It’s the day after the draft and that means it’s time to take stock of what happened on a hectic Thursday night.
2016 NBA Draft grades: The West had plenty of winners and no real losers
While some teams made minor moves and others took big risks, everyone in the West did well on draft night.
The Los Angeles Lakers got their potential star in Brandon Ingram, while the Minnesota Timberwolves added one more great young piece to their core. The rich got richer, as the San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder had good nights. The Sacramento Kings, meanwhile, made a head-scratching decision by drafting Georgios Papagiannis after trading down from the eighth spot, but improved their depth.
Those are just some of the most noteworthy developments on an action-packed Thursday. It really was a crazy draft for Western teams, but one that helped most of them improve in one way or another.
Here are the hauls every Western team ended up with and some draft grades from the experts.
The best grades
The Nuggets came into the draft with three first-round picks and made the most of them. Jamal Murray fell to them at No. 7 and figures to be a perfect complement to Emmanuel Mudiay in the backcourt. Juan Hernangomez gives them a young combo forward who can space the floor and Malik Beasley an athletic wing.
Everyone loved the Nuggets’ night. ESPN gave it an A and CBS Sports a B+. Their individual selections all got a C+ or higher on The Vertical and Sports Illustrated. Denver had a good draft.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors weren't expected to improve in the draft, but Damian Jones fell to them and they grabbed him. Then they bought the 34th pick and selected Patrick McCaw, a long and versatile wing to add to their stable.
Golden State unexpectedly added some depth and people noticed. They got an A- from ESPN and a B+ from CBS Sports.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers were bound to have a good draft, as a low-risk, high-upside player like Ingram fell in their laps. Ingram fits their current core perfectly and could become a star. Then in the second round, they pounced on Ivica Zubac, a center who many considered a first-round talent, with the 32nd pick.
The Lakers’ night was a resounding success. The lowest grade was an A- by The Vertical.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder made a bold move, trading Serge Ibaka to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and the 11th pick, which became Domantas Sabonis. Considering Ibaka had taken a step back recently, that's a good haul.
The Sabonis pick is a safe one, earning Bs from The Vertical and Sports Illustrated. But the other pieces Oklahoma City pried away from Orlando elevate their night into a success. ESPN gave them an A and CBS Sports a B+.
The Suns went into the draft with three first-round picks. They selected Dragan Bender fourth overall and then packaged the other two and the rights to Bogdan Bogdanovic to move up to No. 8 and select Marquese Chriss. After picking two power forwards with high upside, they made a safer pick in the second round, grabbing Tyler Ulis at No. 34.
The Vertical loved the Chriss pick and didn’t like the Bender selection, while the opposite was true for Sports Illustrated. Ultimately, the proactive approach Phoenix took received praise from CBS Sports and ESPN, which both gave the Suns an A for the night.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs stayed at No. 29 and waited for Dejounte Murray to fall to them. The talented combo guard has plenty of upside and should flourish in San Antonio. The pick was universally lauded, with the lowest grade being a B+ from The Vertical.
Good grades
The Clippers landed a player who could give them minutes next year, as Brice Johnson dropped all the way to the 25th slot. After that safe pick they took some chances. They traded an early second-rounder for two, then selected an intriguing center prospect in Diamond Stone and reached for French point guard David Michineau.
The consensus is that Johnson is a solid pick, but the other two might not be. The Vertical gave them a B+ for selecting the North Carolina product and Sports Illustrated a B. For the entire draft, ESPN gave them a C while CBS Sports went with a B. All around, a solid night for Doc Rivers.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberolves were rumored to be working on a deal to land Jimmy Butler, but had to settle by simply drafting Kris Dunn, a player many felt was the third-best in the class. The fit with Ricky Rubio is questionable, but Minnesota will have a chance to see if things work out before deciding to move one of them.
Dunn is a great fit with Tom Thibodeau thanks to his defense, so the lowest grade was a B from CBS Sports. Needless to say, it was a good draft for the Wolves.
The Jazz traded the No. 12 pick for George Hill and selected three late second-rounders who won't likely make the team. The upgrade at point guard earned them a B from CBS Sports and a B+ from ESPN.
Mixed or lukewarm grades
The Mavericks sent this year's first-round pick to the Boston Celtics on a trade for Rajon Rondo, so they only had a second-round pick. They selected A.J. Hammons 46th overall, a center which could make their final roster.
Both CBS Sports and ESPN gave them a B- for making the most out of a bad situation.
The Rockets didn't have a first-round pick but were busy in the second round, grabbing a couple of centers. First they used the 37th pick on Chinanu Onuaku, and then the 43rd on Zhou Qi. It's unclear whether they will make the roster this year, but they do have potential.
They got a C+ from ESPN and a B- from CBS Sports, largely based on the fact that Daryl Morey knows how to pick well in the second round.
The Grizzlies picked up some insurance in case Mike Conley walks in free agency by selecting Wade Baldwin with the 17th pick. Then they flipped a future first-round pick that the Clippers owed them and selected Deyonta Davis at 31 and Rade Zagorac at 35. Baldwin and Davis could help immediately on defense, while Zagorac and 57th pick Wang Zhelin give them a couple of prospects which can develop abroad.
There’s no consensus on whether the Grizzlies night was a complete success or just fine. The Baldwin pick got an A from Sports Illustrated and a B- from the Vertical. The entire haul got an A+ from CBS Sports and a B from ESPN.
The Pelicans played it safe and used the sixth pick on Buddy Hield, a four-year player who should have a long career thanks to his shooting ability. Then they traded up in the second round to No. 33 and selected Cheick Diallo, a big man who started the season projected to be a lottery pick.
Hield’s lack of elite potential resulted in two B- grades from The Vertical and Sports Illustrated but for the night, ESPN gave them an A- and CBS Sports a B.
The Trail Blazers didn't have picks going into the draft, but bought into the second round and selected Jake Layman 47th overall. Both ESPN and CBS Sports considered it just a solid but underwhelming pick, giving it a B and a C+, respectively.
Sacramento Kings
The Kings traded down from and selected plodding center Georgios Papagiannis with the 13th pick, which was a head-scratcher. Then they added another big man in Skal Labissiere and a wing with upside in Malachi Richardson. Late in the second round, they found a sleeper in Isaiah Cousins.
The Papagiannis pick was panned by both The Vertical and Sports Illustrated and it dragged down an otherwise smart draft night that saw Sacramento improve its depth. ESPN gave it a C+, while CBS Sports gave it a B-.
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