Great Drafts

Minnesota Timberwolves: The Jimmy Butler trade is an absolute masterpiece. He can be a key part of a successful team and Minnesota did not give up anything essential to their future. It was strange to see Thibodeau take another center in Justin Patton considering that is Karl-Anthony Towns’ best position, and he already gave Gorgui Dieng big money.

Dallas Mavericks: Chose the best talent on the board with Dennis Smith, who will likely clash with Rick Carlisle, but has an incredibly high ceiling due to his physical tools.

Charlotte Hornets: Malik Monk’s supreme confidence as a shooter will be an asset right away, particularly after Charlotte moved Marco Belinelli in their excellent trade with Atlanta on Wednesday. If Monk can run the offense even a little bit in the near future, he could provide even more value.

Philadelphia 76ers: Made a bold move to secure the rights to Markelle Fultz, but did so for a good reason. There are not many elite talents that can play point guard yet succeed both on and off the ball. Fultz’s shooting at Washington was rosier than should be expected, but he can become a force offensively, and that would make him a great fit with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Philadelphia also traded a distant first from Oklahoma City for Anžejs Pasečņiks, a big man who will likely stay in Europe this season, then drafted Jonah Bolden among their army of picks in the second round.

Sacramento Kings: De’Aaron Fox feels like the type of pick the Kings have not made recently but arguably should: physical talent with high character who will need some time to develop. Ended up with Justin Jackson and Harry Giles, a worthwhile duo, particularly for where they were taken. They could rely unusually heavily on rookie point guards, as they also took Frank Mason in the second round and he could contribute right away.

Toronto Raptors: OG Anunoby fell too far and is an excellent fit for the Raptors, particularly if they want to stay competitive for a longer period of time. It will likely take him some time to return to the floor but that will not be a problem for Toronto.

Golden State Warriors: Unbelievably, they bought the same pick (#38) where they drafted Patrick McCaw last year and picked another talented prospect, Oregon’s Jordan Bell. The Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year could end up contributing quickly.

Los Angeles Lakers: Beyond making the right pick with Lonzo Ball at #2, the new front office chose to give up D’Angelo Russell as the ransom to swap Timofey Mozgov’s horrendous contract for Brook Lopez, which would be worth it if they can get two max players in 2018. Took shots on two potential role players in the late first round in Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart, which could work out well.

Utah Jazz: Traded up to draft Donovan Mitchell, an intriguing two guard with a great work ethic and strong physical tools. The Jazz are already deep and the cost was Trey Lyles, who had fallen out of their rotation. Moved up two picks at the end of the first round to select Tony Bradley, who presumably slots in behind Rudy Gobert now or later.

Good Drafts

Houston Rockets: Traded their first rounder in the Lou Williams/Corey Brewer deadline deal, which worked out, then chose German big Isaiah Hartenstein at #43, which was a nice value selection if his back isn't a long-term issue.

Brooklyn Nets: Made a strong trade with the Lakers, getting D’Angelo Russell at the cost of taking on Mozgov’s salary, Brook Lopez and a late first. They need to sacrifice for high-ceiling plays like that. Jarrett Allen was fine at #22, but there were more intriguing players on the board, including OG Anunoby.

San Antonio Spurs: Yet again picked a potential steal with Derrick White from Colorado. He looked great at times this past year, and the Spurs can let him develop with a great coaching staff and little immediate pressure.

Los Angeles Clippers: Did a nice job buying into the second round and drafting Jawun Evans of Oklahoma State. With Raymond Felton hitting free agency, Evans could be a possible backup point guard in the near term. Later purchased the rights to tournament standout Sindarius Thornwell of South Carolina .

Orlando Magic: Jonathan Isaac may overlap with Aaron Gordon since both are best at power forward offensively, but Gordon has not proven himself to a definitive point to make this a poor decision for the Magic. Orlando can also go new-age and play Isaac next to Gordon as the PF/C combo at times if they can move off either Biyombo or Vucevic.

Washington Wizards: Did not have a pick after their trades but the move to acquire Tim Frazier was a strong one considering his reasonable salary and their clear need at point guard.

Milwaukee Bucks: Chose DJ Wilson, a more versatile offensive player than most guys with his size who also possesses a 7”3” wingspan because that is a prerequisite in Milwaukee.

