pick
to get Kolek in exchange for draft rights for a player who is unlikely to come
over to the NBA and 3 future 2nd rounders (including one they
acquired in the trade for pick 26); he is a steady point guard who is a good
playmaker and shooter, projecting to be a consistent and competitive backup
point guard. They next traded the 38th
pick the 40th pick and cash, then moved the 40th pick for
the 56th pick and a future protected 2nd rounder. They then flipped the 51st pick
for the 56th pick, draft rights for a player who is retired, and
cash. With the 56th pick,
they took McCullar, who has shooting upside and will probably be a solid
3-and-D player, though he slipped due to injuries; I expect he will be on a
2-Way contract while he gets healthy, though I expect he will be converted to a
standard contract by the end of it. With pick 58, they got Hukporti, who is a
good athlete and solid traditional big with upside; I expect he will not come
to the NBA yet. It was a lot, but they
had some solid picks. Grade: B+
Oklahoma City Thunder
Drafted
· Nikola Topic (12)
· Dillon Jones (26)
· Ajay Mitchell (38)
Traded
· Lindy Waters
· 2025 2nd round pick (more favorable of BOS/DAL)
· 2026 2nd round pick (GSW)
· 2027 2nd round pick (MIN)
· 2027 2nd round pick (most favorable of 4 picks)
· 2027 2nd round pick (2nd most favorable of 4 picks)
· Cash
Oklahoma City is another team that had a busy yet
interesting (and at times confusing) draft.
With their first pick, they took Topic, who will likely not play at all
this year due to an ACL injury. That
said, he is a talented point guard with amazing size who I had at the top of my
board due to his offensive ability, athleticism, size, and my being more
optimistic about his jumper than most. While
it might be a rough fit in his rookie year, he will at least be able to fill
into the role that they had hoped Josh Giddey would play prior to requesting a
trade as their lead point guard to run the offense off the bench. They then traded 5 second round picks to get
another first in Dillon Jones, which honestly made no sense to me. He has shooting upside (albeit he’s not good
at it right now) and is a good playmaker and rebounder, but he’s not a good
athlete or defender; I just don’t know what his role will be. I genuinely thought he would make a lot of sense
on a 2-Way contract to get some seasoning, as I think it’ll be a rude awakening
dealing with the jump from Weber State, but now he’s going to be on their
roster. They also then traded Lindy
Waters for a 2nd round pick, who is a good shooter but wasn’t
playing much, turned the 52nd pick and cash into the 40th
pick, and turned the 40th pick and cash into the 38th
pick, with which they selected Ajay Mitchell.
Mitchell is an awesome playmaker and is clever with the ball in his
hands, though he isn’t an elite athlete; I believe in the shot, though I could
see it being a bit rocky at first. He
might end up spending some time in the G-League to compensate for the jump from
UC Santa Barbara, but he could have a role in the NBA, especially off the bench
with this team. While I’m lower on
Jones, I especially love the Topic pick.
Grade: B
Orlando Magic
Drafted
· Tristan da Silva (18)
Acquired
· 2030 2nd round pick swap
· 2031 2nd round pick swap
Traded
· 47th pick (Antonio Reeves)
Orlando didn’t have too eventful of a draft but got a player who could play a role. da Silva is an interesting selection for them, as he is a player who can play a role in the NBA with his ability to do a lot (especially shoot), though I have concerns about his role and upside due to his lack of athleticism. I think the fit will be interesting since I feel like there are some traits similar to those of Franz Wagner, though I think he is a better shooter and smart enough player off the ball to make it work. I think the second round swaps are interesting and strange; who knows if these will be worthwhile that far in the future, but I bet their mindset is that New Orleans will not look anything like it does now. I thought their draft was solid overall, though I’m also not a hardcore da Silva fan. Grade: B
Philadelphia 76ers
Drafted
· Jared McCain (16)
· Adem Bona (41)
While there was some speculation that they might be willing
to trade either pick, I wasn’t surprised to see Philadelphia select both. While there are questions about how McCain
will fit in the NBA given his size and athleticism, he is one of the best
shooters in the class, has a smooth handle, and is an underrated passer. While I think he would be a bench player, I
think the fit reminds me of how Seth Curry fit with Philly (and in particular,
with Joel Embiid) a few years ago. As
for Bona, I think Philadelphia wanted to draft a cheap backup center late in
the draft as an emergency policy; I think Bona is best suited as a 2-Way
player, which I hope they plan on signing him to, since he is super raw and I
don’t think will be NBA ready for a couple years (maybe not even during the
length of his first NBA contract). I
think the McCain pick is a solid one though.
