The virtual 2020 NBA Draft took place last night and while there wasn't much excitement with the lottery picks, things really heated up after the 15th pick. Eight of the last fifteen picks in the 1st round were ultimately
dealt to other teams, with multiple players being dealt twice. Check out the full results below...
Winners
Anthony Edwards
Leading into a draft that didn't have a clear-cut number 1 pick,
Edwards comes out as the winner between the 3 players vying for the 1st pick - himself, LaMelo Ball and James Wiseman. There can only be one number 1 pick and Edwards is it. Rightfully so. The young man has an explosive game.
Minnesota Timberwolves
While Minnesota clearly got the man they wanted at number 1, they also made a flurry of other deals on draft night. They
traded their 17th overall pick and landed Ricky Rubio (for a 2nd time), to go along with the 23rd and 28th overall picks. With those picks, they were able to acquire
Leandro Bolmaro, one of the top international prospects, and
Jaden McDaniels, a late bloomer with tons of upside. While Rubio has never hit the ceiling many imagined for him when drafted 5th overall by the Wolves in 2009, he has certainly turned into a
solid pro. Averaging 7.8 apg through nine NBA seasons is more than respectable, and we can expect Rubio to hit both Edwards and KAT with dimes in transition this year. Overall, a good night for the Timberwolves.
Detroit Pistons
There is no doubt the Pistons had a good draft. They were able to snap up one of the more intriguing prospects of the draft in
Killian Hayes at the number 7 slot. Hayes has great size and vision at the point guard position, and there are a number of people that are high on him as he enters the NBA, but none more than writer for The Ringer,
@KevinOConnorNBA:
The Pistons were able to swing a few deals throughout the evening, and landed Isaiah Stewart, a Freshman big man out of Washington as well as Saddiq Bey, who has massive upside as a 3&D specialist. Don't sleep on the fact that they also landed Trevor Ariza - he can be a solid veteran presence for a young team and could also be used as trade bait moving forward.
Sacramento Kings
With the 12th pick in the draft, and at the tail end of the lottery, the Kings may have secured themselves the most underrated player in the draft -
Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton will immediately take pressure off of De'Aaron Fox to do just about everything in SacTown. An above average playmaker, Haliburton brings size, vision and basketball IQ to a franchise trying to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season. A good fit, Haliburton also happened to be the most talented player available to the Kings at their pick.
Losers
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors got their rim-running/rim-protecting big man at number 2 in James Wiseman, which is quite positive. He will help the Warriors immediately and develop immensely as a player, and it will be fun to watch - put him in the running for Rookie of the Year straight away. Unfortunately for Golden State it appears that Klay Thompson suffered a serious injury yesterday while playing in a pickup game. Early reports were not good, as it sounds like Klay may have torn his Achilles. For a player coming off a torn ACL, this is terrible news.
Charlotte Hornets
LaMelo Ball, who slipped to number 3 in the draft despite
claiming he was born to be the number 1 pick, is now the third point guard on the Hornets roster, behind
Terry Rozier and 2019-20 breakout star
Devonte' Graham. Obviously, one or both of Rozier/Graham will have to be moved in order to make way for the youngest Ball. While Ball brings great point guard size, excellent ball handling and quickness, his shooting is a big liability. The Hornets, unlike the Pistons and Timberwolves, were unable to trade assets to get multiple picks in the first round - perhaps they couldn't quickly turn Rozier/Graham into a pick once they chose LaMelo. Either way, the Hornets are on the clock to overhaul Ball's shot and turn him into a respectable shooter, to go along with his prodigious playmaking abilities.
Photo Credit: Lance King/Icon Sportswire
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