NBA Draft grades for every team: Spurs, Hornets get A's while Pelicans flunk

New York Times

8 hours ago

Draft grades are undeniably a great way to make a writer look silly. But you know what? Everyone gets stuff wrong when evaluating players. Even the best evaluators working within the NBA get things wrong regularly. And ultimately, grades are a great way to reflect on how each team handled the NBA Draft and take a bigger-picture look at its roster-building goals and the overall process.
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I broke down all 30 teams that did or did not make picks in the NBA Draft over the last two days, explaining what I liked, didn't like and what was interesting about their draft processes.
Teams are in letter-grade order, and I tiered them how I'd evaluate them. I didn't spend a ton of time parsing how to order each team within the same grade, so I wouldn't say I 'ranked' them. But I did dive deep into my thought process on the draft and the week leading up to it with any deal that involved picks.
Here are my 2025 NBA Draft grades. And for a deeper look at this year's group of prospects and how I had them ranked, check out our NBA Draft Guide.
• Selected Cooper Flagg (No. 1)
The Mavericks are the big winners of this draft by getting Flagg, the player I rank as my second-favorite prospect of the last decade behind only Victor Wembanyama.
Beyond that, I love the fit of Flagg in Dallas. Flagg is a highly competitive individual. He wants to win. He's wired that way, and he's ready to help a team win from Day 1. I greatly preferred him going to a situation that would allow him to compete quickly as opposed to a longer-term rebuilding approach. He gets that with the Mavericks, who already have Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington, Klay Thompson and the injured Kyrie Irving locked under contract. Even without Irving next year, if Dallas can sign a good guard, I think it can make the playoffs next season and go well beyond that in 2027 if Flagg ascends to All-Star status earlier than expected.
Obviously, it's easy when you have the No. 1 pick, but the Mavericks get the A+ here because Flagg is special.
Grade: A+
• Selected Dylan Harper (No. 2), Carter Bryant (No. 14)
• Traded No. 38 to Indiana for a future second-round pick and cash
The Spurs did what they were supposed to do this week. They added an elite player with genuine All-Star upside in Harper, and then they grabbed a terrific potential 3-and-D wing in Bryant to fill a roster hole.
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What Harper becomes will ultimately tell the tale of whether this draft was a success. I'm a believer in his game. He ticks nearly every box. He created rim pressure at an elite level this year at Rutgers, despite playing in an archaic offense that lacked spacing. He drew fouls regularly and showcased enough vision as a passer that you can buy into him as a primary playmaker. Defensively, he's willing and competitive. He needs to improve as a pull-up shooter, but the Spurs should be able to bring him along slowly while he plays next to De'Aaron Fox or even comes off the bench early behind Fox and Stephon Castle. There will be some growing pains as the team figures out its spacing and on-ball responsibilities with this trio, but there are plenty of minutes to go around.
Bryant has great positional size for a wing and defensive chops. He's aggressive and a high-level competitor who turns up the pressure on that end of the court. He has terrific playmaking instincts to get into passing lanes and provide help in rim rotations. He profiles as switchable on defense and should manage perimeter players as well as fours. The key is finding a role on offense. I'm skeptical of his overall game on that end, but he is extremely likely to be a shooter, which makes it easier. The Spurs already have several on-ball players in Fox, Harper, Castle and Victor Wembanyama. They can afford to have a more limited player out there if he can shoot and is dynamic on defense.
All in all, they did about as well as you can do.
Grade: A+
• Selected Kon Knueppel (No. 4)
• Traded Mark Williams to Charlotte for No. 29 and a 2031 first-round pick (worst of CLE, UTA and MIN)
• Selected Liam McNeeley (No. 29)
• Selected Sion James (No. 33) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (No. 34)
This is one of my favorite classes of the cycle. The team is clearly trying to move into a new era under new ownership, a relatively new general manager in Jeff Peterson and a second-year coach in Charles Lee. The team hasn't always played the most competitive basketball. Its defensive engagement has generally been lacking in the LaMelo Ball era. But in Knueppel, McNeeley and James, Charlotte took three players who will compete, fight and work as hard as possible to reach their ceilings. Then, in No. 34 with Kalkbrenner, they took a player who is a tremendous drop-coverage defender, is elite with his angles and was a four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year. He also has potential to shoot it, as he made 35 percent of his 61 3s this year.
