As we’ve now had almost 48 hours to digest what happened in this year’s NBA Draft lets take a look at some of the winners, losers and stalemates from the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn.
WINNERS
New Orleans Pelicans
For some reason I’m getting the feeling that Pelicans GM David Griffin is going to have New Orleans fans forgetting about Anthony Davis sooner rather than later. After getting an absolute haul for AD from the Lakers, Griffin flipped the fourth overall pick they acquired from LA to the Hawks for the eighth, 17th and 35th overall picks. From there they selected big man Jaxson Hayes which isn’t going to get anywhere near the notoriety that Zion Williamson is going to get (nor should it) but you can’t help but notice the extremely young and athletic front court the Pels are building around their new cornerstone in Williamson.
Cleveland Cavaliers
What’s really not to like with what the Cavaliers did in the first round of the Draft? Aside from getting a guard with huge upside, maybe the most in the entire draft in Darius Garland, they were able to trade back into the first round and get a very athletic Kevin Porter Jr.
Memphis Grizzlies
I wasn’t a huge fan of what the Grizzlies were able to swing for Mike Conley however their Draft night unleashed some good first steps in moving onto a new era in Memphis. First there isn’t anything not to love about getting the best passer and player with exceptional court vision in Ja Morant but they followed this up with one of the biggest steals in the entire draft by taking Brandon Clarke with the 21st overall selection.
The “Feels”
If you have a soft spot for players whose dream it always was to get drafted by an NBA team after a lifetime of hard work then the other night was for you. This was especially after ESPN’s Maria Taylor seemingly got everyone to break down with her post selection interviewing skills.
Other notable Winners
- Chicago Bulls
- Atlanta Hawks
LOSERS
Phoenix Suns
A bad team did themselves zero favors on draft night. First the Suns sent T.J. Warren and the No. 32 overall pick to the Indiana Pacers in what was essentially a cap clearing move, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
After that the Suns dealt the sixth overall pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the No. 11 pick and Dario Saric Wojnarowski also reported.
Okay…
Phoenix then caps this all off with perhaps the biggest head scratcher of all, selecting Cameron Johnson with that 11th overall pick… a guy who has two bad hips and who was projected to go early in the early second round while passing on someone like Colby White.
Then to further add, the Suns then trade their first round pick in 2020 from the Bucks to the Celtics for the No. 24 pick and Aron Baynes who they could end up cutting according to NBA reporter Keith Smith. Okay… so why again are they acquiring Baynes when they already traded away Warren in a cap saving move?
Washington Wizards
I’m not sure what this is all about, but you take a guy within the top ten without even talking to them first? I mean at nine there probably wasn’t an obvious pick here but still, wouldn’t you go with a guy who you at least had some discussion with? This is just odd.
Boston Celtics
No one has probably had a worse offseason thus far than Danny Ainge and the Celtics. Not only is Al Horford and Kyrie Irving hightailing it out of town but Draft night could have gone better for Boston as well. Sure they got Romeo Langford (which they could have done better with BTW) but trading away their next two picks when there were legitimate guys still on the board that could help them makes you wonder what the hell Ainge was really thinking?
NBA Draft Trading
There seriously may not be a more confusing thing in any draft process. Who the fuck really knows what’s going on with a team makes a trade during the Draft? This is something the NBA needs to fix.
Other notable Losers
- Collin Sexton
- Orlando Magic
- Los Angeles Lakers
Stalemates
Bol Bol
Okay, Bol Bol could have very well been on the losers list after the one-time projected lottery pick fell all the way to 44 due to concerns over stress fractures in his legs. I mean I can only imagine the awkwardness in the green room since he was invited to the Draft. Not to mention towards the end thoughts had to be going through his head whether or not he was going to be draft at all.
But that didn’t happen and the Nuggets eventually called him up to the podium.
Now it’s understandable why teams passed on him which had zero to do with talent. However Bol Bol can now put all this behind him and focus on making all those who did pass on him pay. That could be all the motivation he needs to unleash a little fire and fury on the rest of the NBA.