2016 NBA Draft GradesBy: Jacob Stallard

12. Taurean Prince
21. DeAndre Bembry
44. Isaia Cordinier
 

With the focus clearly on free agency and working to retain Al Horford and Kent Bazemore, the Hawks worked around the edges in their picks. The move to send Jeff Teague opened up money and netted them Utah’s 12th pick. After losing DeMarre Carroll last summer, the team was lacking a wing on the defensive end. Prince reminded a lot of scouts of Carroll, and while a late lotto pick seemed like a bit of a reach for him, there obviously was a lot of variation between how teams rated their top 10-35 prospects. Both Taurean Prince and DeAndre Bembry are going to be candidates to get playing time on the wing, and fill Carroll’s shoes.  Isaia Cordinier is an athletic player in the French Pro B who is a flier. He shows some potential, but is likely 2-3 years away, as he’s been playing at a very low level in France. Nobody they took can ease the pain if Horford leaves, but that could not be addressed on draft night.

#3 Jaylen Brown
#16 Guerschon Yabusele
#23Ante Zizic
#45 Demetrius Jackson
#52 Ben Bentil
#58 Abdel Nader
2019 Memphis lottery protected 1st round pick

Hoping to make a big move is easier than finalizing one. Ainge was only going to move the 2rd pick if a team met his terms. Given that no game changing deal was done, the Celtics continued on their path of taking the slow and steady route. By going to Cal, Jaylen Brown did not have the support around him that most elite recruits are afforded when starting their college careers. Despite it, he had a solid freshman season and got the Golden Bears to the tournament. Many a great prospects had lousy final college games, so his performance in March should not be over scrutinized. He needs to work on his shot, in particular his shot selection. His shooting touch is actually quite solid. Also, in going to a competitive team, he will have to battle to get time initially. Guerschon was a ballsy selection at 16, one that we really like, and you can;t help but think Ainge had LeBron and Draymond in mind with that selection, as Yabusele offers a big nimble body that can match up with them, at least physically, with his strength. Zizic is a young center who’s closer than you might expect to being ready, despite being 19 years old and 230 lbs. He has the perfect mentality for a big, as he loves contact and has a 7-foot-3 wingspan and high motor. Demetrius Jackson seemed to land in a tough spot. He is a fantastic athlete and great prospect for a 2nd round pick, especially in this draft, but one would have to think he would have been better going undrafted as opposed to a team with so many point guards already. Likewise, Ben Bentil should be able to go to training camp and compete for a roster spot, but the Celtics training camp as a smaller power forward without a guaranteed contract might not be the greatest spot, either. Abdel Nader was probably the biggest surprise to be drafted, and seems to be destined for DLeague or Europe.

 20. Caris LeVert
42. Isaiah Whitehead
 

Before the draft, the team dealt the 22nd pick for Sacramento 2-guard Marco Belinelli. On the bright side, they add a proven shooter to their backcourt. The downside is the fact that there was a lot of talent to choose from, including Vanderbilt center Damian Jones, or even a younger Belinelli type that was used with their pick in Malachi Richardson. Getting out of this draft is not the worst result in the world.   It is still a bit of a risk for a team with so many rotation players heading into free agency to deal a first round pick for a veteran who likely will come off the bench. Then again, they don’t seem to be very good at developing young talent, so they avoid that "hassle". An unlucky summer could alter their outlook for the upcoming season.

14. Denzel Valentine
48. Paul Zipser

If only the rumors about trading Jimmy Butler did not dominate the night for them, it might not have appeared to be a bad night for the Bulls. Denzel Valentine’s ability to initiate the break should allow him to fit into the pacey style the team wanted to implement when hiring Fred Hoiberg. He displayed a great work ethic to turn himself into a good shooter as well as someone capable of handling point duties. Paul Zipser is an experienced forward with range and possesses a quick and easy shot. His minutes and productivity dipped a bit against the bigger clubs in the Euroleague and Eurocup, which is a bit concerning for his NBA readiness. Following the trade of Derrick Rose and impending free agency of Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah, the Bulls have more areas in need of addressing, but unless the decision was made to deal Jimmy Butler and embark on a complete rebuild, those areas were always going to remain. The Butler for Kris Dunn trade still seems to make a lot of sense for both sides, although Chicago probably need to receive some additional value to make it agreeable.

