Hey guys. I figure I do the draft grades because I know how everyone�s teams look like after inquiring about the past trades. Just keep in mind that what I say about these prospects are my own opinions. I could be wrong a lot of these guys. Whether I am right or wrong doesn�t matter. You guys just want to read about your teams.

Notable Reaches

Pick 8 � New Orleans Pelicans � Dereck Lively (4 slots)

Pick 25 � Milwaukee Bucks � Leonard Miller (8 slots)

Pick 30 � Golden State Warriors � Tristan Vukcevic (12 slots)

Pick 36 � Philadelphia Sixers � Jaylen Clark (17 slots)

Pick 37 � Boston Celtics � Trayce Jackson-Davis (22 slots)

Notable Fallers

Cason Wallace � LA Clippers � Pick 14 (4 slots)

Jaime Jacquez Jr � LA Lakers � Pick 24 (6 slots)

Marcus Sasser � Philadelphia Sixers � Pick 43 (18 slots)

Kobe Brown � Utah Jazz � Pick 47 (17 slots)

Colby Jones � Phoenix Suns � Pick 51 (17 slots)

And now the teams�.

Atlanta Hawks

Pick 6 � PF Taylor Hendricks

Pick 12 � SF Gradey Dick

Atlanta came into the draft with Dame, Bane, and Hunter. He could either go center or power forward here. It looks like he went power forward with the hopes that maybe Lively could fall to him at pick 12. But since that didn�t happen, he went with the best player available. I don�t think it would have mattered which route he took. He would have ended up with a similar result either way. Either Lively + Dick or Hendricks + Dick.

Hendricks has the archetype of a complementary piece, but I think he actually played a star role in college. So maybe he has the upside of a Julius Randle style of star. Gradey is just a complementary piece. But you are hoping he becomes a really good complementary piece that produces similar value of a low end star.

Grade: B+

Boston Celtics

Pick 22 � SF Cam Whitmore

Pick 37 � C Trayce Jackson-Davis

Pick 59 � SG Terquavion Smith

Boston doesn�t really have any major team needs. So they can just draft for trade value. I feel like they did a good job of that while also maintaining Toby�s thirst for big name players. Anyone who gets Cam this late in the draft will get a good grade as well. Even though Toby reached 22 slots to get Trayce, I feel like this was a spot that he should have gone in the real NBA draft if his agent hadn�t influenced what team he was going to. And Terq has been listed as one of the top UDFA 2WAY signings. So good job for Toby.

Grade: A

Brooklyn Nets

Pick 41 � PG Amari Bailey

Pick 44 � SF Hunter Tyson

This should have been a boring draft for Breece considering that he only had 2 picks and they were both in the 2^nd round. But Breece exceeded expectations with both picks. He got Amari Bailey who could actually be a better fit next to LaMelo than Nick Smith Jr. But Nick Smith is still the higher ceiling prospect.

Breece got Hunter Tyson about where he should of gone, but Hunter had a very good game yesterday and that makes this pick more exciting to have. So Breece had a good draft, but we are talking about 2nds here. So I�ll give him an A- instead of a complete A.

Grade: A-

Chicago Bulls

Pick 13 � SF Jett Howard

Pick 26 � C James Nnaji

Pick 35 � PF GG Jackson

Pick 49 � PG Isaiah Wong

Chicago came into the draft with LaMelo, Cam Thomas, Mikal Bridges, and Nicolas Claxton. Although the team needed a power forward, I never really saw any of them fall. So I thought Jonathan did a good job going with the best players available instead. And he managed to get a high upside power forward in the 2^nd round. It was a reach, but it was a respectable reach considering GG Jackson had a decent performance on Thursday.

I don�t know exactly how I feel about Nnaji. It is amazing that you are getting a young athletic big this late in the draft, but the catch is that he�s too raw and will take 2-3 years before you can even use him in a competing situation. Jett is kind of a gamble because he doesn�t defend really well nor does he create separation. But you got to love the size and ballhandle.