Knueppel is the big pick here, though. He was my No. 4 player in this class largely because he doesn't have any holes. He's an elite shooter, a teenager who drilled 41 percent from 3 and 91 percent from the line as a freshman. He has far more game on the ball than people think, as he's an excellent pick-and-roll player, a tough driver who finishes well off two feet, and a sharp passer who throws lobs at a high level. He's an underrated defender because of his strength and his engagement on that end. He is excellent at feeding his man into where he knows the help is from his teammates. Knueppel isn't necessarily going to be a hugely positive NBA defender, but I think he'll be a neutral one. The upside here is similar to what Desmond Bane has been for the Memphis Grizzlies, and he got dealt to Orlando for four first-round picks.
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McNeeley had a tough year at Connecticut, as he had to play more on the ball than he should have, and he also injured his ankle midseason. He's a real shooter despite his 31.7 percent mark from 3, as many of those shots were contested and occurred after his ankle injury. He's also remarkably competitive. McNeeley has a shot at being a rotation player, and the same goes for James. Defensively, there are few better guards in the class, and I really like James as a potential matchup player against some of the stronger, more physical guards in the NBA. Ultimately, though, he might not have enough offensive skill to stick. James will have to hit shots at a reasonable volume and become not just a positive processor of the game, but an elite one.
The Hornets also finally executed a Mark Williams trade. More on him in the Suns' section, but I am not as big a fan of his as many seem to be. Williams has an injury history and is extension-eligible this year. Better to move Williams elsewhere rather than decide on him yourself, especially when you have value on the table.
Essentially, the Hornets added my No. 4, No. 20, No. 27 and No. 31 players plus a future first-round pick for Williams. This is terrific business. Genuinely, I think the Hornets' front office has done an awesome job positioning itself over the last two years by accumulating assets and having a strong sense of timing on when to cash in on a player. They're gonna need to hit on some players at some point, but the moves on the margins have all been strong.
Grade: A
• Selected Tre Johnson (No. 6)
• Acquired Will Riley (No. 21), No. 43, and two future second-round picks for No. 18
• Traded Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and No. 40 to New Orleans for CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk, and a future second
The Wizards had one of my favorite drafts. Michael Winger and Will Dawkins, the lead voices in the team's front office decision-making, continue to prove that they're extremely sharp and have the Wizards on the right track. The biggest decision here was selecting Johnson at No. 6. I had Johnson as my No. 3 player in the class. I believe in him as a worker and someone who is singularly driven toward being the absolute best player he can be. Whatever his ceiling is, I feel confident he's going to reach it. His skill set is also exactly what this Wizards roster needs on the wing: a player who can be a primary scoring option next to dynamic defender Bilal Coulibaly. The fit is perfect, even if Johnson still has to continue filling out his frame and work on his defense.
It's also worth shouting out what the Wizards did earlier in the week. They got off the Poole contract, a deal that is viewed leaguewide as being at least $20 million underwater over the next two years, and they received positive value. McCollum is a good, veteran replacement for Poole who will have trade value this winter as an expiring contract. Olynyk is a terrific big who'll help some of their young players develop. He will also have trade value. And even if they don't move McCollum, the team now profiles to have an immense amount of cap space and flexibility in the summer of 2026.
Then, to finish out draft night, the Wizards traded the 18th pick for the 21st pick while picking up two future second-rounders. They selected another skinny playmaker in Riley. He's a project, but one worth investing in. I worry he might end up being better for his second team than his first, but he can play both with or without the ball and is a sharp slasher. I had him ranked at No. 23 on my board, so the value here is right.
All told, the Wizards accomplished both talent-acquisition and long-term strategic goals. This is as good a week as Wizards fans could have asked for.
Grade: A
• Acquired Kristaps Porziņģis and a second-round pick from the Celtics in a three-team trade for Georges Niang, Terance Mann and No. 22
• Traded No. 13 to New Orleans for an unprotected 2026 first-round pick (best of MIL or NOP) and No. 23
• Selected Asa Newell (No. 23)
The Hawks' week started by getting Porziņģis, a useful player who will help them next year for as long as he's healthy. He could be a perfect frontcourt complement to Jalen Johnson and Zaccharie Risacher. This deal made a ton of sense just to get off of the Mann money, as he was owed $46 million over the next three seasons. It was worth moving off the No. 22 pick to get rid of that long-term money and add Porziņģis' expiring salary.