54. Kahlil Felder

The Mavericks began and ended the night with just the 46th pick. And they did about as well as they could possibly do with it. Hammons is a very skilled, well-rounded center who dropped this far because of his age and questions about his passion for the game. But the Mavericks need a post presence now, and Hammons is already pretty far along in his development, as one would expect out of a 23-year-old rookie. He could definitely crack the rotation from the get-go as Salah Mejri is his main competition at backup center, and immediate impact is definitely a great thing to get out of a mid-second round pick.

Surprisingly, the Nuggets held on to all three of their top 19 picks, and with them, they addressed their need for shooting with gusto. They took a pair of shooting guars with range in Jamal Murray at 7, and Malik Beasley, who fell from a potential lottery selection. Both solid value picks, but also puzzling considering the presence of Gary Harris, a young guy who is very talented and very exclusively a shooting guard, on the roster, presumably for the long term. Considering the presence of Harris, it was a little surprising that they didn’t opt for upside and take Marquese Chriss at 7. If they knew Beasley would be available at 19, they probably would have. Unless the Nuggets deal someone or play three guards at once, the backcourt could be crowded.  At 15, they took one of the more interesting foreign prospects in a draft full of them in Juan Hernangomez, a skilled stretch 4 from Spain. While he may have been a slight reach, he could be a great pairing with Nurkic and Jokic, and will definitely help fill a void if Kenneth Faried is traded. Petr Cornelie is another Euro prospect with longterm upside that they grabbed at 53. All in all, solid value on the Nuggets’ picks, but an odd group of selections that seem to overlap with  the talent already on their roster, therefore the lowered grade.

18 Henry Ellenson
49. Michael Gbinje

The Warriors didn’t have any picks until #30, but they drafted efficiently and traded cash considerations to grab one of the top prospects in the second round.  They began with taking Damian Jones, and the Warriors are about as good a fit as anyone for the laid-back, skilled, athletic, sharp-shooting big man. He figures to be Finals underachiever Festus Ezili’s replacement, if they team decides it needs his cap space. They then took Patrick McCaw with their acquired pick, and his size, athleticism, and shooting on the perimeter also makes him a very solid prospect for the Warriors’ offense. He figures to be a Shaun Livingston type and could be groomed into his eventual replacement. We gave both players solid mid-first round grades, and Jones has the talent to end up better than 9th pick Jakob Poeltl. With the team set to make a run at Kevin Durant, they gave themselves more options, making this a very sound draft for the defending Western Conference champs.

37. Chinanu Onuaku
43. Zhou Qi

The Clippers didn’t have a pick until #25 but I think they really made the most of it, considering the roster in place. Many expected them to take Brice Johnson at 25, and they did, and it was the right decision. An extremely talented, well-rounded power forward, I think he should have been taken higher and he’ll be a great fit behind Blake Griffin in the Clippers offense. They traded the 33rd pick for a pair of mid-second round picks just 6 and 7 spots lower, which was a good deal in and of itself, but they ended up with Diamond Stone and David Michineau. Stone has real upside and while I’m not sure how well he fits in stylistically with the Clippers, he’s a guy who could make a team look really smart for taking him at 39. You gotta love obtaining a guy at that spot in the draft with NBA starter potential. Michineau was a bit of an underwhelming pick as he’s a young French prospect who can’t really shoot and is turnover-prone, but his game seems tailored to the NBA with his size and athleticism. With one more safe second round pick already selected, the Clippers had room to swing for the fences here, anyways. A solid draft for the Clippers.

The Lakers couldn’t really mess up the #2 overall pick, as there were two consensus top prospects and then a next tier. And they didn’t, as they made the right decision and took Brandon Ingram, possibly the most sure-fire guy in this draft. We expect him to be a great fit in LA and become a superstar. At 32, they took Ivica Zubac who has a lot of upside if he develops. He needs to become more mature as he has had episodes where he’s lost his cool in the past. If he becomes focused, he can surpass a number of the first round international guys over time.

