Bleacher Report's Ultimate 2016-17 NBA Re-Draft: Full 13-Round Results
Sorry, Minnesota Timberwolves fans. You're no longer allowed to root for Karl-Anthony Towns, but we're giving you Kyrie Irving to make up for the loss. Ditto for the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry, though they at least get to keep Draymond Green.
Almost everything changes when a select group of 11 NBA writers and editors get together for Bleacher Report's fifth annual NBA re-draft—a creative, subjective and democratic way to rank the league's premier talents (players and coaches) from best to worst.
Starting from scratch and dispersing the league's talent across 30 teams to create a landscape flush with parity, these basketball minds drafted 13-man squads—12 players and a coach—for a magical 2016-17 season where injuries are suddenly healed before the first game.
We've already covered the first-round picks in detail, which you can find here. Today, you'll find every team's full roster, complete with analysis from those who worked together as general managers. You can also see the NBA 2K17-inspired projections plus our voted-upon results.
Special thanks to Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey, Jacob Bourne, Joel Cordes, Dan Favale, Adam Fromal, Grant Hughes, David Kenyon, Alec Nathan, Kelly Scaletta, Greg Swartz and Jonathan Wasserman for their participation.
The Process
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For the second straight season, we've streamlined to 11 participants (10 GMs plus a backup), with the order set so every GM gets to pick for each of the NBA's 30 teams at least once.
As a result, no one was biased toward any one organization, and everyone sought to make each squad as strong as possible.
The 13 rounds proceeded in a snake format with the first 30 selections totally randomized, meaning the draft order flips back and forth to allow for a more even playing field. Thus, the 30th team in the first round chose first in the second round, and the draft order for franchises was determined randomly.
Now, some rules:
- GMs were only concerned with the 2016-17 season, so how these players develop in the future is irrelevant. A player is only as good as he'll be during this upcoming campaign.
- Team fit did matter, especially when thinking about the coach. The players selected should be able to work well together, and playing styles should not clash.
- Injuries are automatically healed for the start of the season. However, injury-prone players do remain injury-prone. For example, this means Chris Bosh is eligible to play.
- GMs could form whatever type of team they wanted. If someone wanted five centers in his starting lineup, that was his prerogative.
- Players and coaches were only eligible if they were on a 2016-17 NBA roster. Foreign players, collegiate athletes, retired stars and coaches without current NBA contracts were not eligible.
Feel free to check out the 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012 versions to further familiarize yourself.
Round 1
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(Note: Team-by-team analysis will follow all of the picks later in this slideshow.)
1. Stephen Curry, San Antonio Spurs (Up two spots from last year)
2. LeBron James, Brooklyn Nets (No change)
3. Russell Westbrook, Dallas Mavericks (Up six)
4. Kawhi Leonard, Orlando Magic (Up eight)
5. Kevin Durant, Sacramento Kings (Down one)
6. Anthony Davis, New York Knicks (Down five)
7. Paul George, Phoenix Suns (Up six)
8. Karl-Anthony Towns, Los Angeles Clippers (Up 52)
9. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors (Up 11)
10. James Harden, Los Angeles Lakers (Down five)
11. DeMarcus Cousins, Detroit Pistons (Down five)
12. Paul Millsap, Indiana Pacers (Up 27)
13. Jimmy Butler, Cleveland Cavaliers (Up one)
14. Chris Paul, Charlotte Hornets (Down seven)
15. Kyle Lowry, Utah Jazz (Up 22)
16. Blake Griffin, Memphis Grizzlies (Down six)
17. Damian Lillard, Philadelphia 76ers (Up 14)
18. John Wall, Boston Celtics (Down seven)
19. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Houston Rockets (Up 47)
20. LaMarcus Aldridge, Washington Wizards (Down one)
21. Carmelo Anthony, Milwaukee Bucks (Up four)
22. Kyrie Irving, Minnesota Timberwolves (Down seven)
23. DeMar DeRozan, Atlanta Hawks (Up 45)
24. Al Horford, Oklahoma City Thunder (Down three)
25. Klay Thompson, Denver Nuggets (Down three)
26. Kevin Love, Portland Trail Blazers (Down three)
