\u2022 Selected Collin Murray-Boyles (No. 9) and Alijah Martin (No. 39)
<\/strong><\/p>\nUntil the last couple of months of the season, the Raptors struggled to defend under coach Darko Rajakovic. They finished 25th in defensive rating in his first year and were 26th in defensive rating before this year\u2019s All-Star break. However, after the break, they were second in the NBA over those final 27 games. But the team\u2019s final 20 games included 11 against the Wizards, Brooklyn Nets, Jazz, Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers. So it\u2019s fair to say that there were some sustainability questions about their late-season defensive performance.<\/p>\n
So what did the Raptors do? They loaded up on their defensive infrastructure. Murray-Boyles is probably my favorite defender in this class who isn\u2019t a guard. He is a dynamic, multi-positional defender who has exceptional basketball IQ and hand-eye coordination. He\u2019s a playmaker who averaged 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game, and he\u2019s an elite communicator on that end who is unbelievable with his reactive help instincts. I love his fit as a versatile defensive chess piece for this team, and my ideal fit for him was within an organization that understands how to use him both as a four and as a small-ball five to weaponize his elite strength and length. The Raptors should be perfect for that, as the team experimented often with Jonathan Mogbo as a backup five. Murray-Boyles is a significant upgrade on Mogbo in that role. He has questions offensively because of his inability to shoot right now. But if his jumper comes along in the slightest, he\u2019s going to be a serious impact player.<\/p>\n
The Raptors also took one of my favorite second-round prospects in Martin. He\u2019s small, but he\u2019s a tank at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, and he\u2019s the epitome of a winner. He asserts his athleticism on the game and on his opponents with his explosiveness and his motor. Defensively, he\u2019s tough and a terrific on-ball defender. He fights and scraps for loose balls and has a fairly sizable shooting track record at this point. Even if he\u2019s not elite as a shooter, he has at least proven that he\u2019s confident taking them while hitting 36 percent from 3 on over 800 career collegiate attempts. His presence this year gave Florida the attitude and aggressiveness that it needed to win a national title.<\/p>\n
I love drafts where teams identify needs and take valuable players to fill them. This is a perfect example.<\/p>\n
Grade: B+<\/strong><\/p>\nMiami Heat<\/p>\n
\u2022 Selected Kasparas Jaku\u010dionis (No. 20)
<\/strong><\/p>\nJaku\u010dionis was one of my favorite picks of the draft. He slipped down to No. 20, but I\u2019m still a believer. I\u2019m a big fan of players who can dribble, pass, shoot, process the game at a high level and have good positional size. They just have so many outs. If Jaku\u010dionis ends up not separating enough on the ball \u2014 a genuine question because he\u2019s not a great athlete \u2014 I still feel confident he can play off the ball and hammer advantages that are created for him by high-level creative guards.<\/p>\n
Jaku\u010dionis is also a truly special passer even though there are significant turnover issues here that could be exacerbated by increased NBA ball pressure. There are some high-upside outcomes in his profile if he tightens up the turnovers and his handle. But I\u2019d bet on him being more of a great secondary ballhandler who can play with and help your starters while also running second units as the lead guard. These players are truly quite valuable, even though Jaku\u010dionis must take a leap on defense.<\/p>\n
Grade: B+<\/strong><\/p>\nB Grades: Teams that got the value they should havePhiladelphia 76ers<\/p>\n
\u2022 Selected VJ Edgecombe (No. 3) and Johni Broome (No. 35)<\/strong><\/p>\nThe 76ers decided not to trade down and took Edgecombe, who was the consensus No. 3 option. He was considered the safest bet out of the non-Harper and Flagg prospects, an elite athlete who is a strong defender. He is disruptive all over the court and makes opposing players\u2019 lives miserable. Edgecombe is also a shooter off the catch who started to show he could knock down shots from 3 off movement. He also knows how to cut and play off the ball well, as we\u2019ve seen in a variety of situations. He\u2019s a hard worker, a leader, and an energy-giver to his teammates. I have some questions on the upside, which is ultimately why I had him ranked No. 5 behind Johnson and Knueppel. But I have no complaints about the Sixers deciding he was their guy, as my grades for all three of those players were razor close.<\/p>\n
I still would have traded down if I were the 76ers. I don\u2019t have direct information on what the offers were, but having spoken to other general managers over the last decade about how president of basketball operations Daryl Morey negotiates, my inflection point to get a deal done would likely have been lower than his. As long as I could have stayed within the top-six picks, I would have been comfortable moving down and taking the player who fell to me.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-2206440982-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
