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ATLANTA HAWKS

The Hawks are probably reaching for the reset button. They've already dealt Dwight Howard for a pack of skittles and are staring at offering a 32 year old Paul Millsap a super max contract. They draft the super athletic John Collins at 19 and picked up long range shooter Tyler Dorsey. Overall, I like their moves considering where they picked. 

GRADE B

#19 JOHN COLLINS #41 TYLER DORSEY #60 ALPHA KABA

BOSTON CELTICS

Boston traded the number one overall pick for the third pick and selected Duke freshman Jayson Tatum. I think Tatum is a good fit in Boston and he's also a good piece if you're trying to dangle Jae Crowder in a sign and trade. In the second round the Celtics selected  a Jae Crowder clone Semi Ojeleye, Kadeem Allen and Jabari Bird. It seems like Boston is 5 deep at every position so Ojeleye and Allen are going to have to fight for a roster spot. 

GRADE B

# JAYSON TATUM, #37 SEMI OJELEYE, #53 KADEEM ALLEN, #56 JABARI BIRD

BROOKLYN NETS

Nets picked up D'Angelo Russell via trade with the Lakers, so that's automatically a win and upgrade at the point guard position. At the worst, he's a capable scoring guard who should be able to play loosely with much lower expectations in Brooklyn. Jarrett Allen fell to the Nets at 22 and will have a chance to play on a roster very thin at Center. The Nets dealt their other first round pick (Kyle Kuzma) in the Russell traded and drafted European Aleksandar Vezenkov. 

GRADE A-

#22 JARRETT ALLEN, #27 KYLE KUZMA (TRADED TO LAKERS) #57 ALEKSANDER VEZENKOV

CHARLOTTE HORNETS

Michael Jordan and company made a big move and traded the lint in his baggy jeans pockets for Dwight Howard to help address their rebounding issues. I like the move a lot considering it didn't cost much and Dwight has a good track record with Hornets coach Steve Clifford from their time in Orlando and Los Angeles. With their 11th pick, the Hornets selected Malik Monk (who should immediately fill the 'get buckets' role previously held by Marco Bellinelli) and traded the rights to Frank Jackson for Florida State wing Dwayne Bacon who can also provide scoring punch to bolster the Hornets offense.

GRADE A

#11 MALIK MONK, #31 FRANK JACKSON (TRADED TO PELICANS) #40 DWAYNE BACON (FROM PELICANS)

CHICAGO BULLS

The Bulls blew it up. I understand the move because they were heading nowhere fast. Jimmy Butler yielded the 7th overall pick and Chicago decided to use it on Nikola Mirotic clone Lauri Markannen. I would have taken Dennis Smith Jr. here in a heartbeat but I guess the Bulls see something in Kris Dunn (acquired in the Butler trade) that the rest of the world doesn't. All is not lost if Zach Lavine (the main piece in the trade) is able to regain his legendary explosiveness after tearing his ACL last season. 

GRADE D

#7 LAURI MARKKANEN

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

Lebron took the night off.

GRADE N/A

NONE

DALLAS MAVERICKS

I didn't think a point guard was going to be available at the 9th slot for Dallas, which means I couldn't imagine Dennis Smith Jr. sliding this far. I REALLY like DSJ and he could not have fallen into a better situation in North Texas. If he allows Rick Carlisle to coach him, he's my way too early pick for Rookie of the Year. 

GRADE A

#9 DENNIS SMITH, JR.

DENVER NUGGETS

I had the Nuggets going big with the 13th pick and they did, sort of. They drafted Donovan Mitchell for the Utah Jazz and in return picked up Trey Lyles. Lyles is still extremely young and is probably better than anyone they would have drafted here. Another stretch 4 in Syracuse's Tyler Lydon was acquired from the Utah trade and in the second round, the Nuggets went Draft and Stash at #49 with Vlatko Cancar and selected Iowa State game manager Monte Morris at #51.