27. Andre Drummond, New Orleans Pelicans (Up eight)
28. DeAndre Jordan, Miami Heat (Up two)
29. Gordon Hayward, Chicago Bulls (Down two)
30. Hassan Whiteside, Toronto Raptors (Up 20)
Round 2
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31. Mike Conley, Toronto Raptors (Up five)
32. Chris Bosh, Chicago Bulls (Down eight)
33. Kemba Walker, Miami Heat (Up 146)
34. Reggie Jackson, New Orleans Pelicans (Up 44)
35. Nicolas Batum, Portland Trail Blazers (Up 14)
36. Derrick Favors, Denver Nuggets (Down eight)
37. Andre Iguodala, Oklahoma City Thunder (Up 20)
38. Marc Gasol, Atlanta Hawks (Down 30)
39. Kristaps Porzingis, Minnesota Timberwolves (Up 120)
40. Rudy Gobert, Milwaukee Bucks (Down 24)
41. Dwyane Wade, Washington Wizards (Down seven)
42. Isaiah Thomas, Houston Rockets (Up 67)
43. Dwight Howard, Boston Celtics (Down 26)
44. Andrew Wiggins, Philadelphia 76ers (Down 18)
45. Khris Middleton, Memphis Grizzlies (Up three)
46. C.J. McCollum, Utah Jazz (Up 97)
47. Steven Adams, Charlotte Hornets (Up 97)
48. Dirk Nowitzki, Cleveland Cavaliers (Up four)
49. Brook Lopez, Indiana Pacers (Up seven)
50. Rodney Hood, Detroit Pistons (Up 79)
51. Jae Crowder, Los Angeles Lakers (Up 99)
52. Eric Bledsoe, Golden State Warriors (Down 20)
53. Ben Simmons, Los Angeles Clippers (Ineligible in 2015)
54. Bradley Beal, Phoenix Suns (Down one)
55. Serge Ibaka, New York Knicks (Down 26)
56. Nikola Vucevic, Sacramento Kings (Down 10)
57. Nikola Jokic, Orlando Magic (Up 174)
58. Danilo Gallinari, Dallas Mavericks (Up seven)
59. Gregg Popovich, Brooklyn Nets (Down five)
60. Aaron Gordon, San Antonio Spurs (Up 59)
Round 3
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61. J.J. Redick, San Antonio Spurs (Up five)
62. George Hill, Brooklyn Nets (Up 24)
63. Andrew Bogut, Dallas Mavericks (Down 16)
64. Jabari Parker, Orlando Magic (Up 24)
65. Jrue Holiday, Sacramento Kings (Down 14)
66. Ricky Rubio, New York Knicks (Up 21)
67. Avery Bradley, Phoenix Suns (Up 43)
68. Joel Embiid, Los Angeles Clippers (Up 123)
69. Zach LaVine, Golden State Warriors (Up 91)
70. Myles Turner, Los Angeles Lakers (Up 129)
71. Pau Gasol, Detroit Pistons (Down 28)
72. Dennis Schroder, Indiana Pacers (Up 108)
73. Victor Oladipo, Cleveland Cavaliers (Down one)
74. Harrison Barnes, Charlotte Hornets (Up 16)
75. Marvin Williams, Utah Jazz (Up 221)
76. Evan Fournier, Memphis Grizzlies (Up 129)
77. Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers (Down eight)
78. Chandler Parsons, Boston Celtics (Down two)
79. Nikola Mirotic, Houston Rockets (Up 25)
80. Goran Dragic, Washington Wizards (Down 47)
81. Jeff Teague, Milwaukee Bucks (Down 41)
82. Steve Kerr, Minnesota Timberwolves (Up 19)
83. Danny Green, Atlanta Hawks (Down 25)
84. Tobias Harris, Oklahoma City Thunder (Down seven)
85. Brandon Knight, Denver Nuggets (Down 40)
86. Devin Booker, Portland Trail Blazers (Up 201)
87. Kent Bazemore, New Orleans Pelicans (Up 208)
88. Ryan Anderson, Miami Heat (Up three)
89. D'Angelo Russell, Chicago Bulls (Up 26)
90. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Toronto Raptors (Up 113)
Round 4
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91. DeMarre Carroll, Toronto Raptors (Down 12)
92. Robin Lopez, Chicago Bulls (Down 10)
93. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Miami Heat (Down 19)
94. Luol Deng, New Orleans Pelicans (Down 23)
95. Bismack Biyombo, Portland Trail Blazers (Up 123)
96. Marcus Smart, Denver Nuggets (Down four)
97. Patrick Beverley, Oklahoma City Thunder (Up eight)
98. Tony Parker, Atlanta Hawks (Down 36)
99. Gary Harris, Minnesota Timberwolves (Up 124)
100. Tyreke Evans, Milwaukee Bucks (Down 27)
101. Marcus Morris, Washington Wizards (Up 165)
102. Joakim Noah, Houston Rockets (Down 43)
103. Kenneth Faried, Boston Celtics (Up 33)
104. Trevor Ariza, Philadelphia 76ers (Down 23)
105. Ian Mahinmi, Memphis Grizzlies (Up 151)
106. Jonas Valanciunas, Utah Jazz (Down 10)
107. Allen Crabbe, Charlotte Hornets (Up 253)
108. Tristan Thompson, Cleveland Cavaliers (Up 33)
109. Josh Richardson, Indiana Pacers (Undrafted in 2015)
110. Kyle Korver, Detroit Pistons (Down 68)
111. Wesley Matthews, Los Angeles Lakers (Down 41)
112. Rudy Gay, Golden State Warriors (Down 51)
113. Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Clippers (Up 65)
114. Mason Plumlee, Phoenix Suns (Up 88)
115. Omri Casspi, New York Knicks (Up 136)
116. Evan Turner, Sacramento Kings (Up seven)
117. Cory Joseph, Orlando Magic (Up 73)