After a standout college career, Johni Broome could be a worthy backup to Joel Embiid. (Andy Lyons \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Broome adds more interior depth behind Joel Embiid. All due respect to Andre Drummond, who made All-Star games and averaged 15 points and 14 rebounds from 2012-2021, but he didn\u2019t look like a primary backup center last season. Broome was the runner-up for college basketball\u2019s national player of the year and has been immensely productive at every stage of his career. He\u2019s strong and multi-skilled and was a versatile defender before ankle injuries sapped some of his lateral ability this year. He\u2019s a solid value who potentially fills a hole for Philly.<\/p>\n
Grade: B<\/strong><\/p>\nSacramento Kings<\/p>\n
\u2022 Acquired Nique Clifford (No. 24) from Oklahoma City for a 2027 San Antonio first-round pick (protected 1-16, otherwise becomes two seconds)
\u2022 Selected Maxime Raynaud (No. 42)
<\/strong><\/p>\nThis was a solid draft for the Kings. Trading into the first round wasn\u2019t much of an overpay, as they only gave up a heavily protected Spurs first-rounder that will fall either outside of the top 16 or will turn into two second-rounders For their trouble, they got Clifford, an solid wing who has a reasonable chance to turn into a rotation player because of the well-rounded nature of his game. He can process the game, dribble, pass, shoot and defend and has solid positional size. It\u2019s hard to find NBA players who bring all those things to the floor. His shooting was quite streaky, and that could be the part of his game that fails him in the NBA. But I had him ranked right in this range, and he fills a need as a perimeter player who can defend.<\/p>\n
Maxime Raynaud was my final top-30 ranked player available (I had him at No. 30). I question whether Raynaud can defend at an NBA level with his footspeed, but he\u2019s a remarkably skilled offensive player at 7 feet. He averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds this year in the ACC and is the epitome of a modern five-out big. That\u2019s someone every NBA team needs now but is still relatively hard to find. Raynaud is also an incredibly intelligent player from France who played at Stanford and has gotten exponentially better every season. At the very least, he was worth taking in the mid-second round.<\/p>\n
Grade: B<\/strong><\/p>\nIndiana Pacers<\/p>\n
\u2022 Traded No. 23 to New Orleans for their own 2026 first-round pick
\u2022 Acquired Kameron Jones (No. 38) from San Antonio for a future second-round pick and cash
\u2022 Selected Taelon Peter (No. 54)
<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Pacers\u2019 biggest move of the week came before their Game 7 loss to the Thunder, when they convinced the Pelicans to give them back their 2026 first-round pick for No. 23 in this draft. It was a solid move as it provided the Pacers more flexibility heading into the summer by giving them four first-round picks to trade in the future if they so chose. Now it looks like a brilliant move after Tyrese Haliburton suffered a torn Achilles\u2019 tendon in Game 7.<\/p>\n
Indiana dealt a future second-rounder and cash to select Jones, a terrific offensive player from Marquette who is a smart, older, versatile guard. If you need him to be more of a true floor-spacer, he can do that by shooting off the catch. If you need him to be more of a secondary creator, he can do that by running off fun dribble-handoff actions. This year, he proved that he could act as a primary decision-maker for his team. He needs to work on his pull-up jumper and become lethal there, but Jones is also a tremendous driver and finisher. It\u2019s a perfect schematic pick for the Pacers as Jones has played in a similar scheme to the one Indiana runs during the last two years at Marquette.<\/p>\n
Finally, the team took the biggest sleeper of the draft at No. 54 in Peter, who made third-team All-Conference USA and didn\u2019t even start for Liberty this year. However, he\u2019s a lethal high-volume shooter. I don\u2019t see an NBA player here, but a few analytics execs saw his name pop in models with how efficient he is as a scorer and became fans of him during the process. He\u2019ll likely be on a two-way.<\/p>\n
Grade: B<\/strong><\/p>\nLos Angeles Lakers<\/p>\n
\u2022 Acquired No. 45 from Chicago for No. 55 and cash
\u2022 Acquired Adou Thiero (No. 36) from Timberwolves for No. 45 and cash
<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Lakers started draft week with a paper clip and ended up trading it up for \u2026 well, maybe not a house, but how about a sports car? They came into the week only possessing the No. 55 pick and ended it with Thiero at No. without paying any additional draft capital. That\u2019s shrewd work by the Lakers\u2019 front office, and I wonder if it\u2019s a reflection of the new Lakers\u2019 reality under its recent majority ownership change to billionaire Mark Walter.<\/p>\n
