Round 1: N/A
Round 2: [Chinanu Onuaku] (37), [Zhou Qi] (43)
The Rockets sent their first-round pick to the Nuggets as part of the [Ty Lawson] deal. The pick turned into Juan Hernangomez, a player the Rockets would likely have preferred to Lawson in the long run.
In the second round, Onuaku has a ton of value as a physical, athletic center who rebounds and plays with energy. He's not an offensive weapon -- and he shoots his free-throws underhanded, by the way -- but he'll help defensively down the road.
Zhou is a fascinating prospect. He's highly skilled but very, very thin. The Rockets scout China as well as anyone -- if they can get the most out of Zhou, they got a steal. Our Kevin Pelton [had him ranked No. 6] on his stats-based Big Board, assuming that he's actually 20 years old instead of, say, 23, which was a concern held by some teams before the draft.
[Indiana Pacers] : B
Round 1: N/A
Round 2: [Georges Niang] (50)
The Pacers punted on the No. 20 pick to get Thaddeus Young. Given where the Pacers are in refashioning their team, it made sense. Young will help a lot more than a rookie would have this season. Adding Young and Jeff Teague (also by trade) to the roster will allow them to play faster.
Still, the Pacers' moves make me wonder if Larry Bird is just building a solid fourth or fifth seed. Young and Teague probably won't make them a contender. Of course, the No. 20 pick wasn't doing that either.
Niang is one of the most skilled forwards in the draft, but his lack of athleticism hurt his stock. Given all the athletes the Pacers are fielding, maybe they can afford to have one skill guy coming off the bench.
Round 1: [Brice Johnson] (25)
Round 2: [David Michineau] (39), [Diamond Stone] (40)
Johnson is one of the better rebounders in the draft. He's also a good athlete and has a nice midrange game. But I worry that he's a classic tweener who lacks the strength and shooting talent to be a modern NBA 4.
Stone seemed like good value in the second round. He's got a lot of talent, but slipped because teams were concerned about his work ethic. Michineau is a head scratcher, especially at No. 39. Not sure what the Clippers were thinking on that one. He wasn't ranked in my Top 100.
[Los Angeles Lakers] : A
Round 1: [Brandon Ingram] (2)
Round 2: [Ivica Zubac] (32)
The Lakers got a young franchise cornerstone on Thursday night. For that alone they deserve an A.
Ingram has a chance to become an All-Star. His shooting ability and the length to guard three positions on the floor make him an intriguing, versatile piece. If he can gain muscle on his thin frame, he's got the chance to be great.
The Lakers also got good value in the second round. Zubac is one of the most skilled big men in the draft. He needs to become a better defender and get more experience, but he's got a real chance to stick in the league and that's all you can ask for here.
[Memphis Grizzlies] : B
Round 1: [Wade Baldwin] (17)
Round 2: [Deyonta Davis] (32), [Rade Zagorac] (35), [Wang Zhelin] (57)
Baldwin was a polarizing prospect. He's got great size, athleticism and shooting touch for his position. But there were a lot of questions about his leadership ability on the court and in the locker room. If the Grizzlies can sort that out, he should provide some nice insurance if [Mike Conley] bolts in free agency this summer.
I love the Davis pick in the second round. He is an athletic freak with a great NBA body. Defensively he could become a monster. He slipped based on concerns about his feel for the game and NBA readiness, but I was surprised to see him slip this far. Some teams projected him as a lottery pick.
Zagorac and Wang are draft-and-stash options for Memphis. Zagorac is a huge wing and Wang is just flat-out huge. Neither is guaranteed to make it to the NBA, but both have a shot.
[Miami Heat] : N/A
Round 1: N/A
Round 2: N/A
The Heat traded this pick away years ago when they added [LeBron James]. It was eventually re-routed to the 76ers.
Considering LeBron brought two titles to the Heat, I think we'll give them a pass on this one.
[Milwaukee Bucks] : A-
Round 1: [Thon Maker] (10)
Round 2: [Malcolm Brogdon] (36)
Drafting Maker at No. 10 was probably the biggest surprise of the draft. I've heard a lot of criticism on the pick, but I actually liked it.