118. J.R. Smith, Dallas Mavericks (Up four)
119. Lance Thomas, Brooklyn Nets (Undrafted in 2015)
120. Marcin Gortat, San Antonio Spurs (Down 37)
Round 5
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121. Justise Winslow, San Antonio Spurs (Up 37)
122. Kelly Olynyk, Brooklyn Nets (Up 27)
123. Courtney Lee, Dallas Mavericks (Up four)
124. Manu Ginobili, Orlando Magic (Down 24)
125. Eric Gordon, Sacramento Kings (Down 22)
126. Will Barton, New York Knicks (Up 209)
127. Bobby Portis, Phoenix Suns (Up 86)
128. Joe Johnson, Los Angeles Clippers (Down 16)
129. Gorgui Dieng, Golden State Warriors (Up four)
130. Jared Dudley, Los Angeles Lakers (Up 27)
131. Emmanuel Mudiay, Detroit Pistons (Up three)
132. Otto Porter, Indiana Pacers (Down 33)
133. Jeremy Lin, Cleveland Cavaliers (Up 95)
134. Julius Randle, Charlotte Hornets (Up 35)
135. Wilson Chandler, Utah Jazz (Down 46)
136. Kris Dunn, Memphis Grizzlies (Ineligible in 2015)
137. Norman Powell, Philadelphia 76ers (Up 243)
138. Brandon Ingram, Boston Celtics (Ineligible in 2015)
139. Tyler Johnson, Houston Rockets (Undrafted in 2015)
140. Greg Monroe, Washington Wizards (Down 76)
141. Tony Allen, Milwaukee Bucks (Down 66)
142. Boris Diaw, Minnesota Timberwolves (Down 47)
143. Thaddeus Young, Atlanta Hawks (Down 36)
144. Monta Ellis, Oklahoma City Thunder (Down 64)
145. Ersan Ilyasova, Denver Nuggets (Up nine)
146. Shaun Livingston, Portland Trail Blazers (Down six)
147. Bojan Bogdanovic, New Orleans Pelicans (Up 87)
148. Marcus Thornton, Miami Heat (Undrafted in 2015)
149. Alec Burks, Chicago Bulls (Down 29)
150. Amir Johnson, Toronto Raptors (Down 20)
Rounds 6-9
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Round 6
151. Elfrid Payton, Toronto Raptors (Down nine)
152. Al Jefferson, Chicago Bulls (Down 89)
153. Jonathon Simmons, Miami Heat (Undrafted in 2015)
154. Rajon Rondo, New Orleans Pelicans (Down 37)
155. Derrick Rose, Portland Trail Blazers (Down 111)
156. Patty Mills, Denver Nuggets (Up 19)
157. Arron Afflalo, Oklahoma City Thunder (Down 46)
158. Jahlil Okafor, Atlanta Hawks (Down 44)
159. Terrence Ross, Minnesota Timberwolves (Up 50)
160. Jamal Crawford, Milwaukee Bucks (Down nine)
161. Thabo Sefolosha, Washington Wizards (Up 51)
162. Enes Kanter, Houston Rockets (Up five)
163. Doug McDermott, Boston Celtics (Up 94)
164. Trey Lyles, Philadelphia 76ers (Up 162)
165. Stanley Johnson, Memphis Grizzlies (Down 12)
166. Cole Aldrich, Utah Jazz (Up 218)
167. Rick Carlisle, Charlotte Hornets (Down 69)
168. Zaza Pachulia, Cleveland Cavaliers (Up 103)
169. Robert Covington, Indiana Pacers (Down 23)
170. Jarrett Jack, Detroit Pistons (Up 27)
171. Darren Collison, Los Angeles Lakers (Down 46)
172. Markieff Morris, Golden State Warriors (Down 56)
173. Matthew Dellavedova, Los Angeles Clippers (Up 70)
174. Deron Williams, Phoenix Suns (Down 61)
175. Al-Farouq Aminu, New York Knicks (Up 10)
176. Ed Davis, Sacramento Kings (Down 70)
177. Derrick Williams, Orlando Magic (Up 180)
178. Nemanja Bjelica, Dallas Mavericks (Up 43)
179. Hollis Thompson, Brooklyn Nets (Up 58)
180. Brad Stevens, San Antonio Spurs (Down 56)
Round 7
181. Patrick Patterson, San Antonio Spurs (Up six)
182. Taj Gibson, Brooklyn Nets (Down 97)
183. Kyle Anderson, Dallas Mavericks (Up 57)
184. Ish Smith, Orlando Magic (Undrafted in 2015)
185. Dion Waiters, Sacramento Kings (Up 41)
186. Zach Randolph, New York Knicks (Down 131)
187. Clint Capela, Phoenix Suns (Up 30)
188. Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clippers (Down 33)
189. Tom Thibodeau, Golden State Warriors (Ineligible in 2015)
190. Willie Cauley-Stein, Los Angeles Lakers (Down 13)
191. Channing Frye, Detroit Pistons (Down 63)
192. Frank Vogel, Indiana Pacers (Up 23)
193. Anthony Morrow, Cleveland Cavaliers (Down 67)
194. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Charlotte Hornets (Up 155)
195. Dario Saric, Utah Jazz (Ineligible in 2015)
196. Shelvin Mack, Memphis Grizzlies (Up 155)
197. Terry Stotts, Philadelphia 76ers (Up 111)
198. Jerryd Bayless, Boston Celtics (Up 177)
199. Jon Leuer, Houston Rockets (Up 122)
200. Boban Marjanovic, Washington Wizards (Undrafted in 2015)
201. Nene, Milwaukee Bucks (Down 69)
202. Maurice Harkless, Minnesota Timberwolves (Up 78)
203. John Henson, Atlanta Hawks (Down 85)
204. Jerami Grant, Oklahoma City Thunder (Up 69)
205. Festus Ezeli, Denver Nuggets (Down 34)
206. Brandan Wright, Portland Trail Blazers (Down 65)