I had Thiero at No. 31. Some teams were concerned about his extensive injury history, which is why I bumped him to the top second-rounder on my board. If Thiero stays healthy, he\u2019s a dynamic athlete in transition, a tremendous cutter and a terrific defensive player. He will increase the Lakers\u2019 overall athleticism level, an incredibly important factor after we saw those issues laid bare in the playoffs against the Timberwolves.<\/p>\n
This is ultimately not a serious needle-mover, but it\u2019s shrewd work on the margins from a front office that has often missed on these types of moves.<\/p>\n
Grade: B-<\/strong><\/p>\nMinnesota Timberwolves<\/p>\n
\u2022 Selected Joan Beringer (No. 17)
\u2022 Traded No. 31 for No. 36 and two future second-rounders
\u2022 Traded No. 36 to Lakers for No. 45 and cash
\u2022 Selected Rocco Zikarsky (No. 45)
<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Wolves face tough decisions over the next week financially, but I was fine with what they did in the draft. Under Tim Connelly and general manager Matt Lloyd (who is known as a terrific evaluator league-wide), the Wolves have tended to draft quite young. They\u2019re also unafraid of projects, as seen by the selections of Leonard Miller and Josh Minott in recent years. Well, they took two huge projects in this draft. The first one was worth investing in. Beringer was the most athletic big in the draft at 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan. He\u2019s still exceptionally raw and still learning the game. Things move fast for him right now, and his reactions can often be slow. Still, there\u2019s not a big man in this class who moves better. He\u2019s exceptionally twitchy when he\u2019s on the floor and when he lifts off the ground to block a shot or dunk. He is also flexible and plays with genuine bend while also being incredibly coordinated from his soccer background.\u00a0 Long term, he has immense defensive upside and offensive utility as a rim-runner. There\u2019s no one better for him to learn from than Rudy Gobert, even if it\u2019s just watching him from the bench for at least a year.<\/p>\n
Minnesota also made the analytical play by trading down five spots and getting two additional second-rounders for No. 31, which I liked. I didn\u2019t love the follow-up deal with the Lakers to move down to No. 45 for only cash. There was a massive dropoff in this class beyond No. 40. But the Wolves have 14 players under contract, including Julius Randle, Naz Reid and Beringer, and have to decide on free agent Nickeil Alexander-Walker. If they didn\u2019t feel like they could roster a second-round player, I understand.<\/p>\n
I found it strange, though, that they doubled down on project centers with Zikarsky. He\u2019s 7-foot-3 without shoes and has athletic ability. When I met him at the NBL Blitz this past year, he said that he understands that he needs to be similar to Gobert, name-checking the player he\u2019ll be learning from this year. I think he\u2019s quite far away from being an NBA player, but there are undeniable tools here worth investing in.<\/p>\n
Grade: B-<\/strong><\/p>\nBoston Celtics<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0<\/strong>Selected Hugo Gonz\u00e1lez (No. 28)
\u2022 Traded Porzi\u0146\u0123is and a 2026 second to Atlanta for Georges Niang and a 2031 second-round rounder
\u2022 Traded No. 32 to Orlando for No. 46, No. 57, and two future second-rounders
\u2022\u00a0Selected Amari Williams (No. 46) and Max Shulga (No. 57)
<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Celtics had a mixed week. The Jrue Holiday and Porzi\u0146\u0123is trades don\u2019t have anything to do with their grades here, but the organization is clearly moving into a different era as Jayson Tatum recovers from injury. The team saved about $240 million by making these two deals, which should position them to get under the luxury tax at some point, avoid the repeater tax in 2026-27 and start to move forward under new ownership.<\/p>\n
In that vein, Boston needs to hit on some of these draft picks after a dry spell in recent years. I had Gonz\u00e1lez at No. 24 on my board. He\u2019s aggressive and tough, playing with an insatiable motor. He\u2019s built like a tank at 6-foot-6 without shoes with a 6-11 wingspan and a massive 225-pound frame as a teenager. That showcases itself best on defense, where he\u2019s a real playmaker and a tough on-ball player. However, it\u2019s going to be a process on offense. He runs around like a Tasmanian devil, but that can lead to some processing issues where he looks sped up. The jumper also must improve. He\u2019s a good investment, but a project.<\/p>\n