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Though they entered draft night with only the No. 13 pick, they left as one of the biggest winners following a calamitous decision by the Pelicans. The Hawks traded down just 10 slots from No. 13 to No. 23 and received a 2026 first-round pick that is the best of either Milwaukee's or New Orleans' own pick. This could be a top-five or top-10 pick in 2026, for a class that is thought to be quite strong by evaluators. The Pelicans look like they're going to struggle next season, and the Bucks have some major variance next season. That pick has tremendous upside, and it's a huge asset for the Hawks. Kudos to new general manager Onsi Saleh for asking for and receiving it.
At No. 23, the Hawks took a player they were considering at 13 anyway in Newell. His role is a question mark to me, but I buy him as a useful rotational player on defense who will cover ground and occasionally make plays both on the interior and perimeter. He needs to find an offensive role, though. If Newell turns into a shooter or can become a solid short-roll passer on top of being a good finisher, he probably sticks in the NBA. If he doesn't, there are concerns. I had him lower than consensus, ranking him at No. 29. But at No. 23, he's a reasonable pick.
Grade: A
• Selected Thomas Sorber (No. 15)
• Traded No. 24 to Sacramento for a 2027 San Antonio first-round pick (protected 1-16, otherwise becomes two seconds)
• Selected Brooks Barnhizer (No. 44)
The reigning champions did very Thunder-y things the last two days. After being rumored to have interest in moving up on draft night while consolidating their picks, the team stayed put at No. 15 and took a player who ticks every box they tend to look for in Sorber. He has a remarkably productive game that is very modern in its construction. He has a great natural feel and excels at keeping advantages that guards create for him because of his passing on the move. His natural reactivity is also enticing, and while he stands 6-foot-9, he has a massive 7-foot-6 wingspan that accentuates the Thunder's recent strategy of length over height.
This draft was all about planning for the future financial problems the Thunder could face. Isaiah Hartenstein has one year left on his deal before a team option in 2026-27. The 2026-27 season is also when Jalen Williams' and Chet Holmgren's impending max-contract extensions kick in to pair with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's supermax in 2027-28. It's unlikely the team can roster Hartenstein at $28.5 million in 2026-27. Drafting Sorber gives them a player who could theoretically play with Holmgren or as a lone big man who can run dribble-handoff actions and on the perimeter. He's coming off a foot injury, and OKC will need to get him back into shape, but it has a full year to do so. He might be able to take a redshirt year while Hartenstein is there, then step into a backup role in 2026. The Thunder are constantly planning and replenishing their cupboard.
The team also traded out of No. 24 and got a first-round pick that is likely to transfer in the No. 17 to 25 range in 2027, when San Antonio is good. This was a fair deal for both the Sacramento Kings and the Thunder given the needs of both teams. I liked that the Thunder didn't need anyone here and just rolled over the pick as opposed to taking a player and starting his clock.
The team also went length over in height in the second round with Barnhizer, who is 6-foot-5 with a 6-11 wingspan and a monster defensive game. He's built like a tank at 227 pounds. He makes quick decisions on the court and passes at a very high level. He'll likely be on a two-way contract, and he'll have to drastically improve his jumper to stick in the NBA, but this bet is a perfect pairing of organization and player.
Grade: B+
• Acquired Cedric Coward (No. 11) from Portland for No. 16, an unprotected 2028 first-round pick from Orlando, and two future second-round picks
• Selected Javon Small (No. 48)
• Traded No. 56 to Golden State for No. 59, a top-50 protected 2032 second-round pick, and the draft rights to Justinian Jessup
• Selected Jahmai Mashack (No. 59)
The Grizzlies tend to draft my favorite players every year, and this season was no different. Coward has been my guy all season. I had a top-25 grade on him on my December big board before he got hurt. I removed him after that point, thinking he would go back to school. But he healed enough to go through the pre-draft process, and I've been preaching that Coward is a serious upside swing since early April. He has everything it takes to turn into a useful, starting-quality NBA player. He's extremely long and has a beautiful 3-point shot. He has defensive bona fides and shows a desire to be impactful on that end. He makes good decisions and moves at a high level without the basketball. And he has an elite frame that he continues to grow into. I ended up with a top-10 grade on him. While the price was steep to move up for him — half of the value Memphis acquired in the Desmond Bane deal is now tied to Coward — I understood the Grizzlies doing it because I feel similarly about the player as they do. I think he'll turn into a cost-controlled starter, and will do so relatively quickly on his rookie-scale deal.