207. Mirza Teletovic, New Orleans Pelicans (Up 28)
208. Alex Len, Miami Heat (Up 47)
209. Dwane Casey, Chicago Bulls (Undrafted in 2015)
210. Wesley Johnson, Toronto Raptors (Up 68)
Round 8
211. Jared Sullinger, Toronto Raptors (Up 11)
212. Dante Exum, Chicago Bulls (Down 26)
213. Michael Carter-Williams, Miami Heat (Down 111)
214. Jusuf Nurkic, New Orleans Pelicans (No change)
215. T.J. Warren, Portland Trail Blazers (Down four)
216. Mike Dunleavy, Denver Nuggets (Down 78)
217. Kosta Koufos, Oklahoma City Thunder (Up 38)
218. Raymond Felton, Atlanta Hawks (Undrafted in 2015)
219. David West, Minnesota Timberwolves (Down 54)
220. C.J. Miles, Milwaukee Bucks (Up 52)
221. Buddy Hield, Washington Wizards (Ineligible in 2015)
222. Solomon Hill, Houston Rockets (Up 124)
223. Tyson Chandler, Boston Celtics (Down 182)
224. Iman Shumpert, Philadelphia 76ers (Down 87)
225. Cody Zeller, Memphis Grizzlies (Up 21)
226. Brandon Jennings, Utah Jazz (Down 105)
227. Meyers Leonard, Charlotte Hornets (Down 54)
228. Ramon Sessions, Cleveland Cavaliers (Up 138)
229. Andre Roberson, Indiana Pacers (Up 69)
230. Jeremy Lamb, Detroit Pistons (Down six)
231. Doc Rivers, Los Angeles Lakers (Down 65)
232. Kyle O'Quinn, Golden State Warriors (Down 68)
233. Shabazz Muhammad, Los Angeles Clippers (Up 42)
234. Jeff Green, Phoenix Suns (Down 137)
235. Cameron Payne, New York Knicks (Down 42)
236. Jonas Jerebko, Sacramento Kings (Up 81)
237. Mario Hezonja, Orlando Magic (Down 48)
238. Ty Lawson, Dallas Mavericks (Down 200)
239. Jamal Murray, Brooklyn Nets (Ineligible in 2015)
240. Jaylen Brown, San Antonio Spurs (Ineligible in 2015)
Round 9
241. Langston Galloway, San Antonio Spurs (Up 81)
242. Devin Harris, Brooklyn Nets (Down 58)
243. Mike Budenholzer, Dallas Mavericks (Down 68)
244. Erik Spoelstra, Orlando Magic (Down 76)
245. Stan Van Gundy, Sacramento Kings (Down 38)
246. Steve Clifford, New York Knicks (Undrafted in 2015)
247. Richard Jefferson, Phoenix Suns (Undrafted in 2015)
248. Andrew Nicholson, Los Angeles Clippers (Up 84)
249. Seth Curry, Golden State Warriors (Up 85)
250. Larry Nance Jr., Los Angeles Lakers (Up 136)
251. Billy Donovan, Detroit Pistons (Down 95)
252. Denzel Valentine, Indiana Pacers (Ineligible in 2015)
253. Gerald Henderson, Cleveland Cavaliers (Down 34)
254. Delon Wright, Charlotte Hornets (Up 58)
255. Matt Barnes, Utah Jazz (Up 36)
256. Josh McRoberts, Memphis Grizzlies (Down 73)
257. Timofey Mozgov, Philadelphia 76ers (Down 149)
258. E'Twaun Moore, Boston Celtics (Up 130)
259. Leandro Barbosa, Houston Rockets (Up 54)
260. Brett Brown, Washington Wizards (Down 10)
261. Jerian Grant, Milwaukee Bucks (Up six)
262. Jose Calderon, Minnesota Timberwolves (Down 13)
263. K.J. McDaniels, Atlanta Hawks (Down 15)
264. Dejounte Murray, Oklahoma City Thunder (Ineligible in 2015)
265. P.J. Tucker, Denver Nuggets (Down 120)
266. Tony Snell, Portland Trail Blazers (Up 40)
267. Lance Stephenson, New Orleans Pelicans (Down 41)
268. Garrett Temple, Miami Heat (Undrafted in 2015)
269. Joe Ingles, Chicago Bulls (Up 28)
270. Ben McLemore, Toronto Raptors (Down 109)
Rounds 10-13
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Round 10
271. Jeff Withey, Toronto Raptors (Up 87)
272. Sergio Rodriguez, Chicago Bulls (Ineligible in 2015)
273. Terrence Jones, Miami Heat (Down 126)
274. Brandon Rush, New Orleans Pelicans (Undrafted in 2015)
275. Tyronn Lue, Portland Trail Blazers (Up 24)
276. Luke Walton, Denver Nuggets (Ineligible in 2015)
277. Mike Malone, Oklahoma City Thunder (Down 76)
278. Malik Beasley, Atlanta Hawks (Ineligible in 2015)
279. Miles Plumlee, Minnesota Timberwolves (Up 25)
280. Donatas Motiejunas, Milwaukee Bucks (Down 110)
281. Trevor Booker, Washington Wizards (Down 110)
282. Kenny Atkinson, Houston Rockets (Ineligible in 2015)
283. Quin Snyder, Boston Celtics (Down 87)
284. D.J. Augustin, Philadelphia 76ers (Down 90)
285. David Joerger, Memphis Grizzlies (Up four)
286. Jason Kidd, Utah Jazz (Down 84)
287. Archie Goodwin, Charlotte Hornets (Up 53)
288. Frank Kaminsky, Cleveland Cavaliers (Down 68)
289. Norris Cole, Indiana Pacers (Up 53)
290. Marco Belinelli, Detroit Pistons (Down 128)
291. Austin Rivers, Los Angeles Lakers (Up 20)
292. Kevin Martin, Golden State Warriors (Down 144)
293. Terry Rozier, Los Angeles Clippers (Down eight)
294. Randy Foye, Phoenix Suns (Down 55)
295. Mike Scott, New York Knicks (Up 38)
296. Greivis Vasquez, Sacramento Kings (Down 98)
297. Tiago Splitter, Orlando Magic (Down 145)