The Celtics traded out of No. 32 for No. 46, No. 57 and two future second-rounders. That gave them two bites at the apple this year, and\u00a0 10 total second-rounders in the next seven years). I would have preferred that they just stayed at No. 32 since there was a massive dropoff in this draft class around No. 40. I also had multiple first-round-level talents available at No. 32, and the Celtics have a long-term need at the center position. I would have liked to have seen them stay and select Ryan Kalkbrenner. He fits their style of play perfectly as a big with potential to step away and shoot as well as protect the rim as a drop-coverage defender. But the analytics are on the Celtics\u2019 side, as four picks long-term will likely give the team better odds at finding a second-round NBA difference-maker.<\/p>\n
I had two-way grades on both Williams and Shulga. Williams is a big-bodied, 6-foot-11 center with long arms who can pass, and Shulga is a big-time shooter who is underrated on defense after winning the Atlantic-10 Player of the Year award. I think the odds are that both will play overseas in the long run.<\/p>\n
Grade: B-<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/USATSI_25321331-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Will the Mark Williams trade work out for Phoenix? (Brian Westerholt \/ Imagn Images)Phoenix Suns<\/p>\n
\u2022 Acquired Mark Williams from Charlotte for No. 29 and a 2031 first-round pick (worst of CLE, UTA and MIN)
\u2022 Selected Khaman Maluach (No. 10)
\u2022 Acquired No. 36 for two future second-round picks
\u2022 Acquired Koby Brea (No. 41) for No. 52 and No. 59
\u2022 Acquired Rasheer Fleming (No. 31) for No. 36 and two future second-round picks
<\/strong><\/p>\nWhere to begin on the Suns? Let\u2019s start with this: I loved the Maluach pick and think he\u2019s exactly what the organization needs after battling through center struggles since moving Deandre Ayton in the Damian Lillard deal for Jusuf Nurki\u0107. I would have had him much higher than this if I were making a board specifically for the Suns. While I\u2019m not quite the believer in Maluach\u2019s upside that some seem to be, I buy into him becoming a starting-caliber center with a fairly strong degree of confidence. He\u2019s probably going to be something in between a Mitchell Robinson-style low-usage big and a Jarrett Allen-style elite rim-runner while playing nearly elite defense on the interior. I don\u2019t think he has quite the rim-running force that Allen does, but he\u2019s capable of more usage than Robinson. He\u2019ll be awesome on the offensive glass, he\u2019ll be remarkably effective with his angles in drop coverage, and he\u2019ll hopefully continue to improve his ability to handle the ball on the perimeter. He needs to improve as a rebounder, but there are tools here.<\/p>\n
The Suns also used several future second-round picks to get Fleming, a player whom many had rated more highly than I did at No. 32.\u00a0 This team desperately needed size and athleticism at the four, and Fleming could bring that. I see him as a more athletic version of Bobby Portis, a play-finisher on the interior who can step away and shoot, but a questionable defensive player with his rotations and help responsibilities. That player can be valuable in the NBA even with those questions, although you have to buy into Fleming\u2019s jumper translating fully. Mechanically, it\u2019s a bit funky. The team also drafted Brea in the second round, chipping up its No. 52 and 59 picks into No. 41. He\u2019s probably the last thing that the Suns needed \u2014 another shooting guard \u2014 but Brea is a historically relevant shooter at volume. I don\u2019t mind the gamble at the price point.<\/p>\n
The move that I didn\u2019t love was trading for Charlotte\u2019s Williams. I wouldn\u2019t have liked this move in a vacuum had the team, say, selected Coward at No. 10. But in conjunction with the Maluach pick? It doesn\u2019t make any sense. Williams averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds this year, but those stats are often empty with him because he\u2019s not that impressive on defense. He looks like he should be a great defender with his immense length, but he doesn\u2019t move that well and tends to get lost in no-man\u2019s land in ball screens between rollers and the ballhandler. Moving to a more competent defensive scheme could help him drastically, to be fair. New Suns\u2019 coach Jordan Ott is known as a strong defensive coach. Having more diligent players fighting around screens as guards could make Williams\u2019 life easier than it was in Charlotte and unlock some defensive improvement. But he will need to stay on the court more consistently to get those reps, as he\u2019s only played 106 out of a possible 246 games so far in his career. He also failed a physical in an attempted deal with the Lakers in February.<\/p>\n
The biggest issue for me is that the Suns can\u2019t wait to find out if there\u2019s potential for defensive improvement before paying him. Williams is entering the fourth year of his rookie deal, making him extension-eligible. Phoenix just paid a large price in terms of flexibility to acquire him, which reduces its leverage. The No. 29 pick and the 2031 first-rounder they sent out aren\u2019t massive price tags by themselves, but they were the last firsts the Suns can send out in a trade because of the Stepien Rule.<\/p>\n