GRADE C+

#24 TYLER LYDON, #49 VLATKO CANCAR, #51 MONTE MORRIS

DETROIT PISTONS

The rumors of Luke Kennard flying up the draft were true. He landed in a pretty good situation in Detroit which needs help putting the ball in the basket. Kennard is a crafty scorer and I'm sure Coach Stan Van Gundy will put him in a position to be successful. 

GRADE B

#12 LUKE KENNARD

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

The rich get richer. Someone thought it was a good idea to give the Warriors an athletic rim protector in the second round in Jordan Bell. I'm really high on Bell's defensive prowess and he lands in a great situation with the defending champs.

 

GRADE A

#38 JORDAN BELL (FROM BULLS)

HOUSTON ROCKETS

The Rockets didn't have a first round pick and went with Isaiah Hartenstein in the second round. He'll spend time in the G League until he's ready. Houston is trying to create cap space to get James Harden some help so the draft wasn't a priority for them. 

GRADE C

#43 ISAIAH HARTENSTEIN

INDIANA PACERS

I'm a huge fan of TJ Leaf but not necessarily here in Indy. They needed help on the wing and Thad Young still has a lot of years left on his deal. The Pacers are almost in shambles as Paul George is pretty much out the door.

 

GRADE C-

#18 T.J LEAF, #47 IKE ANIGBOGU, #52 EDMOND SUMNER

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

Of course the Clippers didn't have a first round pick. It seems like they never do. They did acquire the rights to Jawun Evans who to my surprise, fell to the middle of the second round. He'll have a chance to compete for a roster spot with Raymond Felton a free agent. Who knows, maybe Chris Paul doesn't think $200 million is a lot of money and takes a pay cut (I wouldn't.) 

GRADE C

#39 JAWUN EVANS (FROM 76ERS) #48 SINDARIUS THORNWELL

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Lavar Ball spoke it into existence and the Lakers took Lonzo. I'm not the biggest Lonzo Ball fan but he will have a chance to try his talents on the big stage and bright lights left behind by D'Angelo Russell. He'll have to deal with a lot of pressure from playing at home and not to mention his father has been writing checks Lonzo is going to have to cash. Lonzo's job will be a lot easier if Paul George is a Laker sooner rather than later. Late in the first round, the Lakers got a personal favorite in Kyle Kuzma. He might get a chance to play right away if Julius Randle is somehow dealt. I think Josh Hart has value where he was selected and should be a good rotation wing. Thomas Bryant could be an interesting piece to their front court.

 

GRADE B

#2 LONZO BALL, #27 KYLE KUZMA, #30 JOSH HART (FROM JAZZ) #42 THOMAS BRYANT (FROM JAZZ)

MEMPHIS GRIZZLES

The Grizz didn't have a pick initially but snuck into to the second round to take Ivan Rabb and Dillon Brooks. Rabb is kind of overkill with the kind of forwards Memphis has on the roster, but JaMychal Green and Zach Randolph are both free agents. Dillon Brooks should be able to make the team with his three point shooting, a major need for the Grizzlies as they try to evolve into a pace and space team. 

GRADE C

#35 IVAN RABB (FROM MAGIC) #45 DILLON BROOKS (ROCKETS)

MIAMI HEAT

I'm not surprised the Heat went big with the 14th pick but I didn't think it would be Bam Adebayo this high. He did a lot of good things at Kentucky but I thought there were bigs that showed more. Apparently, Adebayo shot the ball extremely well in workouts. Either way, the Heat get frontcourt depth which they needed.

 

GRADE B

#14 BAM ADEBAYO

MILWAUKEE BUCKS

DJ Wilson had a promise from someone and it turned out to be a great fit for the power forward out of Michigan. In Milwaukee, Wilson gets a chance to crack the rotation with Jabari Parker rehabbing from another ACL tear. Wilson is pretty much insurance and he does what the Bucks will need him to do, defend, be an athlete and space the floor. Overall, this a great pick.

