Although there were a few trades, we didn’t quite get the fireworks we were hoping for. Kawhi Leonard stayed in place, despite rumors of the Clippers making a splash for him. Boston and Philadelphia failed to move up into the top five as they were apparently attempting to do, and the first few picks were exactly what was expected. Still, yet, it was a blast seeing teams shape their future and enthralling with each pick wondering who would take Michael Porter Jr. as he fell. Today, I’ll give you my draft grades for every team. Let me first rank the top 10 drafts.
- Denver Nuggets (A+)
- New York Knicks (A)
- Boston Celtics (A)
- Dallas Mavericks (A)
- San Antonio Spurs (A)
- Sacramento Kings (A)
- Houston Rockets (A)
- Phoenix Suns (A)
- Brooklyn Nets (A-)
- Detroit Pistons (A-)
All 30 Teams (in alphabetical order)
Atlanta Hawks (C-)
Trae Young (5), 2019 Protected 1st round DAL pick, Kevin Huerter (19), Omari Spellman (30), two future 2nd rounders
–Even with loving the Huerter pick at 19 and the additional picks Atlanta added, they had a shot to grab Doncic and passed for a major question mark. Over time, that will likely prove to be unforgivable.
Boston Celtics (A)
Robert Williams (27)
–Perhaps the best part about their draft is that Danny Ainge exercised discipline once again by not overpaying to move up into the lottery. Apparently Memphis and Atlanta were demanding Jaylen Brown. Their prize for being patient was a lottery-type talent who just so happens to fit their needs and team-style perfectly.
Brooklyn Nets (A-)
Dzanan Musa (29), Rodions Kurucs (40), Hamidou Diallo (45)
–Nets fans may be unenthused about how the night went down, but they ought to be thrilled. They turned three typically useless picks into three potential starters. Granted, Musa and Kurucs might take a while to come over, but they both offer some upside. Diallo, meanwhile, is among the top athletes in the class and could turn into a defensive dynamo.
Charlotte Hornets (D+)
Miles Bridges (12), Devonte’ Graham (34), Arnoldas Kulboka (55)
–There is so much wrong with this draft from passing on Michael Porter to trading Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander. Graham wasn’t a bad pickup, but it cost the two future picks they landed to take a major leap back from Shai to Bridges.
Chicago Bulls (B)
Wendell Carter Jr. (7), Chandler Hutchison (22)
–Their fans are probably frustrated about the Bulls passing on Porter, but Carter is a safe bet to be a starter for at least a handful of years. Hutchison at 22 was written on the wall and he’s got enough upside to warrant the slight reach.
Cleveland Cavaliers (B)
Collin Sexton (8)
–Sources have indicated that the Cavs took a stab at acquiring Kemba Walker last night. While it didn’t work, they did manage to grab the safest point guard in the draft. Albeit, while passing on potentially the top player in the draft in Porter, but you can’t fault Cleveland for taking the secure starter at a position of need.
Dallas Mavericks (A)
Luke Doncic (3), Jalen Brunson (33), Ray Spalding (56), Kostas Antetokounmpo (60), (minus 2010 protected 1st round pick)
–Losing that first-round pick might hurt in the long run, but Doncic may be the best player in a stacked class so that wasn’t much to pay considering. Brunson at 33 was a tremendous pick as well, plus they spun their 56th pick into two other picks somehow.
Denver Nuggets (A+)
Michael Porter Jr. (14), Jared Vanderbilt (41), Thomas Welsh (58), (minus future 2nd rounder)
–Sure, the medical reports were clearly damning, but you’ve got to give credit to the Nuggets for having some major balls. The 14th pick isn’t always a productive NBA player, so the opportunity cost is minimal. If Porter can stay healthy, however, they just might have landed the best player in the class, which at 14 is just unbelievable.
Detroit Pistons (A-)
Khyri Thomas (38), Bruce Brown (42), (minus two future 2nd rounders)
–It is tough to be excited about two second rounders, especially when one costs you two future seconds, but the matter of the fact is that both Thomas and Brown could have easily gone in the first and no one would have blinked an eye.
Golden State Warriors (B)
Jacob Evans III (28)
–If you want to nitpick, you can blame them for passing on higher upside pieces like Mitchell Robinson and Hamidou Diallo, or perhaps that Evans isn’t as polished as a Jalen Brunson, but Evans is a solid addition. He is your typical three-and-D depth piece and there is nothing wrong with that.
Houston Rockets (A)
De’Anthony Melton (46), Vincent Edwards (52)
–While not on the same level as Robert Williams at 27 or Michael Porter Jr. at 14, adding Melton at 46 was downright thievery and by far the best pick of the second round. He is not only a safe rotational player, but has the upside to start in this league.
Indiana Pacers (B+)
Aaron Holiday (23), Alize Johnson (50)
–Some thought Holiday could have been taken at the end of the lottery, so grabbing him at 23 had to be a nice surprise. He should contribute right away for a competitive Pacers’ squad.
Los Angeles Lakers (C)
Mortiz Wagner (25), Sviatoslav Mykhailuk (47)
–Wagner was among the players who climbed up draft boards quickest in the days leading up to the draft. Some thought he might even sneak into the front of the second round. His defense is enough of a liability, however, that Wagner is a huge reach at 25, especially with Robert Williams still on the board.