You can make the case that the Suns can wait until next summer when Williams hits restricted free agency to pay him. But I don\u2019t love that strategy, either. If you wait and he gets hurt again or struggles on defense, you might have all of the information you need about whether he\u2019s a keeper. But if he does stay healthy in a contract year and improves on defense, you likely will pay full market price for a player with an injury history. If you extend him now, you at least have a chance to get contract value. But if you extend him now and he gets hurt again or doesn\u2019t make the strides you hope for, you\u2019re probably not happy with the contract then, either.<\/p>\n
There are an awful lot of pathways in which the Williams deal doesn\u2019t work out. And still, I\u2019d probably bite the bullet and pay him at this point. By making the trade, I would hope the Suns have considered all those angles.<\/p>\n
Even with more concerns about that trade, I think this draft week was more positive than negative for Phoenix.<\/p>\n
Grade: B-<\/strong><\/p>\nChicago Bulls<\/p>\n
\u2022 Selected Noa Essengue (No. 12)
\u2022 Traded No. 45 to Los Angeles Lakers for No. 55 and cash
\u2022 Selected Lachlan Olbrich (No. 55)
<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Bulls had a simple draft. They selected Essengue, a player who has some upside but whom I am a bit lower on. He\u2019s productive in a professional league overseas and has athletic traits that make him potentially valuable. He is athletically coordinated and draws a ton of fouls while rebounding at a high level. But he struggles to shoot the ball and hasn\u2019t shown many moments as a high-level passer this season. His ballhandling needs to tighten up. On defense, he shows impressive flashes, but the possession-by-possession consistency isn\u2019t there and he often gets beaten both on and off the ball. Essengue is a project, and the Bulls will need to be patient with him as he works through some struggles. He was pretty polarizing leaguewide, but the fans of his are very high on him. I had ranked at No. 16, so it was a slight reach for me, but not enough of one for me to be overly negative about it.<\/p>\n
The Bulls also traded down from No. 45 to No. 55 for cash. I\u2019m never really in favor of deals like that. They took a player who I think is pretty fun in Olbrich, but who I think is destined more to be among the best players in the Australian NBL for the next decade because of his lack of size for the center position.<\/p>\n
Grade: B-<\/strong><\/p>\nCleveland Cavaliers<\/p>\n
\u2022 Selected Tyrese Proctor (No. 49) and Saliou Niang (No. 59)<\/strong><\/p>\nGetting Proctor at No. 49 is about as well as you can hope to do. One of my final guaranteed roster spot grades available, Proctor is a terrific shooter who is at least competitive on defense and can run plays as a secondary creator on offense. He needs to fill out his slight frame to make an impact.\u00a0 Maybe he can fix that with the Cavaliers. Still, I had him at No. 36 because I appreciate his well-rounded game and see a good rotation player if he can get stronger.<\/p>\n
Niang is a draft-and-stash player. He\u2019s an active off-ball cutter and tries to get his nose in there on the offensive glass. Offensively, it\u2019s going to take time. He\u2019s essentially a non-shooter, and I don\u2019t feel great when he puts the ball on the floor. He\u2019s a reasonable stash, though, because of his athleticism and defensive potential.<\/p>\n
Grade: B-<\/strong><\/p>\nGolden State Warriors<\/p>\n
\u2022 Traded No. 41 to Phoenix for No. 52 and No. 59
\u2022 Selected Alex Toohey (No. 52)
\u2022 Acquired Will Richard (No. 56) from Golden State for No. 59, a top-50 protected 2032 second-round pick, and the draft rights to Justinian Jessup
<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Warriors moved their first-rounder to Miami in the Jimmy Butler deal at the deadline, so they only came into the night with one pick. They parlayed it into two by moving it to Phoenix for No. 52 and No. 59 (which they eventually moved to get up to No. 56). I saw a big difference in value between No. 41 and No. 52, but Golden State got the guy I thought they should have taken at No. 41 anyway in Toohey. He fits a lot of what the Warriors look for as a smart, versatile player who can defend multiple positions, move without the ball, and shoot it.<\/p>\n
Richard was a solid 3-and-D player on Florida\u2019s title team. He\u2019s a reasonable two-way bet with his toughness and shooting, although he\u2019s small and not overly athletic.<\/p>\n
Grade: B-<\/strong><\/p>\nDetroit Pistons<\/p>\n
\u2022 Selected Chaz Lanier (No. 37)
<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Pistons got some insurance in case Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. depart in free agency. Lanier is a tremendous shooter and for that reason alone, he\u2019s worth a look given how important that skill set will be next to Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson. Moreover, Lanier has shown he can make shots off movement, which is a huge part of how the Pistons generated offense last year with Beasley. Lanier is going to have to make it as a shooting specialist because the rest of his game isn\u2019t at the NBA level.<\/p>\n