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I'm not the biggest fan of Small, as I think he's undersized and isn't explosive getting away from his man going toward the rim. However, I loved the last pick of the draft in Mashack. This was another player I was the highest on compared to consensus. If Mashack can't develop a reasonable jumper, he's going to end up in Europe. But if he develops a 3-point shot, he's almost certainly an NBA rotation player who is useful because of how absurdly good he is on defense. He was the best defender in college hoops this past season and is an absolute monster at the point of attack with serious switchability. The odds are against it, but he's a good flier in the 50s.
Grade: B+
• Selected Ace Bailey (No. 5), John Tonje (No. 53)
• Acquired Walter Clayton Jr. (No. 18) from Wizards for No. 21, No. 43, two future second-round picks
The Jazz simply need to try to accumulate more high-upside swings. They have some interesting prospects who profile as role players, like Kyle Filipowski, Isaiah Collier and Taylor Hendricks. Walker Kessler exceeds that level, but he's a low-usage, elite-defense big man. What they lack is a potential star in this age bracket beyond Lauri Markkanen. In Bailey, the team took a massive flier on upside. I would have taken Tre Johnson at No. 5. But the swing here makes sense and I don't think there is a better location for Bailey than in Utah.
Bailey is a project, one with immense tools and gifts who could turn into an All-Star at some point. But he's not ready to be an impact player as a winner from Day One. He needs time to settle in and a coach who can draw him easier looks than the ones he got in college, where he tried to self-create everything. Will Hardy can do that. He's an excellent offensive mind who runs sharp action. Hopefully, Bailey and his representation recognize this after a woefully misguided pre-draft process that resulted in Bailey's name getting dragged through the mud — even by the governor of Pennsylvania. Every league source told me Bailey is a good but young, unfocused prospect whose teammates genuinely like him. Landing in Utah will give him time out of the spotlight while the Jazz continue to rebuild.
Utah likely felt like it had to jump the Heat at No. 20 for Clayton after rumors swirled that Miami was interested in him. Clayton was lethal at Florida as the Gators won the 2025 national title. He's an underrated athlete in terms of explosiveness and balance. He competes on defense and is strong, even if his size will create limitations. It's easy to see Clayton developing into a high-end scorer off the bench, and there is upside beyond that if he proves capable of improving his ball-screen reads and becomes an even better passer. Three second-rounders are a lot to give up, but I'm OK with the choice. Tonje was a good flier in the 50s. He's tough and physical and can really shoot the ball.
Overall, I like the talent influx here from the Jazz and like the gamble on Bailey by new president of basketball operations Austin Ainge.
Grade: B+
• Selected Jase Richardson (No. 25)
• Acquired Noah Penda (No. 32) from Boston for No. 46, No. 57, and two future second-rounders
I loved the Magic's draft. I had Richardson ranked No. 17. He fell a bit because of his height and some concerns from NBA teams long-term about a right knee injury he had fixed in high school, when he had a hole in his femur near the weight-bearing part of the bone and needed to get it filled with a bone graft. No teams I talked to red-flagged him for that, but a few teams had enough concerns to bump him down their board. He's very left-hand dominant and isn't an overly explosive athlete, but he has genuinely terrific touch and amazing contact balance through bumps. He's an elite shooter for his size and also a tremendous decision-maker who seems to find paint touches through little creases and cracks that other players can't find. He's a great fit with what the Magic have assembled in the backcourt, and I wonder if he has some room to play this year as he would be a strong complement to most of the Magic's guards.
The Magic also moved up to take my No. 21st-ranked player at No. 32 in Penda, dealing Nos. 46, No. 57, and two future second-rounders to do so. I thought this price point was completely reasonable. Penda has enormous positional size at 6-foot-7 1/2 with a 7-foot wingspan and a massive 242-pound frame. He's also a tough defender, processes the game well and has potential to be a wing who can dribble, pass and shoot. I love his game in transition, and he's a sharp passer.
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Essentially, the Magic got my 17th- and 21st-ranked players at No. 25 and for four second-rounders. That's a value-based win to me, even if I typically don't love moving up in the draft.
