Atlanta Hawks
15. Kobe Bufkin, G, Michigan
39. Mohamed Gueye, F/C, Washington State (via Hornets)
46. Seth Lundy, G/F, Penn State (via Pelicans)
Love what the Hawks did here. Got a top-10 player on our board in Kobe Bufkin at #15. This could complicate a backcourt that already includes Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, however Bufkin should be capable of playing as a secondary playmaker next to either. I’m always a proponent of taking the best talent available and figuring it out later.
Gueye is an upside pick, a mobile center prospect who looked confident shooting the ball, even if he only hit 27.5% of his 3PT attempts. He should provide a different look behind Capela and Okongwu and provides depth. If he pans out, look for Atlanta to trade Capela at some point.
Lundy was one of the more underrated shooting prospects in the class, well worth the #46 pick in the draft to see if he can stick on an NBA roster.
Grade: A
Boston Celtics
38. Jordan Walsh, G/F, Arkansas (via Kings)
Boston fans should be familiar with this type of draft, although it’s usually Bill Belicheck operating the controls.
The Celtics owned the #25 pick in this draft (via the Marcus Smart trade), but traded back four(!) times until they ended up with #38 and four future 2nd round picks. I’m not totally against this approach, more future currency. And I like Walsh as a defender. But the Celtics should have gotten a better player from this draft.
If they had stayed at #25, both Nick Smith Jr and Brice Sensabaugh are players with talent that were available and are more sure NBA players.
Staying at #34 and #39, they could have grabbed Andre Jackson Jr at #34, who is a more dynamic version of Walsh, and potentially still nabbed Walsh at #39.
Still, we do like Walsh as a player and the future picks can be used as currency in a trade for one more piece as Boston works to build a contender.
Grade: B
Brooklyn Nets
21. Noah Clowney, F/C, Alabama (via Suns)
22. Dariq Whitehead, G/F, Duke
51. Jalen Wilson, F, Kansas
The Nets took a couple big swings here at #21 and #22, hoping one of them pays off.
While Clowney has a ways to go before his shooting is real, he’s already a proficient rebounder and shows the mobility NBA teams covet in their big men. He’s not a great shot blocker, so will have to make his NBA living being an all-around, versatile forward.
Whitehead was a top prospect in his college class who underwhelmed, but showed flashes at Duke as a freshman. The start of his season was delayed while he recovered from a broken foot. He then re-injured his foot in January, which required additional surgery after Duke’s season ended, but he’s expected to return in time for the NBA regular season. Two foot injuries within a 6-month span is not ideal for an 18-year old prospect. However at this point in the draft the talent outweighs the risk.
Wilson is a classic college upperclassman producer worth taking a late 2nd round flier on. He can score in numerous ways, but never shot better than 33.7% from 3PT in 4 years at Kansas.
Grade: B
Charlotte Hornets
2. Brandon Miller, SF, Alabama
27. Nick Smith Jr., SG, Arkansas (via Nuggets)
31. James Nnaji, PF, Barcelona (via Celtics)
41. Amari Bailey, SG, UCLA (via Thunder)
The Hornets probably got too much slack for taking Miller over Scoot. Both were graded similarly, but they are totally different types of players. Miller is a scoring wing prospect while Scoot is more of a lead guard, the spot mostly occupied by LaMelo Ball. While we are in agreement the Hornets should have taken best available in Scoot, Miller is graded only a spot lower and has All-Star upside. Though we worry about his defense and finishing.
As for the rest of their draft, Nick Smith Jr is solid value at #27, taking a chance that his shooting woes at Arkansas were more of a product of injury/rust than predictive of his NBA shooting.
Nnaji was taken a bit higher than I would have liked. There were several players we had graded higher available (Leonard Miller, Andre Jackson Jr, etc.), but Nnaji provides upside some others did not. For now Nnaji can sit on the bench behind projected starter Mark Williams.
Bailey has the potential to be a bench scoring combo guard.
Grade: B
Chicago Bulls
35. Julian Phillips, SF, Tennessee (via Wizards)
The Bulls have drafted this type of player just last year in Dalen Terry. A defensive minded wing with limited shooting ability. While we do think Phillips has some upside, he was ranked outside our top-40 and believe there were other defensive wings who are either better at defense (Jordan Walsh) or with more peripheral skill upside (Sidy Cissoko).