17. Wade Baldwin
31. Deyonta Davis,
35. Rade Zagorac
57. Wang Zhelin

The Grizzlies pushed to add talent, and they certainly added some intriguing long term potential. Wade Baldwin was a potential position of need at 17, a guy who really fits their system, although if Mike Conley decides to come back, it might have made more sense to look elsewhere. With Deyonta Davis still on the board, the Grizzlies gave up a lottery protected 2019 first round pick to Boston for picks 31 and 35. I thought top 10 was far too high for Davis when he was being projected as a potential Bucks selection, but 31 is absolutely too low. At 35, they took Rade Zagorac, a decent foreign prospect who’s versatile and could potentially also fit well on this roster. There were other prospects on the board that would have made more sense. And finally, they took Wang Zhelin at 57, which, will probably end up being a footnote in the future. All in all, a nice draft, and while you always hate to give up future first rounders, Davis may ultimately make that decision a good one.

10. Thon Maker
36. Malcolm Brogdon

A very sound draft for New Orleans. There was a lot of expectation that they would take Jamal Murray at 6 but that was generally under the assumption Buddy Hield would be gone. Well, Hield was not gone and the Pelicans snatched him up, and while some may think that Murray was the better fit, Hield brings a star power and dynamic scoring ability that Murray does not have. He should be an interesting fit with Anthony Davis and the rest of the solid pieces in the Pelicans’ starting lineup, and this very well could be the move that finally gets this franchise back in the playoffs. Additionally, they moved their two second round picks to get a first round talent in Cheick Diallo at 33. Diallo has a lot of potential as an athletic power forward, so I definitely like this move as well. He has far more upside than just about anyone they could have gotten at 39 or 40.

The Knicks pick went to Toronto in a trade a few years back for Andrea Bargnani. A headscratcher at the time and a move that looks even worse in highsight. The Knicks hit a homerun with Porzingis last year, and added Derrick Rose a day before the draft. They seem to be positioning themselves to make a push for some of the top free agents on the market. Sound familiar? Hopefully they are able to get value and target some long term players this time around.

11. Domantas Sabonis,
48. Daniel Hamilton
Victor Oladipo
Ersan Ilyasova
 

Definitely the most interesting move of draft night was made by the Thunder. They traded Ibaka for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova, and the rights to Domantas Sabonis at pick #11. The value of the trade was definitely in their favor, although the main concern is whether they are sacrificing too much in the front court for a talented perimeter. But ultimately, one has to think that Ilyasova+Sabonis+more minutes for Steven Adams and Enes Kanter should be about quivalent to the production of Serge Ibaka, and Oladipo is obviously a tremendous talent. They could lose Durant in free agency and still have the nucleus of a playoff team, with a lot of young guys in the mix to keep this team relevant for years. Steven Adams and Sabonis could be a fun combination long-term, and Ilyasova and Kanter round out a very deep, if no longer quite as talented, group of post players. Additionally, they traded cash to acquire the rights to Daniel Hamilton, a one-time lottery projection who has the potential to crack an NBA rotation. Ultimately, an excellent night for the Thunder.

Serge Ibaka
41. Steven Zimmerman

#1 Ben Simmons
#24 Timothe Luwawu
#26 Furkan Korkmaz

For a night, at least, all is well in Sixerland. In a draft where very few players are going to change franchises, they drafted the one who is the best equipped to do so. Ben Simmons is not LeBron James, and it was an unfair comparison for him to carry into LSU. The expectations were so high that a remarkable freshman season from a player with an advanced feel for the game and tremendous size were not fully appreciated. He needs to work on his shot, and the burden of being the face of a long, brutal, and extravagant rebuild won’t be easy. There is still a lot of work to do personel wise, because as talented as Simmons is, his skill set makes the players around him very role specific. The team went international with their two late first rounders. We gave Korkmaz a much higher grade than Luwawu. But the fact that they’re such different players is a positive. Both will need to hit the weight room hard if they want to see meaningful minutes in the NBA over the next few seasons.

4. Dragan Bender
8. Marquese Chriss
34. Tyler Ulis

The Suns made a bold move and traded up to get the 8th pick, and in doing so, were able to take BOTH of the guys they had on their radar at 4 in Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss. It’ll be interesting to see the dynamic between the two. On the one hand, they’re both stretch 4’s. On the other hand, both are talented and versatile and bring different attributes to the table. It remains to be seen if the two can play simultaneously. They were able to hedge their bet essentially, and credit GM Ryan McDonough for figuring out a way to get both players. Two gambles, and in order for this draft to look truly great for Phoenix, both will have to pay off, but they likely will end up with one future star of the two here. They also added Tyler Ulis in the second round, a great basketball player trapped in a 5’9” body. He could be a real contributor as a second rounder, but he could also be entirely overwhelmed physically. Even if you aren’t sold on either of their top two picks, credit them for addressing their greatest position of need, going for upside, and being creative in maneuvering in order to land both of the players thay had in their sights.