298. Dwight Powell, Dallas Mavericks (Undrafted in 2015)
299. Taurean Prince, Brooklyn Nets (Ineligible in 2015)
300. J.J. Barea, San Antonio Spurs (Up 72)
Round 11
301. Marreese Speights, San Antonio Spurs (Down 120)
302. Roy Hibbert, Brooklyn Nets (Down 208)
303. Tim Frazier, Dallas Mavericks (Undrafted in 2015)
304. Justin Anderson, Orlando Magic (Down 49)
305. Joffrey Lauvergne, Sacramento Kings (Down 41)
306. Vince Carter, New York Knicks (Down 53)
307. Scott Brooks, Phoenix Suns (Ineligible in 2015)
308. Paul Pierce, Los Angeles Clippers (Down 215)
309. Kelly Oubre, Golden State Warriors (No change)
310. Quincy Pondexter, Los Angeles Lakers (Down 45)
311. David Lee, Detroit Pistons (Down 180)
312. Alexis Ajinca, Indiana Pacers (Down 33)
313. Mike D'Antoni, Cleveland Cavaliers (Ineligible in 2015)
314. Tyler Zeller, Charlotte Hornets (Down 85)
315. Alex Abrines, Utah Jazz (Ineligible in 2015)
316. Rodney Stuckey, Memphis Grizzlies (Down 91)
317. Dragan Bender, Philadelphia 76ers (Ineligible in 2015)
318. Sean Kilpatrick, Boston Celtics (Undrafted in 2015)
319. Raul Neto, Houston Rockets (Up one)
320. Aaron Brooks, Washington Wizards (Down 50)
321. Jeff Hornacek, Milwaukee Bucks (Down 80)
322. Nik Stauskas, Minnesota Timberwolves (Down 75)
323. Alvin Gentry, Atlanta Hawks (Down 147)
324. Jason Terry, Oklahoma City Thunder (Up 13)
325. Richaun Holmes, Denver Nuggets (Up 65)
326. Udonis Haslem, Portland Trail Blazers (Undrafted in 2015)
327. Fred Hoiberg, New Orleans Pelicans (Down 100)
328. Tim Hardaway Jr., Miami Heat (Down 67)
329. Thon Maker, Chicago Bulls (Ineligible in 2015)
330. Nate McMillan, Toronto Raptors (Ineligible in 2015)
Round 12
331. Brandon Bass, Toronto Raptors (Up 17)
332. Anthony Tolliver, Chicago Bulls (Down 122)
333. David Fizdale, Miami Heat (Ineligible in 2015)
334. Luc Mbah a Moute, New Orleans Pelicans (Undrafted in 2015)
335. Gerald Green, Portland Trail Blazers (Down 140)
336. Anderson Varejao, Denver Nuggets (Down 154)
337. Skal Labissiere, Oklahoma City Thunder (Ineligible in 2015)
338. Justin Holiday, Atlanta Hawks (Down 11)
339. Isaiah Canaan, Minnesota Timberwolves (Down 77)
340. Wade Baldwin IV, Milwaukee Bucks (Ineligible in 2015)
341. Tyus Jones, Washington Wizards (Up 40)
342. JaMychal Green, Houston Rockets (Undrafted in 2015)
343. James Johnson, Boston Celtics (Down 101)
344. Kyle Singler, Philadelphia 76ers (Down 90)
345. Brian Roberts, Memphis Grizzlies (Up two)
346. Troy Daniels, Utah Jazz (Undrafted in 2015)
347. Darrell Arthur, Charlotte Hornets (Up 18)
348. Ian Clark, Cleveland Cavaliers (Undrafted in 2015)
349. Michael Beasley, Indiana Pacers (Undrafted in 2015)
350. Marquese Chriss, Detroit Pistons (Ineligible in 2015)
351. Tyler Ulis, Los Angeles Lakers (Ineligible in 2015)
352. Jakob Poeltl, Golden State Warriors (Ineligible in 2015)
353. Beno Udrih, Los Angeles Clippers (Down 145)
354. T.J. McConnell, Phoenix Suns (Undrafted in 2015)
355. Jodie Meeks, New York Knicks (Down 151)
356. Spencer Hawes, Sacramento Kings (Down 88)
357. Patrick McCaw, Orlando Magic (Ineligible in 2015)
358. Alonzo Gee, Dallas Mavericks (Undrafted in 2015)
359. Sam Dekker, Brooklyn Nets (Down 43)
360. Domantas Sabonis, San Antonio Spurs (Ineligible in 2015)
Round 13
361. Brice Johnson, San Antonio Spurs (Ineligible in 2015)
362. Kris Humphries, Brooklyn Nets (Down 76)
363. Lavoy Allen, Dallas Mavericks (Up eight)
364. Rashad Vaughn, Orlando Magic (Down 14)
365. Briante Weber, Sacramento Kings (Undrafted in 2015)
366. Guillermo Hernangomez, New York Knicks (Ineligible in 2015)
367. Luis Scola, Phoenix Suns (Down 49)
368. Earl Watson, Los Angeles Clippers (Ineligible in 2015)
369. Pablo Prigioni, Golden State Warriors (Down 136)
370. Yi Jianlian, Los Angeles Lakers (Ineligible in 2015)
371. Kirk Hinrich, Detroit Pistons (Undrafted in 2015)
372. Noah Vonleh, Indiana Pacers (Down 209)
373. Thomas Robinson, Cleveland Cavaliers (Down 11)
374. Tomas Satoransky, Charlotte Hornets (Ineligible in 2015)
375. Mitch McGary, Utah Jazz (Down 87)
376. Dewayne Dedmon, Memphis Grizzlies (Undrafted in 2015)
377. Corey Brewer, Philadelphia 76ers (Down 177)
378. Marcelo Huertas, Boston Celtics (Down 76)
379. Wayne Ellington, Houston Rockets (Down 127)
380. Livio Jean-Charles, Washington Wizards (Ineligible in 2015)
381. Jordan Mickey, Milwaukee Bucks (Undrafted in 2015)
382. JaKarr Sampson, Minnesota Timberwolves (Down 19)
383. Steve Novak, Atlanta Hawks (Undrafted in 2015)
