The Timberwolves made the first big move of the night, sending Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the No. 7 pick (Lauri Markkanen) to the Bulls for three-time All-Star Jimmy Butler and the No. 16 pick (Justin Patton). Butler will reunite with coach Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota and attempt to lead the young Timberwolves to the playoffs for the first time since the 2003-04 season.
MORE: Team-by-team NBA Draft grades
As for the draft itself, the Sixers selected Markelle Fultz at No. 1 overall, and the Lakers quickly followed with Lonzo Ball at No. 2. Despite trade rumors leading up to draft night, the Celtics stayed in their slot and chose Jayson Tatum at No. 3, and the picks fell into place from there.
Here are the NBA Draft picks, complete with grades and analysis for each selection.
NBA Draft picks, grades: Round 1
DEVENEY: Biggest winners and losers from NBA Draft night
Fultz is the perfect point guard for the 76ers. Not only is he the top prospect on the board, but he’s also an elite scorer at all three levels that will pair exceedingly well with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. With that triumvirate, the team now has its core for the future, one of each at the point guard, center and forward positions. This is a tremendous pickup.
GRADE: A+
Ball gets to stay at home out in Los Angeles, which his father seems to have willed into existence. Ball is not without warts. He’s not hyper explosive, and he’s not a great defender at this stage. But he has the strongest basketball IQ in this draft and is going to create a culture of unselfishness wherever he goes. I liked the fit better when he had D’Angelo Russell next to him in order to help him create plays in the half court, but in the end, Ball should still end up reaching a terrific ceiling in Los Angeles.
GRADE: A-
This is an interesting fit for the Celtics at No. 3, as they pick up the No. 2 player on my board. Coach Brad Stevens does as good a job as any coach in the league at creating mismatches on offense, and Tatum is an absolute matchup nightmare at 6-8 with tremendous athletic fluidity. He’s also known as an extremely hard worker, and he has a good chance to reach his All-Star ceiling with the Celtics.
GRADE: A
This is an absolutely perfect mesh of talent and fit for Phoenix. Jackson gives them an explosive athlete, high-level defender and elite level competitor to pair with Devin Booker on the wing. It’s hard to imagine a better way for them to utilize their selection here than picking up the No. 3 overall player in this draft in Jackson. This is a home run.
GRADE: A+
Another absolute home run for the team selecting here. The Kings don’t have a point guard signed for next season, and Fox is an exceedingly high level one. Fox is explosive with high character and good basketball IQ. He’ll mesh well with Buddy Hield in the backcourt and also help to facilitate the development of the Kings’ young frontcourt players.
GRADE: A
This is not exactly a surprising pick if you know anything about the new regime in charge with the Magic. They value positional size, athleticism and character, and Isaac has all of those in his repertoire. He’s one of the highest-upside defensive players in the draft, and he’ll be a good weapon for Frank Vogel to deploy in a variety of lineups.
GRADE: A-
This pick will be going to the Bulls as part of the Jimmy Butler trade. Markkanen gives Chicago the type of floor-spacing threat that it really needs, as the Finnish 7-footer will likely step into the NBA as one of the top-shooting centers from Day One. When taken in conjunction with the trade, the Bulls clearly didn’t get enough. But if considering this pick in a vacuum? It’s fine.
GRADE: B
Ntilikina is a heck of a fit for the triangle, and has an exceedingly high upside as a long-armed point guard that can play on both ends of the floor. If the Knicks were set on point guard, I would have gone with Dennis Smith. But it’s certainly not out of the question that Ntilikina ends up an excellent player in New York.
GRADE: B-
The Mavericks get their point guard of the future with Smith here, a perfect fit for Rick Carlisle to develop a read-and-react, pick-and-roll-based offense. He’ll also be helped immensely early on by Dirk Nowitzki as a partner in crime.
GRADE: A
Collins will be sent along to Portland for the Nos. 15 and 20 picks. This is an extremely savvy move from a Portland front office who understands what its needs are. Collins is a mobile, highly-skilled player who will fit perfectly in Terry Stotts’ offense that involves the center heavily both in handoffs and in high-post plays. If Collins puts some weight on his frame and continues developing as a rim protector, watch out.
GRADE: A
This is a steal for the Hornets, who end up getting the No. 8 player on our board. He’s a killer shooter off screens, off the catch or off stepbacks. He’ll give the organization the kind of shooting, floor-spacing and offensive firepower they could use next to Kemba Walker.