Grade: C
Cleveland Cavaliers
49. Emoni Bates, SF, Eastern Michigan (via Warriors)
To be honest, this is about the point in the draft that a talent like Bates is worth taking a swing on.
However, some red flags on Bates. He did not look great at an AAC school in Memphis during his freshman year and had to transfer out to Eastern Michigan to get the high usage (31.1%) he desired. Even against inferior competition, Bates only shot 40.5 FG% and 33 3P% on high volume. That’s to go along with his negative AST:TO ratio of 0.56, which was 5th worst in this draft class. Not great for guy who had the ball all the time on an Eastern Michigan team that finished 2nd to last in the MAC. What the heck is his NBA role supposed to be?
Don’t think Bates will stick in the NBA due to his lack of scoring efficiency, poor playmaking ability and attitude.
Grade: C
Dallas Mavericks
12. Dereck Lively II, C, Duke (via Thunder)
24. Olivier-Maxence Prosper, F, Marquette (via Kings)
This grade is not only for the players the Mavericks drafted, but their keen maneuverability during the draft.
It was pretty clear that Dallas was a prime landing spot for Lively, once they were unable to move the pick for a veteran. But instead of just taking him at #10, the Mavericks moved down two spots to #12, still landed Lively and dumped Davis Bertans into Oklahoma City’s cap space to create a Trade Exception.
The Mavericks then later used that exception to take on the contract of Richuan Holmes to land the #24 pick in the draft which they ended up using to take OMax Prosper.
We can debate the players Dallas took (I would have taken Wallace/Hawkins/Dick at #10/#12 and Miller/Jackson Jr at #25), but their ability to maximize assets during the draft and land two potential role players was impressive.
Grade: B+
Denver Nuggets
29. Julian Strawther, F, Gonzaga (via Pacers)
32. Jalen Pickett, G, Penn State (via Pacers)
37. Hunter Tyson, F, Clemson (via Thunder)
The Nuggets maneuvered a bit to get these picks, trading a 2024 1st round pick and #40 to the Pacers for #29 and #32. Likely an early indication they know Bruce Brown was walking.
They took Strawther a bit higher than on our board, but at a certain point his NBA ready offensive game was too appealing to pass up, #29 feels like a fair spot. There’s no doubt his spot-up shooting and backdoor cutting will fit seamlessly in Denver, but will he be able to stay on the floor defensively?
Pickett is a very interesting pick. He was fascinating to watch at Penn State. A unique prospect, Pickett can efficiently run an offense from the post (as a guard). With a 27.3% usage rate, Pickett shot an insanely efficient 50.8% from the field and 38.1% from three. This very much feels like a direct replacement for Bruce Brown, but the question remains if Pickett’s unique game can translate to NBA role player. If it will anywhere in the NBA, it would be Denver.
Hunter Tyson represents a growing trend amongst NBA teams to draft older upperclassmen who are more NBA-ready in the late 1st/early 2nd. Tyson is a stretch forward who hit 40% of his 3PT last year to go with 9.6 rebound per game. He played 5 years at Clemson and just turned 23 years old before the draft.
The Nuggets strategy is clear, try and hit on at least one of three upperclassmen to be cheap role players immediately.
Grade: B
Detroit Pistons
5. Ausar Thompson, SF, Overtime Elite
25. Marcus Sasser, SG, Houston (via Grizzlies and Celtics)
The Pistons didn’t mess around debating Ausar’s fit and simply took the best player remaining on the board.
It will be an interesting fit between Cade, Ivey and now Ausar. However, Troy Weaver seems to have the same methodology of take the best player and figure it out later.
Based on Weaver’s selection of Sasser, it seems he has at least the idea in his mind he should provide some shooting around those three plus Duren/Wiseman.
The on-court blending of talent between those three ballhandlers will be fascinating to watch as each one is a selfless playmaker. Ivey averaged 5.2 assists, Cade 6 assists and Ausar averaged 6.1 assists in OTE last year. There is a world in which all three can connect to play their part as a hivemind point guard.
This will be one of the most intriguing young combinations to watch next year.
Grade: B+
Golden State Warriors
19. Brandin Podziemski, G, Santa Clara
57. Trayce Jackson-Davis, F, Indiana (via Wizards)
To be honest, I think the Warriors whiffed a bit on Podziemski. Both because the more talented Cam Whitmore was sitting in their lap, and because we had several players ranked above him who would be good fits (such as Kris Murray).