Grade: B
Phoenix Suns
Drafted
· Ryan Dunn (28)
· Oso Ighodaro (40)
Acquired
· 2026 2nd round pick
· 2031 2nd round pick
Traded
· DaRon Holmes (22)
· 2028 2nd round pick (top-45 protected)
Phoenix had a busy draft to end up with 2 players who are
interesting fits. They traded down to
take Dunn with their first round pick; I thought trading down was a good idea
since he was projected to be an early 2nd round pick, and they were
able to still get him (I thought New York really loved him, but they didn’t go
with him) while also getting the 56th pick and 2 future 2nd
rounders to take the guy they wanted. I
like the fit of Dunn defensively, as I think he is the best defender in this
class and could be an NBA ready defender pretty quickly, though the offense is
the issue; outside of driving in transition, I have no idea what he can do
offensively. It’s entirely possible that
teams leave him totally open in the half court, which could be a big
issue. Later in the draft, they took
that 56th pick and a protected future Boston 2nd rounder
to acquire the rights to Oso Ighodaro, who ended up being traded several times
throughout the draft and finally found a home in Phoenix. While I don’t believe in the shot and think
he’s a little small for a big, I think he’s a good passer, defender, and really
smart player on both ends; I think he could be an interesting fit with
Phoenix’s offensive players. He is a
good passer out of the post, which will be exciting to watch to see how they
utilize him with all their shooters. I
like the fits of the players; while neither could pan out, I think they both
will at least play a role. Grade: A-
Portland Trail Blazers
Drafted
· Donovan Clingan (7)
Acquired
· Deni Avdija
· 2027 2nd round pick (MIN)
· 2029 2nd round pick (less favorable of IND/WAS)
· 2030 2nd round pick (NYK)
· Draft rights to Dani Diez (2015, 54)
· Cash
Traded
· Malcolm Brogdon
· 14th pick (Bub Carrington)
· 34th pick (Tyler Kolek)
· 40th pick (Oso Ighodaro)
· 2029 1st round pick (2nd most favorable of BOS/MIL/POR)
· 2028 2nd round pick (WAS or LAL)
· 2030 2nd round pick
Portland started the draft with 4 picks, but ended it with 1
in a busy yet confusing evening. With their
7th pick, they selected Clingan, who I didn’t expect would slide
much more than that. He projects to be a
great defender in the paint, has a high IQ, is competitive, and has shown
glimpses of passing, though I think he is much rawer than people give him
credit for. While some have asked what
the fit will be in Portland since they already have Deandre Ayton and Robert
Williams, I’m guessing that Ayton will be gone as soon as they find a suitable
trade and I question if Williams is going to be healthy. I think Clingan will fit due to his
willingness to not take a ton of shots, and it makes sense to just have him
come off the bench to start his career.
They made a trade for Avdija that included the 14th pick, another
future 1st, 2 future 2nd rounders, and Brogdon. I love the fit of Avdija, who is a great
defender and solid playmaker while still young, though I think that is a lot to
give up for him, even if they didn’t think there was anyone at 14 that they
liked. They traded the 34th
pick for 3 future 2nd rounders and the draft rights to a player who
is unlikely to come over to the NBA, which is a pretty good return in my
opinion, and then traded the 40th pick for the 52nd pick
and cash, and then the 52nd pick for cash, which isn’t that great of
a return. Overall, I’m just stunned by
this draft, but I guess it’s not terrible.
Grade: B-
Sacramento Kings
Drafted
· Devin Carter (13)
Acquired
· Jalen McDaniels
Traded
· Davion Mitchell
· Sasha Vezenkov
· 45th pick (Jamal Shead)
Sacramento made a selection that has largely been praised,
though I’m not quite as high on, and also made an interesting move. Carter is considered one of the best
defensive guards in the class, and he does have shooting potential, is long,
and is versatile, but my big question is what his offensive game is if his shot
isn’t falling (while there is upside, I think he is a bit of a streaky shooter
at this point). I don’t think he’s as
bad of an offensive player as Mitchell was, I think there could be some growing
pains during his rookie year. They ended
up trading Mitchell (whose role had reduced greatly), Vezenkov (who they were
looking to trade), and their second round pick for McDaniels. McDaniels had a really bad season last year
and is a streaky shooter, but he is a good defender with amazing size; if he
plays like he did two seasons ago instead, he should be able to find
minutes. I didn’t think there was that
much risk involved with this trade made, so it made a lot of sense for
them. I don’t hate either of these
moves, though I don’t think either are slam dunks. Grade:
B-
San Antonio Spurs
Drafted
· Stephon Castle (4)
· Juan Nunez (36)
· Harrison Ingram (48)
Acquired
· 2030 1st round pick swap (MIN, top-1 protected)
· 2031 1st round pick (MIN)
· Cash
Traded
· 8th pick (Rob Dillingham)
· 35th pick (Johnny Furphy)
There were some questions about what San Antonio would do in
this draft and what direction they would go, and the answer appeared to be to
take a long-term approach, which I don’t think was the wrong option. They selected Castle with the 4th pick,
who I am incredibly high on due to his size, defensive ability, and upside as a
playmaker; he is a bit raw and isn’t the best shooter yet, though I think there
is upside for him to become a league average shooter. I think it could take a year or two for him
to develop as a point guard, but I think he will be an amazing player and has
among the highest upside in this class.