GRADE: A-
The Pistons were among the worst shooting teams in the NBA last season, so it makes sense for them to add one of the best shooters in the draft in Kennard. He’ll also help with their ball-handling/point guard issues, as he’ll be able to occasionally slide over and run some offense. An excellent fit here.
GRADE: A-
This pick goes to the Jazz, who will send Trey Lyles and the No. 24 overall pick back to Denver. It’s a somewhat steep price to pay, but it makes sense for the Jazz to do it for Mitchell given some of the uncertainty in their backcourt. He’ll immediately increase their athleticism levels, and he’s also a high-character, high-level kid to add to that locker room.
GRADE: B
In a vacuum, I had Adebayo at No. 22 on my board. But this is a perfect fit schematically for what Miami likes to do, and it makes a ton of sense for the Heat to select the Kentucky product here. He moves exceedingly well on the perimeter due to his quickness/athleticism. He’ll be able to blitz pick-and-rolls defensively, and hopefully add some skill offensively. The key for him will be rebounding, as he’d occasionally get beaten on the defensive glass this year.
GRADE: B+
The Kings can really use some size and shooting skill on the wing, and Jackson is a great fit, especially when you consider they moved back to take a perfect player for them and gained assets to do it. De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Jackson is a great triumvirate to build around on the perimeter, with star power as well as role players.
GRADE: A-
The Wolves got No. 16 in their pick swap with the Bulls here in the Jimmy Butler trade, and used it to select Justin Patton. On one hand, I like the idea of him being able to sit behind Gorgui Dieng, Cole Aldrich and, of course, Karl-Anthony Towns given that he’s a project. But overall, this is a reach for me, and it’s not a reach that fills a need given all of the depth they have at the center position.
GRADE: C-
The Bucks get an athletic, long and shooting big man in Wilson. Stop me if you’re surprised. It looks like the team’s M.O. for draft strategy will not change much under Jon Horst, and Wilson fills many of the same holes that the organization tends to look for and have success developing.
GRADE: B+
We had Leaf at No. 31 on our board mostly due to defensive concerns, but he’s a really good fit here next to Myles Turner as a stretch-4 who can be insulated at the rim. He’s a great passer, tougher and more athletic than he gets credit for, and can hit shots from deep. Ultimately, a bit of a reach, but it’s understandable as to why.
GRADE: B-
Super productive player who should be able to play early on for the Hawks. He has defensive woes and occasionally gets into foul trouble, but he’s tenacious on the glass and has great touch. We had a lottery grade on Collins, and this is a great pickup for new general manager Travis Schlenk.
GRADE: A-
This is a home run swing from a Kings organization that did the same thing last year with Skal Labissiere to great results. If Giles hits, he’s going to be a potential star in the NBA, with elite athleticism and motor. But injuries are a major concern. Was his play last year the result of diminished athleticism, or just tentativeness? Who knows, but the Kings can afford to take the swing.
GRADE: B+
Ferguson fills a need on the perimeter for the Thunder as a potentially high-level shooter. He also has the kind of athleticism that the Thunder value under Sam Presti, and his defense could go well with what OKC has on that end. The question will be all about his development. He’s far away from being physically ready for the NBA.
GRADE: B-
The Nets go upside here with Allen, a solid chance to take a potential lottery-level talent if things go right. He’s mobile, has great hands and good touch and can play in the pick-and-roll, a necessity in Kenny Atkinson’s scheme for bigs. Like the D’Angelo Russell chance they took earlier this week, this is a good home run swing.
GRADE: B+
This is an easy fit in Toronto. The team has been looking for a stretch/perimeter-4 for years, and Anunoby is going to be tailor-made for that role defensively. At 6-7 with a 7-3 wingspan, he has the potential to turn into an All-Defensive Team caliber player. The key is getting something out of him on offense, as he might be the rawest player in the first round on that end. Still, this is perfect.
GRADE: A-
Lydon is a shooter, through and through. He has NBA 3-point range from the jump, and he’ll help space the floor next to Nikola Jokic in the frontcourt. Still, this team needs defense more than anything. Lydon has tools on that end, but has yet to be a fully effective defender. We’ll see how this works out.
GRADE: C+
The Magic dealt this pick to Philadelphia so that the Sixers could pick Pasecniks, a 7-foot-plus Latvian who can rim run and defend well due to excellent mobility at his size. I’m not sure he fills a need for the Sixers going forward, given their depth in the frontcourt, but if they get rid of Jahlil Okafor and Richaun Holmes, he’ll be a nice fit as a backup for Joel Embiid.