Grade: B+
• Selected Collin Murray-Boyles (No. 9) and Alijah Martin (No. 39)
Until 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's All-Star break. However, after the break, they were second in the NBA over those final 27 games. But the team's final 20 games included 11 against the Wizards, Brooklyn Nets, Jazz, Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers. So it's fair to say that there were some sustainability questions about their late-season defensive performance.
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't a guard. He is a dynamic, multi-positional defender who has exceptional basketball IQ and hand-eye coordination. He's a playmaker who averaged 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game, and he's 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's going to be a serious impact player.
The Raptors also took one of my favorite second-round prospects in Martin. He's small, but he's a tank at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, and he's the epitome of a winner. He asserts his athleticism on the game and on his opponents with his explosiveness and his motor. Defensively, he's 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's not elite as a shooter, he has at least proven that he's 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.
I love drafts where teams identify needs and take valuable players to fill them. This is a perfect example.
Grade: B+
• Selected Kasparas Jakučionis (No. 20)
Jakučionis was one of my favorite picks of the draft. He slipped down to No. 20, but I'm still a believer. I'm 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 Jakučionis ends up not separating enough on the ball — a genuine question because he's not a great athlete — I still feel confident he can play off the ball and hammer advantages that are created for him by high-level creative guards.
Jakučionis 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'd 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 Jakučionis must take a leap on defense.
Grade: B+
• Selected VJ Edgecombe (No. 3) and Johni Broome (No. 35)
The 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' 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've seen in a variety of situations. He's 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.
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I still would have traded down if I were the 76ers. I don't 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.
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't look like a primary backup center last season. Broome was the runner-up for college basketball's national player of the year and has been immensely productive at every stage of his career. He's strong and multi-skilled and was a versatile defender before ankle injuries sapped some of his lateral ability this year. He's a solid value who potentially fills a hole for Philly.
Grade: B
• Acquired Nique Clifford (No. 24) from Oklahoma City for a 2027 San Antonio first-round pick (protected 1-16, otherwise becomes two seconds)
• Selected Maxime Raynaud (No. 42)
This was a solid draft for the Kings. Trading into the first round wasn't 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's 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.
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's 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's 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.
Grade: B
• Traded No. 23 to New Orleans for their own 2026 first-round pick
• Acquired Kameron Jones (No. 38) from San Antonio for a future second-round pick and cash
• Selected Taelon Peter (No. 54)
The Pacers' 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' tendon in Game 7.
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's 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.
Finally, the team took the biggest sleeper of the draft at No. 54 in Peter, who made third-team All-Conference USA and didn't even start for Liberty this year. However, he's a lethal high-volume shooter. I don't 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'll likely be on a two-way.
Grade: B
• Acquired No. 45 from Chicago for No. 55 and cash
• Acquired Adou Thiero (No. 36) from Timberwolves for No. 45 and cash
The Lakers started draft week with a paper clip and ended up trading it up for … 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's shrewd work by the Lakers' front office, and I wonder if it's a reflection of the new Lakers' reality under its recent majority ownership change to billionaire Mark Walter.
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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's a dynamic athlete in transition, a tremendous cutter and a terrific defensive player. He will increase the Lakers' overall athleticism level, an incredibly important factor after we saw those issues laid bare in the playoffs against the Timberwolves.
This is ultimately not a serious needle-mover, but it's shrewd work on the margins from a front office that has often missed on these types of moves.
Grade: B-
• Selected Joan Beringer (No. 17)
• Traded No. 31 for No. 36 and two future second-rounders
• Traded No. 36 to Lakers for No. 45 and cash
• Selected Rocco Zikarsky (No. 45)
The 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're 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's still exceptionally raw and still learning the game. Things move fast for him right now, and his reactions can often be slow. Still, there's not a big man in this class who moves better. He's exceptionally twitchy when he's 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. Long term, he has immense defensive upside and offensive utility as a rim-runner. There's no one better for him to learn from than Rudy Gobert, even if it's just watching him from the bench for at least a year.
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't 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't feel like they could roster a second-round player, I understand.
I found it strange, though, that they doubled down on project centers with Zikarsky. He's 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'll be learning from this year. I think he's quite far away from being an NBA player, but there are undeniable tools here worth investing in.
Grade: B-
• Selected Hugo González (No. 28)
• Traded Porziņģis and a 2026 second to Atlanta for Georges Niang and a 2031 second-round rounder
• Traded No. 32 to Orlando for No. 46, No. 57, and two future second-rounders
• Selected Amari Williams (No. 46) and Max Shulga (No. 57)
The Celtics had a mixed week. The Jrue Holiday and Porziņģis trades don't 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.