 

GRADE B+

#17 D.J WILSON, #46 STERLING BROWN, #

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

Coach Thibs got the guy he wanted all along .... Jimmy Butler. The All NBA small forward is now in Minnesota to help lead Karl Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins lead the Wolves to their first playoff appearance since the Kevin Garnett era. On paper this looks good but I wonder how Wiggins, fresh off averaging 23.6 ppg works with the high usage Butler. Does Towns take a back seat? Personally, I would have kept the pick and added veteran free agents, but Thibs never struck me as patient guy. In the trade, the Twolves also picked up  Creighton freshman center Justin Patton. The 7 footer has loads of potential and should only get better practicing against KAT. 

GRADE B

#16 JUSTIN PATTON

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS

The Pelicans only had a second round pick and I think they got a very good talent in Frank Jackson. New Orleans had the absolute worst wing rotation in the league as Jordan Crawford was an immediate contributor and he came in mid season from D-League. Jackson at the worst will provide floor spacing with the new school twin towers Anthony Davis and Demarcus Cousins. If Jrue Holiday doesn't resign, I wouldn't be surprised if Jackson ended the season as the starter. New Orleans does not need him to be a great playmaker, which he isn't, they just need him to make open shots, defend and take care of the ball. I really like what the Pelicans did as I think Jackson was a first round talent. 

GRADE A-

#31 FRANK JACKSON

NEW YORK KNICKS

First off, I have no idea why Phil Jackson even put Kristaps Porzingis' name in trade talks. It's really bizarre to me but Phil isn't an ordinary guy by any means so I should not be surprised. With that said, the Knicks are still running the triangle and Frank Ntilikina fits the triangle system with his shooting and ability to play without dominating the ball. I don't know how good he's going to be, but he's heading to a toxic situation and a crazy fan base. I hope for his sake he plays well because Dennis Smith Jr. was available and the Knicks passed on him. In the second round, the Knicks took Dameyan Dotson out of Houston with the 44th pick. Dotson is a good shooter, gets after it on defense, and will remind some Knick fans of Justin Holiday. However, someone needs to  fix the Knicks...please.

 

GRADE B

#8 FRANK NTILIKNA, #44 DAMYEAN DOTSON

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

Shooting was clearly the number one priority and the best guy left on the board was  former McDonald's All-American Terrance Ferguson. Ferguson is a freak athletic and a decent shooter that will get after it on defense.  He didn't shoot very well in Australia but has the reputation as a guy who can space the floor and run in transition. Maybe he turns into a Terrance Ross type of guy. 

GRADE C

#21 TERRANCE FERGUSON

ORLANDO MAGIC

Orlando took combo forward Jonathan Isaac out of Florida State with the 6th pick which could be a message to Aaron Gordon. Isaac has a lot of potential but needs to get a lot stronger to play extended minutes at the 4. He doesn't project to be a star but he should end up being the ideal defender/ glue guy that every team covets. I wonder if the Magic are possibly looking to develop him into an Otto Porter clone at the 3? It was the safe pick and it looks like Elfrid Payton gets another year to prove he's a starter after a strong second half. In the second round, Orlando picked up Wesley Iwundu from Kansas State who could be provide bench depth and crack the rotation as a rookie. He'll have to continue to develop his jump shot and 3 point range to stick around as a 3 and D guy..

GRADE B

#6 JONATHAN ISAAC, #33 WESLEY IWUNDU

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

No Trust the Process lines from me but the 76ers won the draft in my opinion. They got the best player and future All Star in Markelle Fultz, who play either guard position and is very polished for a 19 year old. Philly also did well for themselves late in the first and in the second round as they went big with Anzejs Pasecniks and Jonah Bolden. One of them could make Jahlil Okafor expendable and they could both be insurance policies for Joel Embiid. 