384. Isaiah Whitehead, Oklahoma City Thunder (Ineligible in 2015)
385. Joe Young, Denver Nuggets (Down seven)
386. DeAndre' Bembry, Portland Trail Blazers (Ineligible in 2015)
387. Josh Smith, New Orleans Pelicans (Down 252)
388. Nikola Pekovic, Miami Heat (Down 128)
389. Kay Felder, Chicago Bulls (Ineligible in 2015)
390. Trey Burke, Toronto Raptors (Down 96)
Biggest Changes and Superlatives
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Highest Risers
- Allen Crabbe, Up 253
- Norman Powell, Up 243
- Marvin Williams, Up 221
- Cole Aldrich, Up 218
- Will Barton, Up 209
- Kent Bazemore, Up 208
- Devin Booker, Up 201
- Derrick Williams, Up 180
- Jerryd Bayless, Up 177
- Nikola Jokic, Up 174
Biggest Fallers
- Josh Smith, Down 252
- Paul Pierce, Down 215
- Noah Vonleh, Down 209
- Roy Hibbert, Down 208
- Ty Lawson, Down 200
- Tyson Chandler, Down 182
- David Lee, Down 180
- Corey Brewer, Down 177
- Anderson Varejao, Down 154
- Jodie Meeks, Down 151
Top Re-Draft Rookies
- Ben Simmons, No. 53
- Kris Dunn, No. 136
- Brandon Ingram, No. 138
- Dario Saric, No. 195
- Buddy Hield, No. 221
- Jamal Murray, No. 239
- Jaylen Brown, No. 240
- Denzel Valentine, No. 252
Top Undrafted-to-Drafted Guys
- Josh Richardson, No. 109
- Lance Thomas, No. 119
- Tyler Johnson, No. 139
- Marcus Thornton, No. 148
- Jonathon Simmons, No. 153
- Ish Smith, No. 184
- Boban Marjanovic, No. 200
- Dwane Casey, No. 209
- Raymond Felton, No. 218
- Steve Clifford, No. 246
Top Coaches
- Gregg Popovich, No. 59
- Steve Kerr, No. 82
- Rick Carlisle, No. 167
- Brad Stevens, No. 180
- Tom Thibodeau, No. 189
- Frank Vogel, No. 192
- Terry Stotts, No. 197
- Dwane Casey, No. 209
- Doc Rivers, No. 231
- Mike Budenholzer, No. 243
Atlanta Hawks
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| Tony Parker | DeMar DeRozan | Danny Green | Thaddeus Young | Marc Gasol |
| Raymond Felton | Malik Beasley | K.J. McDaniels | John Henson | Jahlil Okafor |
| Justin Holiday | Steve Novak |
Head Coach: Alvin Gentry
Best Pick: Marc Gasol (No. 38)
The Hawks essentially get first-round talent with their second-round slot. Marc Gasol had injuries slowing him down last year, but he looks to be back to his first-team All-NBA self again this year. Sure, he's a little older (31) but not ancient by any stretch. And when it comes to running the pick-and-pop, he's one of the best.
Worst Pick: Tony Parker (No. 98)
Tony Parker has been fading the last couple of years, and trend isn't going to reverse itself. I assume his selection in the fourth round was due to Atlanta's need for a point guard, which is understandable. However, there were better options (e.g., Shaun Livingston and Tyreke Evans) still on the table.
Team Identity
Some elements of this team work for a pace-and-space offense: Alvin Gentry's style, Danny Green's shooting and Gasol's pick-and-pop prowess. But other things don't: DeMar DeRozan is primarily a mid-range scorer. So, Gentry tempers the team to utilize his best offensive player.
Biggest Strength: Balance
This team has strong balance, with a starting five which can score in a lot of ways. Thaddeus Young and Marc Gasol should have a good rapport. And there's a solid second team—Jahlil Okafor should dominate offensively off the bench.
Biggest Weakness: Nothing Elite
While the Hawks check off all the boxes, they don't have that guy on either end of the ball. They're lacking an elite scorer who can create shots for himself (DeRozan is good, not elite). Nor do they have a guy to defend that guy (Danny Green is good, not elite).
Writeup provided by Kelly Scaletta.
Boston Celtics
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| John Wall | E'Twaun Moore | Brandon Ingram | Chandler Parsons | Dwight Howard |
| Marcelo Huertas | Jerryd Bayless | Doug McDermott | Kenneth Faried | Tyson Chandler |
| Sean Kilpatrick | James Johnson |
Head Coach: Quin Snyder
Best Pick: Sean Kilpatrick (No. 318)
Sean Kilpatrick has just 35 games of NBA experience, but it's easy to love this pick. When on, the 26-year-old combines the best elements of his fellow 2-guards, Jerryd Bayless (shooting) and E'Twaun Moore (defensive hustle).
Kilpatrick's touch from the outside in particular is a welcome commodity. He is shooting a benign 33.9 percent from deep for his career, but he put down 36.1 percent of his triples during his time on a colossally clunky Brooklyn Nets squad as a sophomore. Picking him up outside the 10th round was a massive steal.