GRADE: B-
The Blazers pick Swanigan here, a killer rebounder that also has a ton of skill for passing and shooting the basketball. The key is going to be defense. If he can get into good enough shape to defend the perimeter and play the 4, this makes a lot of sense. If he can’t and is stuck at the 5, well, the Blazers have Jusuf Nurkic and just took Zach Collins. But he’s an NBA rotation player, in all likelihood.
GRADE: B
This is a bit of a reach for us. We had Kuzma at No. 46 on our board, as his overall consistency was poor over the course of his career at Utah. One game, you’d get high effort, and he’d go for 20 and 15. The next, he’d go for nine and five. But in terms of his skill, he can knock down 3s as a stretch-4, which is interesting given what the Lakers have on their roster currently.
GRADE: C-
This pick will go to Utah as the Jazz give up 30 and 42 to move up and take Bradley. Bradley is a statistical darling on a per-minute basis, but he’s also a reach here for us. Athleticism is a major concern, as he is heavy footed and doesn’t have a ton in the way of explosiveness. Maybe the Jazz can do as much for him in the way of explosiveness as they did for Rudy Gobert. If they get a backup center, they’ll be happy with this. I’m skeptical, though.
GRADE: C-
Of course, the Spurs end up with the top player on the board. White has a top-20 grade on our board, as a three-level scorer that can also really pass it and play both guard positions. He’s not an elite athlete, but he’s cerebral, and Gregg Popovich will love getting a chance to develop him further.
GRADE: A
The Lakers end up with Josh Hart, a guy they likely would have picked at 28 had they stayed there. Hart helps their depleted wing position a ton. He’s tough, can knock down shots and will be able to play sooner rather than later. The Lakers should end up with a rotation wing here.
GRADE: A-
NBA Draft picks, grades: Round 2
The Hornets have moved this pick to the Pelicans, who will take Jackson. New Orleans traded Tim Frazier this past week, and will likely try to develop Jackson to take over that role behind Jrue Holiday, who the Pelicans hope to re-sign. It’s a good pickup for minimal value.
GRADE: B+
The Suns certainly could use more help on the wing, and Reed will provide a 3-and-D weapon for Phoenix. It’s a bit of a reach, especially with others who were on the board, but he has a shot to stick.
GRADE: B-
This is a great pick by the Magic, who could really use athleticism on the wing like Iwundu can provide. He’s built like an NBA player already, and he can handle the ball. The key will be the jump shot. If he can shoot, he’s absolutely an NBA player.
GRADE: A-
College basketball’s National Player of the Year, we had Mason as a top-35 player in this draft, and it’s good to see that this is where he’s selected. He’s a tremendous shooter, both off the bounce and off the catch, and tenacious at the point of attack defensively. He’s the prototypical backup point guard for today’s NBA, and I wouldn’t bet against him becoming more than that.
GRADE: A
Memphis gets Rabb after a trade to get No. 35 from Orlando. It’s a crowded frontcourt, but the value isn’t awful given that Rabb would have been a top-25 pick last season (albeit in a weaker draft). Given the little asset value the Grizzlies had to give up, can’t complain about this pick much.
GRADE: B
Not a huge fan of this one, but Bolden certainly has upside as a bouncy 6-10 forward who put up numbers in Serbia. The key is all about his maturity levels. If he improves there, he has a shot to become a rotational playmaking 4 that might be able to knock down shots from distance.
GRADE: B-
Many around the NBA compare Ojeleye to Jae Crowder, so it makes sense that Boston would value his mix of positional versatility on defense and shooting on offense. This is the second top-20 player they’ve taken on our board, despite picks No. 3 and 37 so far. Just an absolute home run.
GRADE: A
This is one of the best picks of the draft. There is no better mix of talent and scheme than Bell in Golden State’s defense. He will wreak havoc as a role player for the Warriors as a switchable guy who can guard 1 through 5 and protect the weak side of the rim. This is going to be tough to top as the best value pick the rest of the night.
GRADE: A+ (++++)
It makes sense for the team that employs Chris Paul to get Evans, who has a little bit of that style to his game. He got a top-20 overall grade from us, so this is an absolute steal for the Clippers to get him this late. He’ll be a great backup for them if Paul re-signs.
GRADE: A+
Charlotte gets this at No. 40. He’s at least an athletic wing with good size, and those players are tough to come by in the NBA. He needs to add to his floor game, but he has potential to stick.