Grade: B-<\/strong><\/p>\nMilwaukee Bucks<\/p>\n
\u2022 Selected Bogoljub Markovi\u0107 (No. 47)<\/strong><\/p>\nFolks, you are not going to believe this: the Bucks drafted another teenager. Under Jon Horst over the last few years, the Bucks have generally drafted extremely young, from Chris Livingston to Tyler Smith to A.J. Johnson last year. The good news is that Markovi\u0107 is at least productive. He averaged 14 points and seven rebounds in the Adriatic League this year for Mega and is very skilled. He can dribble, pass and shoot as a big man, including running the break off rebounds. And yet, he feels too in-between positions right now. He\u2019s not big enough to be a true center because he\u2019s not that long and not physical. Even players at the Nike Hoop Summit had few issues finishing over the top of him. He doesn\u2019t have enough core strength and will be unlikely to stop drives from bigs. He\u2019s a project, but he was my top stash prospect this year. I like the pick.<\/p>\n
Grade: B-<\/strong><\/p>\nC Grades: Value-based or team-building-based questionsPortland Trail Blazers<\/p>\n
\u2022 Selected Yang Hansen (No. 16), a 2028 unprotected first-round pick and two future second-round picks from the Memphis Grizzlies for No. 11
<\/strong><\/p>\nTypically, when a team goes as far off my board as the Blazers did to select Yang, I\u2019m obliged to give them an exceptionally poor grade. But in this case, the Blazers aren\u2019t deserving of that. I appreciated that the team turned the No. 11 pick into a massive amount of draft capital, getting No. 16 from Memphis in addition to a 2028 unprotected Magic first-rounder. I don\u2019t think that Orlando pick is likely to be within the top 20, as Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane and Jalen Suggs are locked on the Magic roster until then. But you never know what will happen in three years. And Portland also got two future seconds.<\/p>\n
But I am not the believer in Yang like some are. I get what people see in him as a legitimate 7-footer with skill, and I can see a world in which it works out. He can really pass and has good touch around the interior. However, I gave him a clear stash\/two-way grade. Players who tend to make in this archetype are physical and play with force. They tend to be the biggest bullies on the court, like Nikola Joki\u0107, Domantas Sabonis, Nikola Vucevic and even Karl-Anthony Towns to some extent. Yang could struggle to establish position in the NBA because of his high center of gravity and finesse-driven game. He also hasn\u2019t proven that he will defend. I\u2019ll be happy for the front office in Portland if this works out, because I love it when teams go against consensus and nail it. I also don\u2019t love the decision to draft position-locked centers in back-to-back drafts, after having hit at No. 7 last year with Donovan Clingan, a player I would have voted as a First Team All-Rookie selection this past season.<\/p>\n
Grade: C+<\/strong><\/p>\nNew York Knicks<\/p>\n
\u2022 Traded No. 50 to LA Clippers for No. 51 and draft rights to Luka Mitrovic
\u2022 Selected Mohamed Diawara (No. 51)
<\/strong><\/p>\nDiawara is a stash prospect whom I had rated at No. 79 on my board. The Knicks have three wing players on two-ways who might be worth bringing back in Kevin McCullar Jr., Anton Watson and MarJon Beachamp, so if they didn\u2019t want to lock in a two-way player by selecting them in the draft, I understand the stashing. I would rather have John Tonje than those three players, but the difference is not that large. Diawara is massive for a defensively inclined wing\/forward at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-4 wingspan and a 9-foot-2 standing reach.\u00a0 I\u2019d bet that he doesn\u2019t make it over, but I understand the gamble on these tools.<\/p>\n
Grade: C<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ynk-scaled.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Yanic Konan Niederhauser was a big riser in the draft process and was the final pick of the first round. (Brad Penner \/ Imagn Images)LA Clippers<\/p>\n
\u2022 Selected Yanic Konan Niederhauser (No. 30)
\u2022 Acquired No. 50 from New York for No. 51 and draft rights to Luka Mitrovi\u0107
\u2022 Selected Kobe Sanders (No. 50)
<\/strong><\/p>\nI\u2019m not a big fan of Niederhauser, but I at least understand why they took him over some of the other, better center options on the board. Clippers coach Tyronn Lue tends to prefer bigs who play more directly toward the basket as rim-runners or finishers. He\u2019s not as high on perimeter bigs on offense. I still can\u2019t see a case for Niederhauser over someone like Ryan Kalkbrenner, and I had a two-tier grade difference between those two players. Niederhauser was one of the biggest risers of the cycle through the draft process, showcasing impressive athleticism. However, I didn\u2019t think that athleticism played up enough in games. He\u2019s a bit heavy-footed. And defensively, he has a ways to go despite being 22 years old. He needs to do a drastically better job using his hands and cutting off angles. He also needs to improve his lines and angles in ball-screen coverage.<\/p>\n
