As with everything in life, the NBA Draft had its winners and losers. Here’s who came out and top, as well as who bottomed out.
Winner: Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies have done everything right so far this year, and it didn’t stop with the draft. With the second overall pick, Memphis drafted Ja Morant, a 6’3″ point guard who has franchise player potential. He’s electric in every way, with tremendous athletic abilities and eagle vision on the court. What? No, the Phoenix Suns aren’t jealous! What makes you say that!?
Brandon Clarke then somehow fell to Memphis at #21, after being lottery-projected in many mock drafts. While not as offensively-gifted as some other prospects in the draft, Clarke’s defensive prowess has been widely noted. Next to Jaren Jackson Jr., the two forwards have the potential to be a wrecking ball on the defensive end. Memphis now has three very promising building blocks for the future, surrounded by seasoned veterans from the Marc Gasol and Mike Conley trades. Suffice to say, the Grizz came out as 2019 NBA Draft winners.
Loser: Phoenix Suns
Grade-A work, Phoenix. Truly tremendous. Did you stretch before you reached so confusingly for Cameron Johnson at #11?
Let’s set the record straight, Phoenix. First, you literally gave T.J. Warren away for FREE after having a career year averaging 18.0 PPG and 42.8% from 3PT. And, when we say free, we mean for NO ASSETS, just cash considerations. Oh, and then you also traded away a second round pick in the deal. Mind you, that was the 32nd pick, practically a first-rounder. All to clear three years and $35 million, from a player that actually deserves the contract?
If you thought that was bad, steel yourself, it’s about to get a lot worse. The Suns traded away the sixth pick for Dario Saric and the 11th pick, losing out on the opportunity to draft a much-needed PG in Coby White, as well as highly-ranked forward Jarrett Culver. This move, itself, wasn’t a bad decision, but taking Cam Johnson when he was projected to go late first-early second round? Niiiiiiiiiiice. Did we mention that he’s 23 years old, and in fact, older than Devin Booker already?
So, to summarize, the Suns gave T.J. Warren and the 32nd pick away for free. Then, they traded away the sixth overall pick for the 11th and Dario Saric, who’s on an expiring deal. With the 11th pick, they selected Cameron Johnson, who might’ve been available with the same 32nd pick they traded away. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Phoenix Suns!
Winner: Cameron Johnson
This is the rookie salary scale for the 25th overall pick in the NBA draft: $1.5 million in the first year, $1.7 million in the second, and $1.8 million in the third. This is the draft spot that Cameron Johnson was SUPPOSED to go at. In fact, many mock drafts had Johnson in the second round.
Now, this is the salary scale for the number 11 overall pick: $2.8 million in year one, $3.3 million in year two, and $3.5 million in year three. In total, that’s a combined $9.6 million dollars. This is the amount of money Cam Johnson could potentially be making in the next three years after being drafted 11th overall. Compare that to the $5 million total he would’ve made if he was instead taken in the late 20’s. You can now see why Johnson came out a winner tonight.
Loser: Bol Bol
Wow. Talk about dropping. It seems, if Bol Bol is going to do something, he likes to do it big. And, boy, did he plummet big last night. There were always questions surrounding his health, but nobody saw it dragging down his stock this far. Without the injuries, Bol would’ve been a consensus top-five selection. Instead, he finds himself picked 44th by the Miami Heat and then subsequently traded to the Denver Nuggets. We talked about how much more money Cam Johnson made tonight. Just think about what Bol Bol lost out on. On the bright side, he did end up going to the Denver Nuggets, who have a habit of developing second-round centers into All-Stars.
Winner: New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans might end up being the only team in NBA history to lose a top-five player and make it a good thing. Pelicans writer Andrew Lopez summed it up pretty neatly in a single tweet.
With the eighth pick, the Pelicans snagged center Jaxson Hayes, who, combined with number one overall pick Zion Williamson, might make New Orleans the most athletic front-court in the league. Imagine Lonzo Ball running a fast break with these two (ignore the torturous half-court sets for a second). Jeez. Not to mention, think about all the assets New Orleans has now. If a certain star became available for trade any time soon (*cough cough* Bradley Beal), the Pelicans could swoop in and make the ultimate Godfather offer. With a score like this, the Pelicans can call themselves one of the major NBA draft winners. Well done, David Griffin. Well done.
Loser: Boston Celtics
The losses keep piling up for the Boston Celtics. It was clear Danny Ainge was trying to package his three first rounders to either move up in the draft or acquire future assets, neither of which he was able to do. Combined with the likely departure of both Kyrie Irving and Al Horford in free agency, this hasn’t been a good week for the Boston Celtics.
Ainge made a puzzling decision with Romeo Langford at 14th. Langford is a score-first player with limited shooting abilities, who disappointed in his lone year with the Hoosiers. Sound like the type of guy you want to pair with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who are also both still discovering themselves? This isn’t a knock on Langford, but with prospects like Sekou Doumboya and Brandon Clarke still on the board, it’s questionable.
Grant Williams, at pick 22, was also a reach, but at least the forward fits well with the team. Much of the late first-round is a guessing game anyway, and Boston took their best shot.
The Celtics also picked up Carsen Edwards, who could end up being a plus with his shooting. In the end, however, the Celtics weren’t able to accomplish what they set out to do, forcing Boston to improvise. It was a confusing draft for the Celtics, and we’re not sure what the end game here is. With all the recent uncertainty regarding the future of the team, perhaps Boston doesn’t even know.
Winner: Atlanta Hawks
Imagine a scenario where you have the fourth pick in the draft, and you can’t decide between two highly-rated prospects. You go with the safer pick but can’t help feeling a bit of buyer’s remorse, as you watch the other player slip away. Then, half an hour later, you find out that the other player is still available while you’re picking 10th. Maybe the world isn’t so so cruel after all. Life is good for the Atlanta Hawks.
They picked up both DeAndre Hunter and Cameron Reddish, two high-upside wings that were at the top of Atlanta’s draft boards. Between the two of them, chances are, Atlanta has found their wing (or wings) of the future. Go wild, Hawks fans. Basketball is about to get fun again in Atlanta.
Loser: Rui Hachimura
He got drafted to the Washington Wizards. They don’t even have a GM, and they didn’t even meet nor speak with Hachimura before the draft. Yikes. It’s hard to think of a worse situation for a young player still finding his way in America. I feel like the Suns and Wizards are competing for something here.
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