However, they were able to land one of my favorite players, and a perfect fit, in Trayce Jackson-Davis with the second to last pick in the draft. Jackson-Davis is not only a dunker. He showed he can be a legitimate shot blocker as a small-ball 5, and even pass within the Warriors system. To me he’s a home run pick who can play a kind of Brandon Clarke role for Golden State and should see real minutes behind Kevon Looney and Draymond Green.
Grade: A-
Houston Rockets
4. Amen Thompson, G, Overtime Elite
20. Cam Whitmore, F, Villanova
The Houston Rockets drafted exactly how I would have for yet another year. Taking the slightly more athletic Amen Thompson at #4 instead of gambling on Whitmore was smart. Then all they had to do was wait at #20 to snag the guy they were debating taking at #4. This is the sort of draft day slide that typically happens in the NFL draft, not the NBA draft.
Even if Whitmore ends up being just a role player (as we pondered), he is well worth the swing at #20. Unless the red flags (both mental and physical) end up being WAY worse than we’ve heard, this is a no-brainer pick to get a player with legitimate All-Star upside at this point in the draft.
Grade: A+
Indiana Pacers
8. Jarace Walker, PF, Houston (via Wizards)
26. Ben Sheppard, G, Belmont
47. Mojave King, G, G League Ignite (via Lakers)
55. Isaiah Wong, G, Miami
The Pacers are the perfect landing spot for Jarace Walker. In the same position I would have considered Taylor Hendricks to give them two shooting, shot blocking big men. But Walker gives them a big bodied enforcer next to Myles Turner, who can take on some of the tougher wing/forward defensive assignments.
For the rest of their draft, I’m a fan of Sheppard at #26, he can become a rotational shooter for Indiana. Wong also seems like a good swing later in the draft, he’s a talented guard who has potential as a backup combo guard.
Grade: B+
Los Angeles Clippers
30. Kobe Brown, F, Missouri
48. Jordan Miller, F, Miami
The Clippers had a solid draft given their positioning.
Kobe Brown could end up being a versatile, rotational big man due to his passing and 3PT shooting flashed last year.
Miller is one of the more intriguing wing prospects, as he’s a bit of a tweener but had an efficient year at Miami.
Grade: B
Los Angeles Lakers
17. Jalen Hood-Schifino, G, Indiana
40. Maxwell Lewis, F, Pepperdine (via Pacers)
If I’m disappointed in anyone for passing on Whitmore, it’s the Lakers. Part of this is because we had Hood-Schifino ranked lower than most, and outside of Rui, Whitmore presented their best chance to add a high level talent on the wing. Still, Hood-Schifino showed poise as a lead guard for Indiana last year, and should be able to play some backup guard minutes. However, his lack of 3PT shooting is a real concern given the Lakers’ roster construction. They need guys to knock down open shots, which JHS has been unable to do in his career so far.
Max Lewis landed at #40 exactly where we had him on our board. This is a fair spot for a wing with playmaking potential showed at a mid-major school. We thought the 1st round buzz was a little too busy given his high turnover and foul rates against inferior competition. But this is the spot where talent meets risk.
Grade: B
Memphis Grizzlies
45. Gregory (GG) Jackson II, F, South Carolina
56. Tarik Biberovic, F, Fenerbahce Beko
GG Jackson is by far the most talented player drafted in the 2nd round but has maturity and basketball IQ issues, which pushed him down draft boards. We had GG as a first round talent, so getting him in the 2nd round round is a steal. However, he has a long road to go to become an impactful NBA player on a winning team.
The addition of Marcus Smart should already pay dividends in the Grizzlies locker room. His leadership is needed to help develop a player like Jackson, who has legitimate All-Star upside if he puts it all together. Definitely worth the swing at this point in the draft.
He even apologized for his actions at South Carolina, which is a start.
Grade: B+
Miami Heat
18. Jaime Jaquez Jr., SF, UCLA
While Jaquez is a very intriguing prospect, and a good fit with the Heat, I’m a little disappointed they didn’t snag Whitmore during his slide.
Having said that Jaquez is one of the more fun prospects in this draft, and Miami has proven they can teach guys defense/hide their liabilities (see Strus, Robinson, Herro).