GRADE A

#1 MARKELLE FULTZ, #25 ANZEJS PASECNIKS (TRADED FROM MAGIC) #36 JONAH BOLDEN, #39 JAWUN EVANS (TRADED TO CLIPPERS), #46 STERLING BROWN (TRADED TO BUCKS) #50 MATHIAS LESSORT

PHOENIX SUNS

I like what the Suns did here by drafting Josh Jackson #4. The freshman from Kansas competes on both ends and brings a winners attitude and toughness to the desert. I believe you can pencil Jackson as the day one starter which allows for professional bucket getter TJ Warren to come off the bench and do what he does best. Get buckets. In the second round the Suns added defensive specialist Davon Reed from Miami and Valparaiso sharp shooter Alec Peters. The Suns improved but are still a ways away from being good. 

GRADE A

#4 JOSH JACKSON, #32 DAVON REED, #54 ALEC PETERS

I advocated for Portland to trade their picks or go with bigs and they did both. They traded up to take Gonzaga freshman center Zach Collins who's stock rose tremendously during the NCAA tournament and Final Four. Collins would provide depth at center behind Jusef Nurkic and could spell the end of the Meyers Leonard era in Portland. At 26, the Blazers picked Draft Junkies favorite and the Big Ten player of the year in Caleb Swanigan. Swanigan is a rebounding machine with range and is a space eater. Portland did well this draft, now they need to shed some salaries. 

GRADE A 

#10 ZACH COLLINS (TRADED FROM KINGS) #26 CALEB SWANIGAN

SACRAMENTO KINGS

The Kings addressed needs at the PG position (De'Aaron Fox) and at the small forward (Justin Jackson) as predicted. I didn't expect them to roll the dice on Harry Giles' knees but at 20 it's worth the risk and could spend most of the season getting his legs back in Reno. In the second round, they took Big 12 Player of the Year Frank Mason who projects to be a good backup point guard. Sacramento actually looks pretty good as they have a core of high character guys with talent. Chris Webber is somewhere sweating and smiling.

 

GRADE A

#5 DE'AARON FOX, #15 JUSTIN JACKSON (TRADED FROM BLAZERS) #20 HARRY GILES (TRADED FROM BLAZERS) #34 FRANK MASON III

SAN ANTONIO SPURS

The Spurs did what Spurs usually do, draft well. I'm a big Derrick White fan as he has a skill set similar to former Spurt George Hill. White could be the PG of the present with Dejounte Murray still developing and Tony Parker recovering from an injury that knocked him out of playoffs. In the second round, the Spurs took combo forward Jaron Blossomgame out of Clemsom. I like Blossomgames athleticism and motor but he plays like a power forward in a small forwards body; not even a stretch power forward. He does get after it and the Spurs are top notch when it comes to player development so I won't question the move.

 

GRADE A-

#29 DERRICK WHITE #59 JARON BLOSSOMGAME

TORONTO RAPTORS

The Raptors picked OG Anunoby here and I really don't understand the pick nor do I have a clue as to what Toronto is doing with the roster. OG doesn't answer a need of 3 point shooting but I think he projects to be a power forward a la Al Farouq Aminu. Either way, he's a talented player but needs time to develop his jump shot and overall feel for the game. 

GRADE C

#23 OG ANUNOBY

UTAH JAZZ

It looks like Utah is preparing for worst case scenario which is Gordon Hayward bolting in free agency and Joe Ingles pending free agency. The Jazz selected athletic shooting guard Donovan Mitchell and moved up in doing so to acquire him by trading Trey Lyles to Denve.r Utah also added Tony Bradley out of North Carolina and picked up future back up point guard Nigel Williams Goss from Gonzaga just in case they aren't able to retain George Hill. If both free agents resign, depth is still needed with veterans Joe Johnson and Boris Diaw still garnering minutes. Overall, Utah did a good job addressing potential needs. 

GRADE B

#13 DONOVAN MITCHELL, #28 TONY BRADLEY

WASHINGTON WIZARDS

Wizards only draft day moved was trading for Tim Frazier. He plays hard but they need a lot more help for one of the worst benches in the NBA. 

GRADE D

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