Grade: B+

Cleveland

Pick 38 � C Mouhamed Gueye

I haven�t seen this guy on anyone�s radar until after he got drafted. I do know he is a project though. And it is useful to note that the GM responsible for drafting Trae, Huerter, Hunter, Okongwu, Jalen Johnson, and Griffin Jr is no longer in Atlanta anymore.

Grade: C

Dallas Mavericks

Pick 15 � PG Jalen Hood-Schifino

Pick 32 � SF Brice Sensabaugh

Pick 39 � SF Rayan Rupert

I liked all of LJ�s picks. It�s obvious that Dallas needed a point guard. Jalen Hood-Schifino is the best playmaker in this range. I think the knock on JHS is his lack of athleticism and poor finishing at the rim. But Schifino has so much craft in his game that I think he�ll figure a way. I was very surprised that he took JHS over Keyonte, but thinking about the Mavericks� desire for playmaking, I can see why they did it.

Brice is one of the best upside plays. The main concern is the 3 knee surgeries he had in less than a year. It will heal though and Brice is a generational mid-range scorer. Not until he�s 26 will the past injuries will resurface.

And then Rayan Rupert is a good high upside play as well. You could say it is a similar level of play as betting on Ousmane Dieng.

Grade: A

Detroit Pistons

Pick 4 � SF Brandon Miller

Pick 5 � SG Ausar Thompson

Detroit came into the draft with Jalen Green, Devin Vassell, and Robert Wiliams. These two picks are redundant with what they already have, but Sheed still did well in going with the best players available. Sheed could trade these guys to even out his roster or he could just give it more time while he tanks another year waiting for his prospects to develop.

Grade: B+

Golden State

Pick 30 � C Tristan Vukcevic

Pick 40 � PF Jordan Walsh

Pick 52 � SF Jordan Miller

Pick 53 � PF Jalen Wilson

Pick 54 � C Drew Timme

I think the Tristan Vukcevic was too much of a yolo play, but I respect it. I�ve seen his name on a consensus board, but didn�t seem like any scouts wanted to look at him. Walsh is a guy that a lot of people like, and looks like he did really good in Summer League today.

I don�t really want to judge anything off picks after 52 since there isn�t really any good players after that. But Jalen Wilson is a good 2WAY bet if you are trying to farm wings.

Grade: B

Houston Rockets

Pick 17 � SG Keyonte George

Pick 46 � C Colin Castleton

I�d give myself an A because this is a better outcome than I could have imagined. I didn�t think Keyonte would fall to me. I thought someone was going to reach for him because he was doing Donovan Mitchell like things in Summer League this week. But the player just fell into my lap. There wasn�t much thinking involved. This was a no brainer pick.

And then I had the chance to take Colby Jones at pick 46, but I didn�t have the roster slot for him. So I used it on my preferred 2WAY. It was the first reach at a UDFA 2WAY player, but I didn�t feel so bad about the reach after I saw Chicago take Isaiah Wong 3 picks later.

Grade: B

Indiana Pacers

Pick 1 � C Victor Wembamyama

Pick 21 � SF Dariq Whitehead

Pick 34 � PF Maxwell Lewis

Even though Wemby is an amazing pick, there isn�t much thinking involved here. This is a no brainer pick. But I like the Dariq Whitehead pick though. It�s a very high upside pick. The doctor that did his surgery is also the Brooklyn Nets team doctor. So it is a good situation. But it�s going to be a long wait. I feel like Dariq is about 2 years behind in muscle development compared to his peers. But they�ll still throw him out there even though he is still out of shape. He pretty much played 20 lbs heavier on one leg last year at Duke.

I�m not a big fan of the Maxwell Lewis pick. I feel like he was rated late 1^st round because of what he could be based off his measurements. But I never saw any signs of belief from scouts. It was just from the few guys willing to bet on him because no one else would. But he is in a good situation in LA. They seem to always have available roster slots.