Los Angeles Clippers (C-)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (11), Jerome Robinson (13), (minus two future 2nd rounders)
–Moving up to grab Shai was a magic, as he was the clear-cut end of the second-tier of talent in this draft. It was all erased, however, when they passed on Michael Porter and took Robinson about 10 spots higher than was even reasonable.
Memphis Grizzlies (B+)
Jaren Jackson Jr. (4), Jevon Carter (32)
–Reports claimed that Memphis was desperate enough to rid themselves of the Chandler Parson’s contract that they were willing to move down. If Jackson had been taken at #3, we may have seen a huge move, but he was on the board and you’ve got to credit Memphis for taking the best player instead of making a rash decision. Carter makes sense at 32, but not quite for a squad who is likely a few years away.
Miami Heat (N/A)
(no picks)
Milwaukee Bucks (B)
Donte DiVencenzo (17)
–There will be plenty who dislike the pick because Donte was expected to be taken later in the draft, but it is awfully telling about his profile when you consider the teams rumored to be after him were Golden State, Boston and San Antonio.
Minnesota Timberwolves (B-)
Josh Okogie (20), Keita Bates-Diop (48)
–This is an odd draft, as the two could have switched draft slots and it would have made more sense. Okogie has upside, but is more of a combine darling that a sure thing. Bates-Diop is a bruiser who guarantees useful minutes off the bench.
New Orleans Pelicans (B)
Tony Carr (51)
–Carr may not make the roster, let alone contribute much in the NBA. With that said, you can’t expect more out a draft with one pick in the 50s.
New York Knicks (A)
Kevin Knox (9), Mitchell Robinson (36)
–I can’t give them an A+ since they passed on Porter Jr, but I almost did anyway. Some will suggest Knox was a reach at 9, but in most draft classes, he likely would have been a top 5 player. The real gem here, however, is Robinson, who might have even more talent than Knox. If he can harness his natural talent into production, the Knicks will have the steal of the draft.
Oklahoma City Thunder (B+)
Devon Hall (53), Kevin Hervey (57)
–The Thunder didn’t have many options picking this late in the draft, but they made the most of their opportunity, adding two polished college players who can fill in toward the end of the bench even as rookies.
Orlando Magic (A)
Mohamed Bamba (6), Melvin Frazier (35), Justin Jackson (43), future 2nd rounder
–The Magic could have dealt the pick for Terry Rozier and a high future 1st, but they made the right decision to acquire Bamba at #6. Frazier at 35 was a tremendous pick as well.
Philadelphia 76ers (C+)
Zhaire Smith (16), 1st round PHX pick in 2021, Landry Shamet (26), Isaac Bonga (39), Shake Milton (54), two future 2nd rounders
–Smith is a ridiculous athlete and you couldn’t fault most teams for adding a 1st to move back for him, but the 76ers needed Bridges and their window is now. Milton at 54 should prove to be one of the better 2nd round picks and Shamet is polished enough to help off the bench as a rookie.
Phoenix Suns (A-)
DeAndre Ayton (1), Mikal Bridges (10), Elie Okobo (31), George King (59), (minus 1st round pick in 2021)
–The Suns did nothing wrong by taking Ayton #1, although Bagley would have been my choice. They paid dearly to move up from 15 to 10 for Bridges, but he is significantly better than what would have been available to them so it may be worth it. The real boost to their draft grade came when they secured Okobo at 31. Don’t be surprised if he ends up one of the top two or three point guards in the draft over time.
Portland Trail Blazers (B-)
Anfernee Simons (24), Gary Trent (37), (minus two future 2nd rounders)
–Simons was a reach at 24, but he also has enough potential that he could feasibly perform like a lottery pick if he works hard and learns from the Blazers’ all-star veteran guards.
Sacramento Kings (A)
Marvin Bagley III (2), two future 2nd rounders
–The Kings dealt away their 34th overall pick, which might not have been smart, but they also happened to grab the #1 player on my big board, so I guess I’ll forgive them. Bagley will be a force of nature offensively from day 1 and should be regarded as the Rookie of the Year favorite.
San Antonio Spurs (A)
Lonnie Walker (18), Chimezie Metu (49)
–I wonder how many GMs cursed when Walker fell to Gregg Popovich at 18. He was expected to be selected as a lottery pick and has a significant ceiling. What’s more, is that he couldn’t have found a better fit for his skillset.
Toronto Raptors (N/A)
(no picks)
Utah Jazz (B+)
Grayson Allen (21)
–Don’t sleep on this pick, as Allen isn’t quite what you think. His athleticism is, believe it or not, right up there with some of the top players in the class. His competitive spirit will fit well on Utah, and perhaps most importantly, Donovan Mitchell loved the selection.
Washington Wizards (D)
Troy Brown (15), Issuf Sanon (44)
If I was a Wizards fan last night, I may have thrown up when they went from being one pick away from Porter Jr. to selecting Brown even above players like Lonnie Walker. He is a complete project and a total reach at that stage in the draft. Sanon at 44 was a reach as well.
Thanks for reading! Make sure to let me know on Twitter what you think about your team’s grade.