In that vein, Boston needs to hit on some of these draft picks after a dry spell in recent years. I had González at No. 24 on my board. He's aggressive and tough, playing with an insatiable motor. He's 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's a real playmaker and a tough on-ball player. However, it's 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's a good investment, but a project.
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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 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' side, as four picks long-term will likely give the team better odds at finding a second-round NBA difference-maker.
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.
Grade: B-
• Acquired Mark Williams from Charlotte for No. 29 and a 2031 first-round pick (worst of CLE, UTA and MIN)
• Selected Khaman Maluach (No. 10)
• Acquired No. 36 for two future second-round picks
• Acquired Koby Brea (No. 41) for No. 52 and No. 59
• Acquired Rasheer Fleming (No. 31) for No. 36 and two future second-round picks
Where to begin on the Suns? Let's start with this: I loved the Maluach pick and think he's exactly what the organization needs after battling through center struggles since moving Deandre Ayton in the Damian Lillard deal for Jusuf Nurkić. I would have had him much higher than this if I were making a board specifically for the Suns. While I'm not quite the believer in Maluach's upside that some seem to be, I buy into him becoming a starting-caliber center with a fairly strong degree of confidence. He's 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't think he has quite the rim-running force that Allen does, but he's capable of more usage than Robinson. He'll be awesome on the offensive glass, he'll be remarkably effective with his angles in drop coverage, and he'll 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.
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. 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's jumper translating fully. Mechanically, it's a bit funky. The team also drafted Brea in the second round, chipping up its No. 52 and 59 picks into No. 41. He's probably the last thing that the Suns needed — another shooting guard — but Brea is a historically relevant shooter at volume. I don't mind the gamble at the price point.
The move that I didn't love was trading for Charlotte's Williams. I wouldn't 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't make any sense. Williams averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds this year, but those stats are often empty with him because he's not that impressive on defense. He looks like he should be a great defender with his immense length, but he doesn't move that well and tends to get lost in no-man's 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' coach Jordan Ott is known as a strong defensive coach. Having more diligent players fighting around screens as guards could make Williams' 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's 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.
The biggest issue for me is that the Suns can't wait to find out if there's 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't massive price tags by themselves, but they were the last firsts the Suns can send out in a trade because of the Stepien Rule.
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't 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's 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't make the strides you hope for, you're probably not happy with the contract then, either.
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There are an awful lot of pathways in which the Williams deal doesn't work out. And still, I'd probably bite the bullet and pay him at this point. By making the trade, I would hope the Suns have considered all those angles.
Even with more concerns about that trade, I think this draft week was more positive than negative for Phoenix.
Grade: B-
• Selected Noa Essengue (No. 12)
• Traded No. 45 to Los Angeles Lakers for No. 55 and cash
• Selected Lachlan Olbrich (No. 55)
The Bulls had a simple draft. They selected Essengue, a player who has some upside but whom I am a bit lower on. He's 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't 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't 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.
The Bulls also traded down from No. 45 to No. 55 for cash. I'm 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.
Grade: B-
• Selected Tyrese Proctor (No. 49) and Saliou Niang (No. 59)
Getting 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. 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.
Niang is a draft-and-stash player. He's an active off-ball cutter and tries to get his nose in there on the offensive glass. Offensively, it's going to take time. He's essentially a non-shooter, and I don't feel great when he puts the ball on the floor. He's a reasonable stash, though, because of his athleticism and defensive potential.
Grade: B-
• Traded No. 41 to Phoenix for No. 52 and No. 59
• Selected Alex Toohey (No. 52)
• 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
The 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.
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Richard was a solid 3-and-D player on Florida's title team. He's a reasonable two-way bet with his toughness and shooting, although he's small and not overly athletic.
Grade: B-
• Selected Chaz Lanier (No. 37)
The 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's 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't at the NBA level.
Grade: B-
• Selected Bogoljub Marković (No. 47)
Folks, 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 Marković 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's not big enough to be a true center because he's not that long and not physical. Even players at the Nike Hoop Summit had few issues finishing over the top of him. He doesn't have enough core strength and will be unlikely to stop drives from bigs. He's a project, but he was my top stash prospect this year. I like the pick.