Grade: B+

LA Clippers

Pick 11 � SG Jordan Hawkins

Pick 14 � PG Cason Wallace

Pick 18 � SG Kobe Bufkin

Pick 19 � PF Noah Clowney

Pick 20 � PF Kris Murray

Pick 29 � PG Nick Smith Jr

Pick 45 � PG Jalen Pickett

Pick 48 � SF Julian Phillips

Cason Wallace was the only pick I really liked here. The man is a winning player. He�ll fit nicely in the starting lineup with Mathurin, JWill, Murphy, and Paolo.

I don�t get the Hawkins pick. He�s a good movement shooter that can also defend. But there�s no hype around the guy. Is it because of the age? Does the man have tunnel vision? I just never see anyone talk about him unless they have to. And when they do, all they can talk about is his shooting. I get really uncomfortable when considering guys who come out of nowhere because of a good month of March Madness. So I cannot get on board with the Hawkins pick. But worst case scenario is you�re getting a Wayne Ellington coming off your bench.

Bufkin was in this wide range of 6�4 - 6�5 guards (Cason, JHS, Podz, Keyonte, and Bufkin). He was the lowest one on my radar, but he was the only one left at that range. He went 15 in the NBA draft. Andrew got him at 18. I think he should have been more in the 22 range. He�ll be coming off the bench, but I could see him evolving into a starter. So he should be fine coming off the bench for the Clippers.

I kind of like the Kris Murray pick too because you know what you are getting and this is a good range to get him. Unlike his brother, he hasn�t shown anything in summer league yet. He probably won�t be getting minutes this year though because he�ll be stuck behind Trey Murphy and Tari Eason.

The Clowney pick is kind of weird because I think he is more of a power forward than he is a center. And I�ve seen how that looks in 2k. I expect Andrew to try and trade for a center, because he doesn�t have a backup center yet. But I think he�s a good upside play and I can see Andrew playing him at center if he can�t find the right trade.

Getting Nick Smith Jr at pick 29 is a good upside swing as well. People may not be happy with his summer league performance so far, but I still see people wanting to bet on his upside still.

Pickett and Phillips are some decent depth swings. That�s kind of how I feel about Andrew�s draft. It was decent. He wow�d us with his Cason Wallace pick, but the rest of the picks were just decent.

Grade: B-

LA Lakers

Pick 10 � PF Jarace Walker

Pick 16 � SG Brandin Podziemski

Pick 23 � SF Olivier-Maxence Prosper

Pick 24 � PF Jaime Jaquez

Pick 31 � SF Sidy Cissoko

The LA Lakers came into the draft with Donovan Mitchell, Cade Cunningham, and Rudy Gobert. The Podziemski pick was a bit of a reach, but I respect it. I think Keyonte would have been a higher upside pick, but I can see the want for more playmaking.

Justin also paid up select his guy Jarace Walker. This is a perfect fit with Rudy Gobert. Anytime you put two defensive monsters next to each other in the front court, it gets pretty cheesy.

Justin also drafted some role players at pick 23 and 24. You can tell Dallas will develop OMP into the next Dorian Finney-Smith which is a 76 rated SF/PF. Jaime Jacquez is barely even an NBA player, but the Miami Heat can turn him into an NBA player. So most likely he�ll also be a 76 rated SF/PF also. You�d want more, but this is all you can get in this draft range unless you reach.

Cissoko is a reach, but it is a really good reach.

Grade: A-

Memphis Grizzlies

Pick 27 � SG Ben Sheppard

Pick 33 � SG Julian Strawther

Rootsey drafted some older long term bench guys, but that�s what you are going to get in this range. There are a few upside swings here, but Rootsey keeps it safe going with the juniors and seniors.