Enh Drafts

Oklahoma City Thunder: Took a nice swing on Terrance Ferguson, an athlete who played in Australia instead of a US college this past season. His shooting will be useful on the perimeter with OKC, especially if he works to grow his game over the next few seasons.

Boston Celtics: Boston will need a lot from the second pick they received from Philly because the margin from Fultz to Jayson Tatum is significant. Tatum could become a capable power forward but will need to get close to his ceiling as a scorer to become a key piece on the next great Celtics team. Picked up nice value in Semi Ojeleye at #37, who has the talent to make an NBA squad but will face some serious talent ahead of him on Boston’s depth chart.

New York Knicks: Chose intriguing combo guard Frank Ntilikina over Dennis Smith. The Belgian-born talent may actually fit better off-ball than as a primary ballhandler, which makes sense if the Knicks can pull a traditional point guard in the next year or two. Took an interesting, potentially worthwhile shot on guard Damyean Dotson.

Phoenix Suns: Josh Jackson fills a need as a defensive wing for Phoenix but the Suns need someone young and dynamic off the bounce, which reportedly will be harder to find in next year’s draft. Jackson will need to work on his jump shot but could be a useful part of a successful team.

Miami Heat: Took Bam Adebayo, who likely steps in as Hassan Whiteside’s backup, and has the physical tools to be destructive while Miami develops him.

New Orleans Pelicans: Traded their pick for DeMarcus Cousins in a successful deal, then used cash to move up from 40 to 31 for Frank Jackson, a potential backup point guard.

Portland Trail Blazers: Paid a premium to trade up for Zach Collins, who is intriguing but likely slots in as a backup behind Jusuf Nurkic in the modern NBA. The move was also surprising because it appeared that Portland could use picks to dump salary but instead combined #15 and #20 to move up. That said, Collins is talented and having a rotation player who could become more than that on a rookie scale contract is necessary for Portland as they get more expensive. They then took another big man in Caleb Swanigan, who impressed at Purdue but seems out of place in the modern NBA, especially on a team so chock-full of bigs.

Denver Nuggets: Moved down from #13 to #24 to add Trey Lyles, who is an intriguing talent but has disappointed in Utah, and looks to be a questionable fit on a team already loaded with power forwards. Ended up picking Tyler Lydon, who also overlaps with their existing talent at the forward spots. Monte Morris, taken #51, could figure into their guard rotation and their European scouts deserve some deference on Vlatko Cancar.

Detroit Pistons: With Malik Monk off the board, Luke Kennard is a more defensible fit, especially since Stan Van Gundy has previously used shooters who can work off screens. Kennard and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope do not fit perfectly but the Pistons may try that backcourt a little too.

Indiana Pacers: TJ Leaf has potential on the offensive end but looks like a man without a country defensively. There were better players on the board, particularly since the Pacers should be looking for high ceiling guys if Paul George is going to be gone at some point in the next 12 months. Took Leaf’s college teammate Ike Anigbogu in the second round, who fell due to knee concerns but looked like the better prospect last season.

Memphis Grizzlies: Still collecting big men, as they sent Brooklyn’s 2019 second to Orlando in order to draft Ivan Rabb at 35. The Cal product would have been a first round pick last year, but returned to school and may not have a clear-cut NBA role or position. Intrigued by Dillon Brooks, who they drafted later in the second round.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Traded their first rounder in the Anderson Varejão/Channing Frye move last season, which worked out well. Surprisingly did not buy into the second round, especially since a move for Ivan Rabb early in the second apparently fell through. 

Bad Drafts

Atlanta Hawks: Made a horrendous trade with the Hornets two nights before the draft, adding Miles Plumlee’s rough contract as the price to trade Dwight Howard. They rebounded by drafting John Collins, a potential lottery pick who slid to #19 but the trade is a more significant demerit.

Chicago Bulls: The Bulls were absolutely fleeced in the Jimmy Butler trade, clearly valuing Kris Dunn at where the front office had him last year rather than his disappointing showing since then. Zach LaVine is intriguing but a year away from being properly paid and recovering from an ACL tear. Lauri Markkanen is a talent but will need a strong defender behind him and a talented point guard, neither of which is on Chicago’s roster at the moment. Their best move of the night was drafting Jordan Bell, but they immediately sold the pick to the Warriors.