There was no guarantee that Maker was going to be around later in the draft. He's got terrific upside and Bucks GM John Hammond has gambled in the past and won. Maker is a couple of years away, but he's got the talent, work ethic and size to be worthy of this pick someday.
I preferred Dejounte Murray here personally, but can't really argue with taking a shot on Maker. No one knows if Maker will be a star or a bust. But I think he was worth the gamble in a lower-upside draft like this.
Brogdon is sort of the opposite of Maker. He's a proven college senior who can shoot the basketball. He's not the world's greatest athlete, but I think he could be a [Jared Dudley] type in the NBA.
Round 1: [Kris Dunn] (5)
Round 2: N/A
I love this pick for the Wolves. First, it gave them a legitimate shot at landing Jimmy Butler. The Bulls ultimately decided not to do a deal with the Wolves (and you have to wonder how much the bad blood between Minnesota coach-president Tom Thibodeau and the Bulls' front office contributed to that), but it gave the Wolves their best shot.
Since that didn't pan out, they should be thrilled to keep Dunn, the consensus No. 3 player on our Big Board. Thibodeau loves defense and Dunn is the best perimeter defender in the draft. He'll be able to come in and contribute right away. Offensively, he's still a work in progress, but the talent to be a bit like a bigger [Kyle Lowry] is there.
The move also gives them the ability to explore moving [Ricky Rubio] in a separate deal. All in all, it was another good night for the Wolves, who continue to build the best stable of young players in the NBA.
Round 1: [Buddy Hield] (6)
Round 2: [Cheick Diallo] (33)
The Pelicans filled two big needs in the draft. With [Eric Gordon] heading into free agency, they desperately needed a shooter and Hield gives them an elite one. His work ethic and leadership should make him a great fit in New Orleans. I preferred Jamal Murray for them because of his relative youth and versatility, but Hield was a very good option.
And I really like Diallo at 33. He started the season ranked No. 11 on our Big Board, and had he stayed in school another year, I think he would've been a high pick next season. He's got one of the best motors in the draft. If he rebounds, defends and blocks shots, he can have a long career in the NBA. Anything he gives on offense is a bonus.
[New York Knicks] : F
Round 1: N/A
Round 2: N/A
The Knicks should've had the No. 9 pick in the draft. However, they sent it to the Raptors as part of the awful Andrea Bargnani trade. We can't just let that go. (And they actually could've had the No. 7 pick for a chance at Jamal Murray, if not for the earlier trade in which they acquired Carmelo Anthony.)
Forfeiting the No. 9 pick cost them on the likes of [Jakob Poeltl], Thon Maker, Malik Beasley and Denzel Valentine. Given the current state of the roster, that really, really hurts.
Round 1: [Domantas Sabonis] (11)
Round 2: [Daniel Hamilton] (56)
What a night for the Thunder. Not only did they move into the lottery to get one of the toughest, most-skilled big men in the draft, but they also landed [Victor Oladipo], a recent No. 2 pick in the draft. He will be their best 2-guard since [James Harden]. A [Russell Westbrook]-Oladipo backcourt could be devastating.
The cost was high. [Serge Ibaka] has been a key part of the team. But the way this trade sets the Thunder up both now and in the future earns OKC an A.
Hamilton is sort of a point forward who would've been a first rounder had he ever learned to shoot.
Round 1: N/A
Round 2: [Stephen Zimmerman] (41)
Landing Serge Ibaka would normally be considered a coup. But the price was very high for the Magic -- Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis and Ersan Ilayasova.
It also costs them in another way. With Ibaka on the roster, he's likely to take away minutes from promising forward [Aaron Gordon].
Ibaka fills a huge need. He can both stretch the floor and protect the rim and should be a great fit next to [Nikola Vucevic]. However, I wonder if the Magic became too impatient to top out as just a playoff team.
Zimmerman was good value in the second round. He has talent as a sort of stretch-5, but uneven play as a freshman at UNLV combined with some moderate injury concerns caused him to fall in the draft.