Jaquez is a bucket, able to score in a multitude of ways, which is an invaluable trait at the NBA level. He should come in right away and be a solid role player for Miami.
Grade: B
Milwaukee Bucks
36. Andre Jackson Jr., SG, UConn (via Magic)
58. Chris Livingston, SF, Kentucky
The Bucks moved up to #36 to secure Andre Jackson, one of the most underrated players in the draft. Jackson in the 2nd round reminds me a lot of Draymond Green going #35 to the Warriors in the 2012 draft.
While Jackson isn’t quite the alpha Draymond is, he’s every bit the competitor and selfless player on the court. Jackson can and will do all the little things to help teams win. He’ll be able to guard NBA wings and even some guards, and his passing both in the PnR and within the flow of the offense will keep the ball moving.
The main reason he slipped is shooting. But I have confidence he can be effective without it, and will continue to attempt to improve it.
The Bucks were also able to land a talented wing like Livingston with the last pick in the draft which is pretty good value. While he showed some struggles handling the ball at Kentucky, Livingston is an athletic and strong wing who is worth a flier.
Grade: A
Minnesota Timberwolves
33. Leonard Miller, F, G League Ignite (via Spurs)
53. Jaylen Clark, G, UCLA
We had a 1st round grade on Miller who is an athletic specimen at forward. His improved handle and scoring this year, to go with his defensive upside, make him an attractive long-term replacement for Jarred Vanderbilt.
Clark is another good value pick later in the 2nd round. A top-5 defensive wing prospect in the draft. Clark is a long and athletic defender who had success at the college level. Right now he’s a defensive specialist, who can see time in NBA rotations in that role.
Grade: B+
New Orleans Pelicans
14. Jordan Hawkins, G, UConn
The Pelicans were in dire need of shooting and were able to grab the best movement shooter in the class at #14.
IF the Pelicans are fully healthy, and yes that includes Zion, they desperately need both shooting and a real point guard. They just helped solve their first issue. Hawkins should be able to come in and provide shooting to a Pelicans squad sorely lacking it. Playing off of Zion, Ingram and McCollum is a great situation for Hawkins who will be running off ball, ready for catch-and-shoot 3PTs. We expect him to start as a bench scoring guard.
Grade: A
New York Knicks
No pick
Grade: N/A
Orlando Magic
6. Anthony Black, PG, Arkansas
11. Jett Howard, SF, Michigan (via Bulls)
The Black pick is an interesting concept. It feels a bit Raptors-esque to me, except replace Scottie Barnes with Anthony Black.
Black has both the defense and playmaking ability to be a good two way lead guard for the Magic. Expect him and Suggs to form one of the more daunting guard defensive tandems in the league. The question is how effective he can be off-ball. Black’s lack of shooting will be on full display when Paolo or Franz start to take the defense 1v1. However, Black should spur the offense to get up and go in transition. Ultimately it’s not the best fit, but commend the Magic for taking the most unique talent still available.
The underlying theory with the Jett Howard pick makes sense. The Magic need shooting around Banchero, Wagner and now Black. However, the value proposition for Howard just doesn’t make sense to me. With both Hawkins and Dick still on the board, it’s surprising the Magic would go with Howard. He’s a worse movement shooter than Hawkins (albeit taller) and has the same defensive concerns as Dick (the better shooter). Time will tell who the best shooter in the class is, but we had Howard ranked behind those two.
Grade: B-
Philadelphia 76ers
No pick
Grade: N/A
Phoenix Suns
52. Toumani Camara, F, Dayton
Camara is a late round flier on a player with some offensive talent. The Suns are betting they can teach him at least some defense.
Grade: C
Portland Trailblazers
3. Scoot Henderson, G, G League Ignite
23. Kris Murray, F, Iowa
43. Rayan Rupert, F, NZ Breakers
The Blazers were correct to tank at the end of the year. While they weren’t able to win the lottery, ending up with the 2nd ranked player in the draft is still a tanking success.
Scoot can come in right away and be the franchise point guard (depending on what happens with Dame). There likely was no All-NBA offer sitting on the table, so sitting there and letting Scoot fall into their laps was the prudent move the Front Office. They can now move Dame, and see if Scoot can fill the role of franchise point guard. Expect less scoring, though.