They flipped the 8th pick for a future swap and pick; it’s
risky, especially since there were some players that would be nice at that
pick, but they’re banking on Minnesota’s window to be shut, which is
possible. I wished they could have
gotten a little more for this pick, but they weren’t going to get another first
unless it was heavily protected. They
flipped the 35th pick for cash and the 36th pick, who
they used to select Nunez. Nunez is raw
and will likely be overseas for at least another year, but he is a big point
guard who looks like a really good playmaker.
With the 48th pick, they took Ingram, who I am incredibly
high on (I had him ranked 17th on my unofficial big board, which is might
make me about as high as I could be).
While I don’t believe in his jumper at all, he has great size, is a very
good playmaker, is a good defender, and is a better athlete than he’s given
credit for. I thought their draft
selections were slam dunks; even if I wished they had gotten more for the 8th
pick, the picks they made were too good for me to quibble with. Grade:
A+
Toronto Raptors
Drafted
· Ja’Kobe Walter (19)
· Jonathan Mogbo (31)
· Jamal Shead (45)
· Ulrich Chomche (57)
Acquired
· Davion Mitchell
· Aleksandar Vezenkov
· 2025 2nd round pick (POR)
Traded
· Jalen McDaniels
· Cash
Toronto’s draft was kind of weird, since it felt they did a
lot, but I also felt like it was a little quiet. With the 19th pick, they took
Walter, who is a great athlete and ball handler with great upside, though he is
raw all-around. There will be growing
pains with his shot selection in particular, but he is a good shooter. As for the selection of Mogbo, I’m not high
on him due to his lack of a jumper and just how he will fit in the league,
though he is a skilled player who could end up doing a lot of he pans out. One of the two trades they made was by
trading McDaniels, who is a good player, especially defensively, though he had
a bad year last season; in return, they got Mitchell, who is limited offensively
but a great defensive guard, Vezenkov, who had glimpses of being a good shooter,
a future 2nd, and the 45th pick, which they used to
select Shead. I’m not as high on smaller
guards, especially those who are inefficient scorers, but he is a good
playmaker and would be solid on a 2-Way deal; if his shot (which I have faith
in) ends up being at least average, he
could crack an NBA rotation. Lastly,
they purchased the 57th pick, which they used on Chomche, an awesome
athlete and is super raw, but there is so much potential for him to be a
run-rimming big. Overall, I think their
draft was fine. Grade: B-
Utah Jazz
Drafted
· Cody Williams (10)
· Isaiah Collier (29)
· Kyle Filipowski (32)
While Utah made it clear that they were focusing on upside
in this draft, they ironically also focused on players who I am not high
on. While there is upside with Williams,
I think they will be stunned by just how raw he is; I think the talents most
highlighted are ones that could be developed eventually, but I don’t think any
are going to be ready over the next few years.
My biggest concern is that I think he finishes in contact at the rim
(though part of that is due to his size) and is a hesitant shooter from deep,
making me question how he will be able to score. I question how Collier will score in the NBA
as well due to not believing his shot and have questions about how his
finishing will go due to his size and lack of athleticism (he relies mostly on
strength), but he is strong and has potential as a playmaker, which gives them
another option for a long-term point guard.
While I’m not a Filipowski believer due to his athleticism, footwork,
defensive upside, and shooting (some buy it, I don’t), he certainly has some,
which is why he was invited to the Green Room; at that point, it’s worth taking
a chance on him there due to his passing ability, especially if they believe
his shooting. With the 3 players they selected,
I question if they plan on trading players like Lauri Markkanen, Jordan
Clarkson, and Collin Sexton, which would allow them to fully dive into a
rebuild. Grade: B-
Washington Wizards
Drafted
· Alex Sarr (2)
· Carlton Carrington (14)
· Kyshawn George (24)
Acquired
· Malcolm Brogdon
· 2029 1st round pick (2nd most favorable of BOS/MIL/POR)
· 2028 2nd round pick (LAL/WAS)
· 2030 2nd round pick (POR)
Traded
· Deni Avdija
· 26th pick (Dillon Jones)
· 51st pick (Melvin Ajinca)
Washington had an exciting draft that will continue to help
them with their rebuild. With the second
pick, they selected Sarr, who has among the highest upsides of this draft. He looks like he could be an amazing defender
and also has shown some glimpses offensively; he is raw and I don’t love the
jumper, but I think he could be a talented player. While I’m a big Avdija supporter and think he
has developed into a really good player, they got so much for him in this trade
and it was too much to turn down; they ultimately netted Brogdon, a future 1st,
2 future 2nd rounders, and the 14th pick, which they used
on Carrington. Carrington is an awesome
scorer, shooter, and playmaker who has great size for a guard, though his shot
selection and defense might take a little bit of time to develop. They then gave up the 26th and 51st
picks to trade up for the 24th pick, who they used on George. George is really raw and not the best
athlete, though he is a great shooter and playmaker who is really big. Not only did they draft 3 guys who have
intriguing upside, but they also selected a trio of players who I think will
fit really well together and could be the building blocks of their future
alongside Bilal Coulibaly. Grade: A+
What did you think of this draft? Who were some of your favorite picks? Let me know in the comments!
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