(#1) Detroit Pistons
Selection: Cade Cunningham (Oklahoma State)
Grade: A
It's unclear why Detroit showed any motivation to move this pick, as Cunningham is about as safe as anyone in this draft. His IQ, size, and complete skillset brings obvious appeal to any NBA franchise in hopes of quickly turning things around. While he certainly does have All-Star potential, there is value in knowing that, at the very worst, he is going to be a useful, rotation-level piece for a long time. However, it's still uncommon to come across medium-ish ceiling/high floor type of player, and that's largely what makes Cunningham a quality selection for the Pistons. They get an 'A' simply due to the fact that he isn't necessarily guaranteed to change a franchise like say, Anthony Davis, and any grade higher (A+) will be based on pick value.
(#2) Houston Rockets
Selection: Jalen Green (G-League Ignite)
Grade: A
Similar to Detroit with the first pick, it would've been questionable for Houston to take any prospect other than Green. Likely to be a 20 PPG scorer within his first season or two, his potent offensive toolkit breeds optimism for his chances to drastically alter a franchise. Green can already score at an efficient rate from all levels and has legitimate potential to chase scoring titles in the long-term future. For a Rockets squad thirsting for talent, he represents a figure who can step-in and immediately take reigns as a nightly leader. Beyond his skill, athleticism, and everything else, Green also possesses a star-like quality that seems tailored for the NBA. Like the previous choice, Houston receives an 'A' and should have a strong competitor for ROY honors in Green.
(#3) Cleveland Cavaliers
Selection: Evan Mobley (USC)
Grade: B+
Don't mistake the 'B+' grade as disrespect to Mobley, but rather confusion towards the overall direction of the Cavaliers. Given their current roster construct, it's just a weird fit. The choice would make decent sense if Cleveland opted to trade Jarrett Allen'but they just removed basically all of their leverage after making the call for Mobley. There's certainly talent between Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Kevin Love (who's essentially untradable at his price tag), but is there any cohesion' We shall see.
(#4) Toronto Raptors
Selection: Scottie Barnes (Florida State)
Grade: B
Although many folks love him and the Raptors seem proven at developing guys like Barnes, there are still glaring concerns with this selection. While he does so many things well, his clear inability to shoot leaves a lot to be desired. From a standpoint of intangible and physical attributes, it's understandable. Perhaps the bigger question is, 'why not just draft Jalen Suggs with an aging Kyle Lowry set to either leave or spend the twilight of his career in Toronto'' Regardless, they choose Barnes to pair with the likes of Lowry, Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and OG Anunoby. Should the Raptors find themselves in a position where Barnes turns into a respectable shooter, it would be easy to justify this lofty selection.
(#5) Orlando Magic
Selection: Jalen Suggs (Gonzaga)
Grade: B+
Despite completely ignoring positional need, Orlando probably made the smart decision to take Suggs with the fifth selection. Cole Anthony was among the very few bright spots for the Magic, and his game is certainly best suited with the ball in his hands'ditto for Suggs. However, there should be a lot of positivity surrounding Suggs' unique leadership qualities and ability to win. Orlando has sniffed playoff relevance just twice since the departure of Dwight Howard, and taking the Gonzaga star could ultimately restore glory to this franchise.
(#6) Oklahoma City Thunder
Selection: Josh Giddey (NBL)
Grade: B-
It should go without saying, but Giddey is oozing with intrigue'something the Thunder have become extremely fond of throughout the recent years. There is definite appeal with his combination of size and skill, but folks shouldn't be mentioning he and Luka Doncic in the same breath. His ceiling feels closer to someone like Bogdan Bogdanovic, who is still an extremely useful NBA player and someone teams would covet. The grade should really be more of a question mark, since his value will ultimately be determined by how he develops going forward rather than his current identity.
(#7) Golden State Warriors
Selection: Jonathan Kuminga (G-League Ignite)
Grade: B+
Though perplexing, it's clear that the general masses have soured on Kuminga as an NBA prospect. In terms of raw talent, he's probably worthy of a top-five selection. Unfortunately, Kuminga has definite question marks surrounding his actual desire to develop or ever potentially dominate the League'similar to off-court concerns with someone like Malik Monk prior to getting drafted. Should he decide to turn the switch on, then the other 29 teams should be genuinely worried. Kuminga is an incredibly overwhelming athlete and physical presence with the toughness and polish to dominate a given contest. His ceiling is ridiculous, and the Warriors' organization doesn't give him much option to develop bad habits'which could pay unbelievable dividends in the long run.
(#8) Orlando Magic
Selection: Franz Wagner (Michigan)
Grade: D
The grade is not necessarily a reflection of Wagner being a bad player, but rather just uncertainty regarding the upside of this selection. Do the Magic know they aren't required to keep the pick' Over the last six months, the 6-foot-9 Wagner skyrocketed up draft boards, but it's difficult to really explain why this occurred. While his analytics are definitely enticing, the raw numbers and lack of three-point shooting leave a lot to be desired with the eighth choice in the draft. Orlando obviously has a plan and intriguing young core, so maybe it'll work out.
(#9) Sacramento Kings
Selection: Davion Mitchell (Baylor)
Grade: D+
Sigh. What do the Kings do immediately after building their foundation (and finding success) around guys like De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton' The answer should be obvious: draft another guard! Quite possibly the dumbest move in terms of fit and need, Sacramento just seems to keep stepping on their own feet. Mitchell is a quality player and should emerge as a useful third guard (likely off the bench), it just feels like they could've gotten more value out of this draft position.
(#10) Memphis Grizzlies
Selection: Ziaire Williams (Stanford)
Grade: C
Despite some unexpected action, Williams getting drafted to Memphis was arguably the biggest surprise through the first ten picks. The opinions on him are somewhat polarizing, as people either love him or strongly dislike him. While the choice itself feels like a reach, the Grizzlies' optimism about developing his tools (versus whoever else was available) could simply provide another young piece to play alongside Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson, Brandon Clarke and Dillon Brooks.