Grade: B

Miami Heat

Pick 9 � SF Bilal Coulibaly

Bilal is just so raw. I�m not willing to bet on players this raw, but you can tell his NBA team is ready to put in the commitment building him. I just can�t get on board with this level of development.

Grade: C

Minnesota Timberwolves

Pick 25 � PF Leonard Miller

Ethan only had 1 pick in this draft, but I feel like he killed it by going for the upside pick over the safer old guys. I know a lot of GMs wanted this player. It was just a matter of who would reach for him first. This was a good reach for Ethan.

Grade: A-

New Orleans Pelicans

Pick 8 � C Dereck Lively

Leeroy already has depth. So he can just draft for upside. This was the biggest reach in the lottery, but it was well worth it.

Grade: A

New York Knicks

Pick 28 � SG Andre Jackson Jr

I don�t really like that Smokey reached for an older guy who can�t shoot. But he�s athletic and he seems to have good feel for the game. This is probably the range that he should go as well.

Grade: B-

Oklahoma City Thunder

Pick 50 � SF Jalen Slawson

Pick 60 � SF Justyn Mutts

Slawson is a good wing bet with a 2WAY contract. Pick 60 should be irrelevant, but James managed to get a guy that people like. These picks may never materialize, but think James took some good bets with these late picks.

Grade: B+

Philadelphia Sixers

Pick 36 � SF Jalen Clark

Pick 42 � SF Emoni Bates

Pick 43 � PG Marcus Sasser

Pick 56 � Chase Audige

Pick 57 � Vincent Valerio-Bodon

Pick 58 � SirJabari Rice

I love the upside swing on Emoni. I think a lot of people wanted to swing on him. It could materialize into nothing, but he�s a big name to bet on. And you are getting him on a 2WAY. This is a good price to pay for him.

The Marcus Sasser pick could end up being a steal as well if Detroit ends up sending out Killian Hayes. I�m not saying he is a star or that he is an NBA starter, but he�s just a really good player who is only limited by his size. And maybe his playmaking. I�m not sure what his playmaking ability is. I just know he is a lights out shooter and he can defend. I said the same thing about Jordan Hawkins, but we are talking about a player at pick 43 now.

I�m not even going to pretend I know who Audige or Valerio-Bodon is. But I do know that people like SirJabari Rice. It seems like he doesn�t have a NBA translatable skill, but will figure a way into a rotation.

The Clark pick was a bit of a reach for a smart defensive nonathletic wing who doesn�t dunk.

Grade: B+

Phoenix Suns

Pick 51 � SG Colby Jones

Pick 55 � SF Chris Livingston

Suns get a good pick in Colby Jones after falling 17 slots. The man could end up being a 75 rated role player, but for pick 51, I�m sure Laddas will take that. I don�t know anything about Chris Livingston. I�m guessing people wanted to bet on him for his age.

Grade: B

Toronto Raptors

Pick 3 � PG Amen Thompson

Doesn�t fit a team need, but this is the highest upside pick. Dylan didn�t fall into the BMiller trap.

Grade: A-

Utah Jazz

Pick 2 � PG Scoot Henderson

Pick 47 � PF Kobe Brown

Jason made the right choice in passing on Brandon Miller to take the highest upside player in Scoot Henderson. And he got good value getting Kobe Brown after falling 17 picks. He doesn�t have much upside, but he could develop into a useful power forward.

Jazz can produce an amazing lineup somehow out of the following 5: Scoot Henderson, Dejounte Murray, Josh Giddey, Julius Randle, Joel Embiid.

Grade: B+

Washington Wizards

Pick 7 � PG Anthony Black

This pick could fits a long term need. People seem to talk about him like he's the next Josh Giddey, but I just see Killian Hayes. He's a great passer, an even better defender. You are just hoping he can shoot. But he had a good performance today.

Wizards now have Black, Booker, George,______, Capela. They also have Jaden Ivey.

Grade: B