Worst Pick: Doug McDermott (No. 163)
The issue here isn't that Doug McDermott went in the top 175. That's a justifiable risk given his potential as a shooter at the 3 and 4. But this came with Kenneth Faried, Brandon Ingram and Chandler Parsons already on the roster. It would have made far more sense to use this pick on a shooting guard, rather than, at the time, trying to slot Ingram as a 2. All four of these players, McDermott included, should see time at power forward, and at the very least, you're pigeonholing one or two of them to the 3.
Granted, this pick doesn't look as bad after Boston grabbed Moore at No. 258. Still, the intent should have been to draft a scrappy shooting guard candidate, such as Matthew Dellavedova or Hollis Thompson, or at least someone who, unlike Ingram, can survive defending 2s almost exclusively—think along the lines of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson or Stanley Johnson.
Team Identity
John Wall is your point guard. Dwight Howard is your center, with Tyson Chandler as his primary backup. You have swingmen and wings such as Ingram, Parsons, McDermott, Bayless and, to a lesser extent, Kilpatrick to dot the three-point line. The only thing to do is run pick-and-rolls and drive-and-kicks all damn game.
Though this identity must be shifted a bit whenever Faried is at the 4, he can still be a valuable roll man, thanks to his downhill explosion. Given Chandler's age, Boston should not be above using the 34-year-old to spell Howard at the 5 for the sole purpose of pandering to its most obvious, and effective, identity.
Biggest Strength: Versatility
Howard, Wall and Chandler are about the only players on this roster who must be chained to a single position. Most of the Celtics' wings—especially Parsons, Ingram and McDermott—can shimmy between either forward spot, while pretty much all of their shooting guards can log time at the 1 in a pinch. At a time when the NBA is de-emphasizing positional designations, this plays to Boston's need to experiment with different lineup combinations—big or small, slow or fast.
Biggest Weakness: Defense
On most nights, only Howard and Wall will have the defensive edge at their respective positions. Everyone else is a question mark or outright minus. Ingram's length should render him a terror in time, but the defensive learning curve for rookies is steep. Boston, meanwhile, won't be getting any perimeter relief from Parsons or McDermott and is thus playing a dangerous, if futile, game when it comes to three-point prevention.
Writeup provided by Dan Favale.
Brooklyn Nets
12 of 39
| George Hill | Jamal Murray | Lance Thomas | LeBron James | Kelly Olynyk |
| Devin Harris | Hollis Thompson | Taurean Prince | Taj Gibson | Roy Hibbert |
| Isaiah Canaan | Sam Dekker | Kris Humphries |
Head Coach: Gregg Popovich
Best Pick: LeBron James (No. 2)
LeBron James, wherever you can get him, is a good pick. Despite advancing years (crazy, I know), the 31-year-old was still third in the NBA in 20-point, five-assist, five-rebound games last season. And he's the reason for all of those "Warriors blew a 3-1 lead" jokes.
Worst Pick: Gregg Popovich (No. 59)
Gregg Popovich is a great coach. Maybe the greatest of all time. But the second round feels too early for any coach. This may boil down to personal preference, but getting a solid rotation in place should take priority over a coach. After all, it is a player's league. (He'd tell you as much, too.)
Team Identity
Lots of LeBron-run pick-and-rolls. Lots of LeBron kick-outs for threes. The drafting strategy in later rounds was smart in that it put everything in his hands. George Hill is used to being a secondary playmaker alongside a ball-dominant wing. Jamal Murray and Kelly Olynyk should be good floor spacers around any LeBron-centric action as well.
Biggest Strength: LeBron James
It's LeBron James. Are we getting redundant yet?
Biggest Weakness: Talent
The early Popovich pick put the Nets a round behind in terms of accumulating talent. That may catch up to them against deeper teams who have a stronger back end of the bench.
Writeup provided by Andy Bailey.
Charlotte Hornets
13 of 39
| Chris Paul | Allen Crabbe | Harrison Barnes | Julius Randle | Steven Adams |
| Delon Wright | Archie Goodwin | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | Meyers Leonard | Tyler Zeller |
| Tomas Satoransky | Darrell Arthur |
Head Coach: Rick Carlisle
Best Pick: Steven Adams (No. 47)
A rising star who can protect the rim, run the floor and finish lobs in the pick-and-roll like few other centers. And Steven Adams is still just 23.
Worst Pick: Harrison Barnes (No. 74)
While Barnes still has untapped potential, the Hornets could have opted for Evan Fournier, Chandler Parsons or Ryan Anderson here to help space the floor more effectively. They made the same overvaluing mistake the Dallas Mavericks did with Barnes in real life.
Team Identity
Bruising. With Chris Paul and Steven Adams defending high pick-and-rolls and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson set to lock down opposing wings aside Barnes, the Hornets are going to pressure opponents all day long to make up for a lack of outside shooting. Julius Randle's ability to at least attempt to guard multiple positions also helps reinforce Charlotte's physical approach.
Biggest Strength: Depth
The Hornets are two deep at every position and could conceivably roll out a reliable 10-man rotation when necessary. It may not be the most high-powered squad offensively, but there's plenty of roster balance to keep the Hornets competitive.
Biggest Weakness: Outside Shooting
Allen Crabbe can stroke it from deep, but Paul tends to be a reluctant outside shooter and Barnes has been streaky from beyond the arc. Meyers Leonard's evolution into a true stretch 4 could help ease concerns, but the Hornets undeniably lack an abundance of outside threats.