The Blazers had no picks going into the night, but traded cash to grab Jake Layman at 47. It’s quite possible he would have been available as an undraft free agent, and I don’t think he’s a top 60 prospect, so I don’t love the move, but it won’t have much of an impact either way, and owner Paul Allen certainly can afford it. It remains to be seen if Layman, a versatile veteran forward, can come in and fill a role off the bench.

13. Georgios Papagiannis
22. [player: Malachi Richardson]
28. Skal Labissiere
59. Isaiah Cousins

There was a lot of good and a lot of bad for the Kings. They traded away Marco Belinelli and their 8th pick and in turn, were able to get guys that had been dropping in Malachi Richardson at 22 and Skal Labissiere at 28. Richardson is a great young shooting guard who could fill a need and step in as a consistent starting shooting guard. Labissiere is a huge question mark but, like Deyonta Davis, was expected to go in the lottery and has real upside for a guy picked this late. It’s the 13th pick that really bothers me. In giving the Suns their 8th pick, they moved down to the late lottery, possibly targeting Domantas Sabonas…and took a fringe first round value guy in Georgios Papagiannis. Who plays the same position as their one true star. Labissiere was a good value but is very similar to their current developing young power forward, Willie Cauley-Stein. That’s two guys being inserted into an already-full frontcourt. The Suns also traded Sacramento Bogdan Bogdanovic, an intriguing young wing player, and the Kings took a potential early second round pick in Isaiah Cousins at pick #59, so that helps, but the Kings just seemed to come away with a lot of guys but no one that will really help this team fill its many needs aside from Malachi Richardson. If Papagiannis develops well and Cousins can play alongside him at the 4, then good on them, but that very questionable selection overshadowed a very solid move to get Richardson.

All the Spurs did in last night’s draft was hold onto their #29th pick and take Dejounte Murray, but Murray was a guy expected to go in the top 20 who instead fell to the Spurs. With his turnover problems and inconsistent shooting, he doesn’t seem like a Spurs guy, but he’s a great talent for the late first round and finds himself in an ideal situation to develop. With all star potential, the Spurs landed a bigtime talent late in a draft devoid of elite mid lotto talent, but very good depth.

The Raptors decided to go very safe with both of their picks. Jakob Poeltl was incredibly efficient in his sophomore year at Utah, and the main concern is whether he would be strong enough to replicate his effectiveness inside at the next level. By going to a playoff team with a starting center in Jonas Valanciunas who is early in a long-term extension, Poeltl will be afforded the advantage of coming off the bench. He is well liked by scouts, but we’re not sure he has the heart and feel for the game to be a standout NBA guy. Pascal Siakam posted impressive numbers at New Mexico State and is a high caliber individual, and has the physical makeup to merit a chance to transition from the WAC to the NBA. It is likely that he will make use of Toronto’s close and well-used D-League affiliate.

George Hill
52. Joel Bolomboy
55. Marcus Paige
60. Tyrone Wallace

I’m a little skeptical about the George Hill trade. While he’s still a solid combo guard, being inserted into a backcourt that needs help, he’s 30 years old and good-but-hardly-not-great and ultimately, I’m not sure he was worth the 12th pick. But with the trade, the Jazz had no first round picks. They ended up with 3 of the draft’s final 9 picks, selecting Joel Bolomboy, a guy I really like this low due to his athleticism and college production. Marcus Paige, a true gamer who I think has a real chance at sticking in the NBA, especially if he’s anything like the player we saw he could become after his excellent sophomore season at UNC. And Ty Wallace, another decent veteran point guard from Cal. Nothing too exciting on draft night itself, but they got themselves an immediate starting level guard, insurance for Dante Exum, but whether he was worth a  lottery pick, we’ll have to wait and see.

None

Wizards fans were dissapointed to learn that Kevin Durant didn’t even include them on his list of teams that he will consider this offseason. With no pick in this year’s draft, the Wizards receive an Incomplete.