The Kings decision to trade back and select Georgios Papagiannis at No. 13 left many scratching their head
On a draft night filled with trade rumors and a massive influx of international talent, 14 of 30 first-round picks came from overseas, there were some distinct winners and losers when all was said and done.
While we will focus on the teams and players that gained or lost the most based on the prospects that they drafted, we would be remiss if we did not briefly talk about the biggest move of the night; the Thunder-Magic swap.
Trading away Serge Ibaka was not easy for Oklahoma City, but receiving Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova, and the No. 11 overall pick Domantas Sabonis in exchange looks like a steal. If they retain the services of free agent Kevin Durant, the Thunder can trot out a lineup of Durant, Oladipo, Russell Westbrook, Enes Kanter, and Steven Adams. That marks a definite upgrade over last year, no offense to Ibaka. It also represents a significant threat to the Warriors as two-time reigning Western Conference Champions, in case the Thunder weren’t there already.
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Winners
Philadelphia 76ers
Even if Sam Hinkie is not around to see it, ‘the process’ has started to pay off. With Philly ‘earning’ the first overall pick in the draft, the 76ers got, by far, the most talented player in Ben Simmons. The 6’10” forward has the potential to be an elite player in the NBA. He immediately becomes, at minimum, the second-best fantasy option on the 76ers, depending on if they retain the services of Nerlens Noel. While no one expects 19 points and 11 rebounds per game like he had in college, with his length and athleticism Simmons can easily average 16.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in the NBA. Numbers like that would make the former LSU Tiger a top 50 fantasy player and likely Rookie of the Year.
If Simmons wasn’t enough, with their two additional late first-round picks, Philly added a pair of international wing players, who were projected as lottery picks. Both Timothe Luwawa and Furkan Korkmaz are deadly three-point shooters, something the 76ers have been severely lacking for years. The duo also balances out a roster stacked with frontcourt players.
The only downside to Philly’s impressive haul was their inability to trade away one of their ever building collection of big men, specifically Jahlil Okafor or Nerlens Noel, for a top guard prospect. With Joel Embiid and Dario Saric ready to take the NBA court in 2016-17, in addition to Simmons, Okafor, and Noel, the 76ers have an embarrassing amount of depth up front with marginal players running the point. While I expect that to change soon, it would have been a perfect night if they could have added Kris Dunn, somehow, to their young core
Phoenix Suns
Power forward was the biggest weakness of the Suns coming into the draft. How did they address it? How about by getting the top two stretch four prospects in the entire draft. After surprising many by passing on Marquese Chriss to select Dragan Bender with the fourth overall pick, the Suns managed to trade back up to the top eight and get Chriss as well. The pair of big men will compliment center Tyson Chandler well, all while stretching the floor for their hot shooting backcourt of Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, and Devin Booker.
With Bender’s 7’1″ height, we could also see a lineup with both of the youngsters manning the frontcourt and Bledsoe, Knight, and Booker completing a group that is bursting with athleticism and offensive potential.
Dejuante Murray
How can a projected lottery pick who falls to the second to last pick of the first round be considered one of the winners? Easy, just get drafted by one of the best franchises in the NBA, the Spurs. Murray will get to learn from not only Gregg Popovich, but there will not be the same added pressure to perform immediately on the 19-year-old. The combo guard will get to hone his weaknesses while being the understudy and possible successor to Tony Parker. Who, by the way, was drafted late in the first round, No. 28 in 2001, just like Murray.
Losers
Boston Celtics
Throughout the entire draft night, the Celtics seemingly were on the clock as they held three first-round picks and eight total. After finishing in a tie for third in the East last season, the Celtics desperately needed a veteran go-to scorer, like Jimmy Butler, and not more young prospects. General manager Danny Ainge apparently knew that as he seemed to be spending more of his time trying to trade his picks than actually thinking about who he was going to select. The players Boston brought in are talented but do not seem to have a place on the Celtics’ roster next year.
The third pick in the draft, Jaylen Brown, could blossom into a top-tier scoring option, but that is years away. When you figure all the names floated around that Boston could have had instead of Brown (Kevin Love, Khris Middleton, Okafor, Noel, Butler), you can’t help but be disappointed.
While their last first-round pick, Ante Zizic may be a decent draft-and-stash pickup, the selection of Guerschon Yabasele with the 16th pick left many surprised, including the 20-year-old Frenchman. So while the Celtics ended up with a solid collection of young talent, they are on the verge of breaking through as a serious contender in the East. And to come away from the draft with six prospects and a future first-round pick is a big disappointment.
Sacramento Kings
Everyone knew that 2016 NBA Draft was going to be a bit light on the depth of talent. There were three tiers of players; Simmons and Brandon Ingram were the consensus top two, while the second level consisted of six players (Bender, Dunn, Brown, Buddy Hield, Jamal Murray, and Chriss). Anyone picking ninth or later was gong to be left picking through the scraps. So when the Kings were sitting at eight, and they inexplicably decided to trade back five spots to 13 for an underwhelming offer of Bogdan Bogdanovic, a 2020 second rounder, and the 28th overall pick, they left heads scratching.
When they made the questionable decision to draft Georgios Papagiannis, a Greek center who some had going in the second round, with the 13th pick they not only stunned analysts but prompted a notable response from their star player, DeMarcus Cousins. With Cousins, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Kosta Koufus already on the roster the Kings had no need drafting a big that high.
Ricky Rubio
Just like Boston was having dreams of bringing Jimmy Butler to their squad, the Timberwolves and his former coach Tom Thibodeau were trying to deal for the Bulls’ star. Imagine how excited Rubio got when thinking about the potential lineup of Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Butler, and Zach LaVine he could be running the floor with. Not only did that dream not come to fruition for the 25-year-old Spaniard, but Rubio may also find himself out of a job after the selection of Kris Dunn with the fifth pick. While there may be some lineups where Dunn plays alongside Rubio, ultimately the Providence star is the future in Minnesota while Rubio may soon be in their rearview.
Dale Redman is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Dale, check out his archive and follow him @DTRedman.