GRADE: B
Atlanta is going to lose quite a bit of talent this offseason, and could use a guy in Dorsey that is just a pure bucket-getter. He might be able to get minutes early behind Dennis Schroeder.
GRADE: B+
Bryant can shoot it from deep, handle a bit for his size and has great positional size at center. The key is going to be his mobility. Can he defend anyone in the modern NBA? It’s an open question, but the skill set is worth the risk.
GRADE: B-
This is a good potential stash for the Rockets, as Hartenstein was ranked No. 30 by us as a skilled offensive player that can knock down shots and really pass. We’ll see how he develops in the next few years.
GRADE: B+
Dotson can shoot the ball. That’s good. He also left Oregon after being accused of rape. This comes after the Knicks acquired Derrick Rose right before his civil rape trial. Dotson is a good player and worthy of this slot, but there’s more at play than hoops, and there’s just no way I’m giving this anything resembling a positive grade.
GRADE: F
Brooks was one of the best players in college hoops a year ago, a legitimate monster who is really skilled both as a shot-maker and passer. He’s also a strong power athlete. Defensively, I have no idea who he guards, but he’s worth a shot here.
GRADE: B+
Brown is a long, athletic wing who can shoot the ball. He’ll fit well in Milwaukee, where the team continues to prioritize those skills in players.
GRADE: B
Anigbogu fell due to concerns over his knee, but he had a No. 25 overall grade from us. If he’s healthy, he’s certainly a steal here as a high-upside athlete. This is worth a roll of the dice from Indiana.
GRADE: A-
The Clippers are getting this pick, too, clearly trying to use this deep draft to stock up on potential role players next to their stars. Overall, these are smart picks, even if Chris Paul and Blake Griffin don’t return. Thornwell is a killer defender, and he became a stronger shooter over the course of the year.
GRADE: B+
Cancar is a playmaking 4 who needs to improve as a jump shooter, but he has some passing skills at 6-9 with length. He’s the prototypical player for Denver, who has a better scouting staff than any in the NBA, to keep overseas.
GRADE: B
Lessort is a draft-and-stash that recently signed with Bamberg in Germany, meaning he’ll get minutes at the highest level in Euroleague. He’s an athletic 6-9 bruiser who rebounds and produces.
GRADE: A-
Awesome pickup here for the Nuggets, who could use Morris potentially sooner rather than later as a backup point guard. We had a grade on him at No. 35, meaning he was much higher than where he was selected. This is simply an awesome pick.
GRADE: A-
Indiana is getting this pick, and will take a flier on an athletic point guard in Sumner as he recovers from knee surgery. He’s a monster athlete who can get into the lane whenever he wants. The key is the rest of his skill. But at 6-6 with point guard handle, he’s worth a shot this late, for sure.
GRADE: B+
Allen is among the best perimeter defenders in the 2017 NBA Draft. Not sure what the Celtics will ever get out of him offensively, but Allen’s athletic, quick and tough as hell at the point of attack. Interesting choice.
GRADE: C+
Peters is a knockdown shooter who can hopefully grow into becoming a stretch-4 in today’s NBA. He’ll need to find someone to guard, but he’s fine here.
GRADE: B
Williams-Goss is a good flier for the team to take as a potential backup point guard. The first team All-American should be ready to play (if he ever will be) from the jump due to his physicality and IQ.
GRADE: B
Bird is not on our top-100 list. A former McDonald’s All-American, Bird is a shooter that can hit from 3. My assumption is that this is a stash pick and that Boston had others higher on their board that did not agree to it.
GRADE: B-
Vezenkov is a clear draft-and-stash, playing for Barcelona currently. He won the Greek League MVP at 19 years old before going over the Spain. The key for him is athleticism. He has the skill, both in terms of shooting and passing, but he might not be athletic enough for this level.
GRADE: B-
Jaramaz is incredibly fun to watch. He operates well in the pick-and-roll, and essentially tries to dunk on dudes at will. The key for him is the jump shot. He’s athletic enough to play in the NBA. If he can learn to shoot, he’ll make it over.
GRADE: B+
Blossomgame would have been a top-40 pick had he come out last year, but instead slips to the Spurs here at No. 59. Not a bad landing spot for him. If he can get with Chip Engelland and learn to shoot, he’ll have a chance as a rotation player.
GRADE: B
He’s a big, athletic dude with long arms that can kind of shoot it. He needs a lot of work, but there’s an outline of a player here.
GRADE: C+