I did like the team\u2019s selection of Sanders. I\u2019m a huge fan of big wings who can dribble, pass, shoot and defend, and Sanders checks a lot of those boxes. He has shooting potential and is comfortable with the ball. He\u2019s also a sharp passer for his size at 6-foot-8. I just didn\u2019t see much that made me think he has a chance athletically on defense.<\/p>\n
Grade: C<\/strong><\/p>\nBrooklyn Nets<\/p>\n
\u2022 Selected Egor Demin (No. 8), Nolan Traor\u00e9 (No. 19), Ben Saraf (No. 26), and Danny Wolf (No. 27)
\u2022 Acquired Drake Powell (No. 22) and Terance Mann into cap space<\/strong><\/p>\nSources across the NBA are stunned that the team made all five of its first-round selections. It\u2019s hard to carry five rookies into a season. It\u2019ll be interesting to see if they choose to stash Saraf, given that he\u2019s overseas in a positive situation and given that the team has this many other players to develop.<\/p>\n
With their first three picks, the Nets took players I had ranked No. 26, No. 22 and No. 34. So, obviously, I\u2019m not a massive fan of their choices. The bigger issue is that Brooklyn also took three point guards with its five picks in Demin, Traor\u00e9 and Saraf. I\u2019d also argue that Demin, Traor\u00e9, Saraf and Powell have serious questions about how they put the ball in the basket effectively in the NBA. Demin isn\u2019t a great shooter yet and doesn\u2019t get many paint touches around the rim. Traor\u00e9 is neither a great shooter nor a great finisher. Saraf struggles to shoot it from distance and doesn\u2019t have much of a right hand to use to counter defenders. And then Powell posted the lowest usage rate of any college basketball player to be drafted since at least 2008.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s just a very strange blend of players if you\u2019re going to use all five picks. It\u2019s hard to kill the Nets for not moving a couple of their picks without knowing the offers on the board, but it\u2019s tough to give them a positive grade because I don\u2019t love the players and I also don\u2019t love the fit of the players together.<\/p>\n
One positive to finish on: I am a fan of Wolf. He\u2019s one of the most interesting prospects in the class, a 6-foot-11 big man who can dribble, pass and shoot it with serious creativity. He throws some of the most creative, audacious passes of any draftee. He\u2019s turnover-prone, the jumper needs some work and he\u2019s a bit in-between the four and the five on defense. He\u2019s unsurprisingly polarizing given that profile and is a serious gamble. But it\u2019s a gamble that I think was a good one. Every NBA team needs a five-out look. The upside of Wolf is more intriguing than that of Yang Hansen, who went 11 picks higher to Portland, because of his lower center of gravity and creativity off the bounce and stronger physical frame.\u00a0 Wolf saves this from being a failing grade, but I wouldn\u2019t be wildly enthused if I were a Nets fan.<\/p>\n
Grade: C-<\/strong><\/p>\nNew Orleans Pelicans<\/p>\n
\u2022 Selected Jeremiah Fears (No. 7)
\u2022 Traded Indiana\u2019s 2026 first-round pick back to Indiana for No. 23
\u2022 Traded CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk, and a future second for Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and No. 40
\u2022 Traded No. 23 and an unprotected 2026 first-round pick (best of MIL or NOP) for Derik Queen (No. 13)
\u2022 Selected Micah Peavy (No. 40)
<\/strong><\/p>\nThis was among my least favorite drafts since I\u2019ve been doing this.<\/p>\n
I had Fears rated at No. 18, though I see the case for taking him seventh. He\u2019s a legitimate upside swing with how special his handle is. He\u2019s shifty and lightning quick. He\u2019s tough and is a walking paint touch. But he was a poor finisher and shooter this season, turned the ball over too much and was the worst defensive player selected in the first round. While I understand the talent, the pathway toward him succeeding at the highest levels of the NBA is more narrow than I would like from a top-10 selection. It\u2019s incredibly hard to be slight and a bad defender and be useful in the NBA playoffs.<\/p>\n
Then came the calamity at No. 13. First, we have to go back to the weekend, when the team acquired the No. 23 pick from the Pacers by sending Indiana its own 2026 first-round pick back before Game 7. Why in the world this trade couldn\u2019t have waited until the Pacers were done playing, I do not know. But this deal \u2014 which by itself was a bad decision not just in hindsight given Haliburton\u2019s injury, but in real time \u2014 set the table for the bigger disaster on draft night.<\/p>\n