The pick of Kris Murray at #23 was good value as he should immediately be able to contribute in the rotation as a hybrid forward, who does all the little things right.
Rupert is a somewhat raw defensive prospect. Might be best to let him stay overseas for another year or two. Although Rupert was entrusted to a defensive role for the NZ Breakers in their playoffs this year, so it’s possible the Blazers bring him over right away if they like what they see in camp.
Grade: A
Sacramento Kings
34. Colby Jones, F, Xavier (via Celtics)
54. Jalen Slawson, F, Furman
These were two of our favorite role players coming into the draft, if one of them makes it, the Kings had a successful draft.
Jones can be a versatile wing player who plays defense and makes connective passes. His obvious flaw might be that he’s a jack of all trades, though I’m willing to bet he makes just enough of an impact at most things to stick.
Slawson adds depth in the frontcourt as a versatile passer and defender. Given the inferior competition he faced at Furman he’s a bit harder to project. But if he can make it at the NBA level, his game is a good fit behind Sabonis.
Grade: B+
San Antonio Spurs
1. Victor Wembanyama, C, Metropolitans 92
44. Sidy Cissoko, F, G League Ignite
While it’s easy to rubber stamp an “A” on any team that was lucky enough to win the lottery, San Antonio is literally the perfect fit for Wembanyama. If any franchise in the lottery is going to maximize Wemby’s potential, it’s the Spurs.
They have a storied history of developing talented big men (Duncan and Robinson) as well as international players (Ginobili and Parker) and Wembanyama is a bit of both worlds. It’s almost as if Pop’s former players had a grown man child.
In addition to Wemby, the Spurs great value in taking fellow Frenchman Sidy Cissoko in the middle of the 2nd round. We had a 1st round grade on Cissoko due to his physical defense, and passing ability. He should develop into a nice role player and provide some French connection to Wemby.
Grade: A
Toronto Raptors
13. Gradey Dick, SF, Kansas
The Raptors finally turned tasted the forbidden fruit of not drafting a long, athletic player. Whether this fruit is worth the squeeze remains to be seen.
Would have preferred Hawkins at this pick if the Raptors were looking for a shooter, but Dick should fit right into the rotation. They have kind of tried this before with Trent Jr, to some success, and now add another shooter. Dick should be able to float into open spaces and nail spot-up three pointer shots produced on drives by Barnes/Siakim and post ups from Poeltl.
Grade: B
Utah Jazz
9. Taylor Hendricks, F, Central Florida
16. Keyonte George, G, Baylor
28. Brice Sensabaugh, F, Ohio State
The Jazz had three 1st round picks this year due to trades with the Timberwolves (Rudy Gobert [#16]) and the Nets (Royce O’Neale [#28]).
All three players are unique talents, following their development will be exciting.
Hendricks has the potential to be the next Myles Turner, think he was probably the best value at the spot.
George worries me with his inefficiency, but the flashes on tape are of an exciting pull-up shooter who has the upside to be a serious bench scorer. Somewhat reminds me of Jordan Poole. Let’s see what Will Hardy can do with him.
Sensabaugh was a difficult evaluation. On one hand he took lots of tightly contested mid-range jumpers, that will be better contested on the NBA level. On the other he made nearly half of them. Sensabaugh shot 48% from the field and 40.5% from three. He uses his frame to bully defenders and create openings. Reminds me of Malaki Branham from last year’s draft.
Grade: A
Washington Wizards
7. Bilal Coulibaly, SF, Mets 92 (via Pacers)
42. Tristan Vukcevic, C, Serbia (via Bulls)
I both can and cannot understand the risk taken by the Wizards here. Coulibaly was one of the fastest risers on NBA draft boards heading into the NBA draft, clearly benefiting from being a teammate with the best prospect since LeBron James.
Physically he’s very long and has good athleticism. He reportedly had a late growth spurt, going from playing point guard to being a legitimate sized wing.
However, on tape he looks a bit too raw to be taking this high in the draft.
Totally respect the gamble from Washington – they have time. It just feels like they could have moved down and still gotten Coulibaly, instead they paid Indiana two 2nds to move up one spot.
If he hits, the risk will have been worth it for Washington. But at the spot, the risk is too high.
Vukcevic can be a legitimate floor spacer, if he can develop defensively enough to stay on the floor. Currently a ways to go on that front against NBA wings and forwards.
Grade: C-