Grade: B-
• Selected Yang Hansen (No. 16), a 2028 unprotected first-round pick and two future second-round picks from the Memphis Grizzlies for No. 11
Typically, when a team goes as far off my board as the Blazers did to select Yang, I'm obliged to give them an exceptionally poor grade. But in this case, the Blazers aren't 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't 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.
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 Jokić, 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't proven that he will defend. I'll 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't 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.
Grade: C+
• Traded No. 50 to LA Clippers for No. 51 and draft rights to Luka Mitrovic
• Selected Mohamed Diawara (No. 51)
Diawara 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't 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. I'd bet that he doesn't make it over, but I understand the gamble on these tools.
Grade: C
• Selected Yanic Konan Niederhauser (No. 30)
• Acquired No. 50 from New York for No. 51 and draft rights to Luka Mitrović
• Selected Kobe Sanders (No. 50)
I'm 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's not as high on perimeter bigs on offense. I still can't 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't think that athleticism played up enough in games. He's 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.
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I did like the team's selection of Sanders. I'm 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's also a sharp passer for his size at 6-foot-8. I just didn't see much that made me think he has a chance athletically on defense.
Grade: C
• Selected Egor Demin (No. 8), Nolan Traoré (No. 19), Ben Saraf (No. 26), and Danny Wolf (No. 27)
• Acquired Drake Powell (No. 22) and Terance Mann into cap space
Sources across the NBA are stunned that the team made all five of its first-round selections. It's hard to carry five rookies into a season. It'll be interesting to see if they choose to stash Saraf, given that he's overseas in a positive situation and given that the team has this many other players to develop.
With their first three picks, the Nets took players I had ranked No. 26, No. 22 and No. 34. So, obviously, I'm not a massive fan of their choices. The bigger issue is that Brooklyn also took three point guards with its five picks in Demin, Traoré and Saraf. I'd also argue that Demin, Traoré, Saraf and Powell have serious questions about how they put the ball in the basket effectively in the NBA. Demin isn't a great shooter yet and doesn't get many paint touches around the rim. Traoré is neither a great shooter nor a great finisher. Saraf struggles to shoot it from distance and doesn't 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.
It's just a very strange blend of players if you're going to use all five picks. It's hard to kill the Nets for not moving a couple of their picks without knowing the offers on the board, but it's tough to give them a positive grade because I don't love the players and I also don't love the fit of the players together.
One positive to finish on: I am a fan of Wolf. He's 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's turnover-prone, the jumper needs some work and he's a bit in-between the four and the five on defense. He's unsurprisingly polarizing given that profile and is a serious gamble. But it's 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. Wolf saves this from being a failing grade, but I wouldn't be wildly enthused if I were a Nets fan.
Grade: C-
• Selected Jeremiah Fears (No. 7)
• Traded Indiana's 2026 first-round pick back to Indiana for No. 23
• Traded CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk, and a future second for Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and No. 40
• Traded No. 23 and an unprotected 2026 first-round pick (best of MIL or NOP) for Derik Queen (No. 13)
• Selected Micah Peavy (No. 40)
This was among my least favorite drafts since I've been doing this.
I had Fears rated at No. 18, though I see the case for taking him seventh. He's a legitimate upside swing with how special his handle is. He's shifty and lightning quick. He's 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's incredibly hard to be slight and a bad defender and be useful in the NBA playoffs.
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't have waited until the Pacers were done playing, I do not know. But this deal — which by itself was a bad decision not just in hindsight given Haliburton's injury, but in real time — set the table for the bigger disaster on draft night.
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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's ransom. To move up just 10 spots, the team traded away the best of its own or Milwaukee's 2026 first-rounder. It was an utterly baffling decision.
Two teams noted to me that their analytic models project the Pelicans as a bottom-five team in the NBA next season. They're 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. 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's a mismanagement of assets unlike anything we've 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.
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.
This roster build doesn't work in any way. The asset management doesn't 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're 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's hard to have much hope. There's a saying in poker that when you can't spot the sucker at the table, that means the sucker is you. Unfortunately, I don't think the Pelicans have figured out that they're the sucker
Grade: F
• Did not participate
The Rockets exited the draft to acquire Kevin Durant. That trade was a home run, as it got them off of Jalen Green's 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.
Grade: N/A
• Did not participate
The 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.
Grade: N/A
(Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; Photos of Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper: Patrick Smith and Candice Ward / Getty Images)