It was known before the draft that the Pelicans wanted Queen. The Pelicans furiously began calling teams to trade up and acquire a second lottery pick. They found a taker in the Hawks, and it cost them a king\u2019s ransom. To move up just 10 spots, the team traded away the best of its own or Milwaukee\u2019s 2026 first-rounder. It was an utterly baffling decision.<\/p>\n
Two teams noted to me that their analytic models project the Pelicans as a bottom-five team in the NBA next season. They\u2019re in a loaded Western Conference, and they have almost zero defensive infrastructure, an injury-prone star in Zion Williamson and another burgeoning star in Trey Murphy III who has missed at least 20 games in three of his four NBA seasons.\u00a0 So essentially, the Pelicans just traded a good shot at a top-five pick in what is considered to be a loaded draft led by Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cam Boozer to move up 10 slots this year. It\u2019s a mismanagement of assets unlike anything we\u2019ve seen in a long time in the NBA. Even if the Pelicans outperform expectations, but Giannis Antetokounmpo misses 35 games next season, it could end up as a top-five pick anyway.<\/p>\n
This was especially a bummer because I like Queen. He has been wildly productive at every stage of his career. He has an innate feel for the game and a tremendous skill set on offense that should translate thanks to his balance and perimeter talent. However, this might be the worst possible fit for Queen. He and Williamson operate in the same areas of the court. Neither can shoot. Even though the Pelicans acquired Jordan Poole and still have Murphy, teams can load up against that duo on the interior. And neither Williamson nor Queen projects to help insulate the other one on defense.<\/p>\n
This roster build doesn\u2019t work in any way. The asset management doesn\u2019t work in any way. I feel bad for the three players involved here including Peavy, who has a chance to stick. But when multiple NBA executives before the draft tell me they hope they\u2019re the ones who can take advantage of the stupid trade the Pelicans will make under Joe Dumars and Weaver, and then a stupid trade happens, it\u2019s hard to have much hope. There\u2019s a saying in poker that when you can\u2019t spot the sucker at the table, that means the sucker is you. Unfortunately, I don\u2019t think the Pelicans have figured out that they\u2019re the sucker<\/p>\n
Grade: F<\/strong><\/p>\nDid not participateHouston Rockets<\/p>\n
\u2022 Did not participate
<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Rockets exited the draft to acquire Kevin Durant. That trade was a home run, as it got them off of Jalen Green\u2019s contract and only cost Dillon Brooks and second-round picks. Given that their issue last year was shot creation and half-court offense, getting one of the best scorers of all time is a massive win, especially when they did not have to give up any future first-round picks.<\/p>\n
Grade: N\/A<\/strong><\/p>\nDenver Nuggets<\/p>\n
\u2022 Did not participate<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Nuggets traded their 2025 first-round pick to Orlando as part of the Aaron Gordon trade in 2021. That deal helped them win a title and is one that the team would do 100 times again out of 100 opportunities.<\/p>\n
Grade: N\/A<\/strong><\/p>\n(Illustration: Kelsea Petersen \/ The Athletic; Photos of Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper: Patrick Smith and Candice Ward \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Draft grades are undeniably a great way to make a writer look silly. But you know what? Everyone…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":21848,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[3119,3125,3124,3118,3127,3128,3139,3134,3129,3140,3136,1267,3142,3141,3135,3120,3130,3131,1260,3137,3122,1268,3121,3123,1721,3133,3143,3138,62,3126,67,132,68,3132,3117],"class_list":{"0":"post-21847","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-atlanta-hawks","9":"tag-boston-celtics","10":"tag-brooklyn-nets","11":"tag-charlotte-hornets","12":"tag-chicago-bulls","13":"tag-cleveland-cavaliers","14":"tag-dallas-mavericks","15":"tag-denver-nuggets","16":"tag-detroit-pistons","17":"tag-golden-state-warriors","18":"tag-houston-rockets","19":"tag-indiana-pacers","20":"tag-los-angeles-clippers","21":"tag-los-angeles-lakers","22":"tag-memphis-grizzlies","23":"tag-miami-heat","24":"tag-milwaukee-bucks","25":"tag-minnesota-timberwolves","26":"tag-nba","27":"tag-new-orleans-pelicans","28":"tag-new-york-knicks","29":"tag-oklahoma-city-thunder","30":"tag-orlando-magic","31":"tag-philadelphia-76ers","32":"tag-phoenix-suns","33":"tag-portland-trail-blazers","34":"tag-sacramento-kings","35":"tag-san-antonio-spurs","36":"tag-sports","37":"tag-toronto-raptors","38":"tag-united-states","39":"tag-unitedstates","40":"tag-us","41":"tag-utah-jazz","42":"tag-washington-wizards"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21847"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21847\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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