Writeup provided by Alec Nathan.
Chicago Bulls
14 of 39
| D'Angelo Russell | Dante Exum | Gordon Hayward | Chris Bosh | Robin Lopez |
| Sergio Rodriguez | Alec Burks | Joe Ingles | Thon Maker | Al Jefferson |
| Kay Felder | Anthony Tolliver |
Head Coach: Dwane Casey
Best Pick: D'Angelo Russell (No. 89)
Despite his shaky rookie season, D'Angelo Russell showed all of his tools by the end, and it's clear he has a lot of upside. That's perfect for a team which took "safe but good" picks in the previous two rounds with Gordon Hayward and (a fully healthy) Chris Bosh, respectively. Russell adds the wild-card element while providing another ball-handler who is equally capable of playing off Hayward when he has the rock.
Worst Pick: Dwane Casey (No. 209)
I have nothing against Dwane Casey as a playoffs-seasoned coach, but for all of his steadiness, his strengths do not include creativity. This roster needs that to avoid being bland and predictable. Regardless of one's feelings about Casey, there's no way he should be selected before the likes of Doc Rivers, Erik Spoelstra, Mike Budenholzer and Stan Van Gundy. Steve Clifford, Mike Malone and Billy Donovan were also still available, though I could understand if Casey is a judgment call of preference versus those three.
Team Identity
Four out of the five starters can handle the ball for extended periods of time, and there's more than half a dozen guys who "can" stretch the floor, even if that's not their speciality. This will be one of the league's more versatile rosters, but the Bulls' defensive length and switching ability will really shine, especially when you have Bosh and Robin Lopez on the back line to clean things up. A lot of the younger guys such as Exum and Russell will need to learn how to be stoppers, but you have good-guy veterans all over this team as well.
Biggest Strength: Upside
The roster is deep at nearly every position, and a second unit of Rodriguez-Burks-Ingles-Tolliver-Jefferson is going to get the job done, especially when mixed and matched with various starters. That said, it's the upside that really jumps out. Hayward still has ceiling left, while we have no idea where Russell's or Exum's is (in a good way). If Kay Felder or Thon Maker turn out to be NBA contributors as rookies, this is the team nobody wants to see in the playoffs.
Biggest Weakness: Conventional Coaching
Again, it comes back to the Casey pick. This team could be bland if it's content being "too normal" (though it'd win games that way as well). But there are so many intriguing lineups across this roster, the real upside is in experimentation and getting a little crazy. Tell me when that's been Casey's M.O., though at least we know he'd tap the Bulls' enormous defensive potential.
Writeup provided by Joel Cordes.
Cleveland Cavaliers
15 of 39
| Jeremy Lin | Victor Oladipo | Jimmy Butler | Dirk Nowitzki | Tristan Thompson |
| Ramon Sessions | Anthony Morrow | Gerald Henderson | Frank Kaminsky | Zaza Pachulia |
| Ian Clark | Thomas Robinson |
Head Coach: Mike D'Antoni
Best Pick: Frank Kaminsky (No. 288)
What a great pick at No. 288. He's a sixth-man-quality player who lasted until the 10th round. And with Dirk Nowitzki on the team to mentor him, the fit is perfect. Kaminsky is still only 23 and has the ability to play a lesser role in a starting lineup or function as a spark plug off the bench. If you can find that after 287 picks, you're a good GM.
Worst Pick: Mike D'Antoni (No. 313)
Is it 2007? If not, then you know now is a terrible time to hire Mike D'Antoni as an NBA coach. His offense is dated, he has never heard of defense, and creative offensive minds were still on the board (Jeff Hornacek, Alvin Gentry, Fred Hoiberg). What's far worse: Aside from Jeremy Lin, Dirk Nowitzki and one or two others, there aren't a lot of "D'Antoni System" archetypes on the roster. We've all seen how he struggles without those. Ugh.
Team Identity
Drive and cut, drive and cut, drive and cut. Lin, Victor Oladipo and Jimmy Butler all scored at least 58 percent of their points last year on drives, per NBA.com. Oladipo and Butler were both in the top 13 last season in average distance run per game. These guys don't stop moving, with or without the ball.
Biggest Strength: Dirk Nowitzki
The ageless dream Dirk Nowitzki. Since 2001, Dirk's Dallas Mavericks have only missed the playoffs once. He could be 38 or 50, and he'd still find a way to score on you with high efficiency. His work ethic is also infectious. He will rub off on guys such as Kaminsky and Tristan Thompson to form a better front line than the roster suggests.
Biggest Weakness: Defense
Jimmy Butler will feel all alone on some plays, though Oladipo and Zaza Pachulia will help a bit. D'Antoni better hire Ron Adams to teach D, because most of this team (and its head coach) is only interested in half the court.
Writeup provided by Jacob Bourne.
Dallas Mavericks
16 of 39
| Russell Westbrook | Courtney Lee | Kyle Anderson | Danilo Gallinari | Andrew Bogut |
| Ty Lawson | J.R. Smith | Alonzo Gee | Nemanja Bjelica | Dwight Powell |
| Tim Frazier | Lavoy Allen |
Head Coach: Mike Budenholzer
Best Pick: Kyle Anderson (No. 183)
I love Kyle Anderson in Round 7. He starts perfectly at small forward or can help facilitate a second-unit offense. At 6'9" and trained in the Spurs system, Anderson brings versatility and discipline to the Mavs, as he's set to make a third-year leap.
Worst Pick: Danilo Gallinari (No. 58)
Danilo Gallinari was a reach in Round 2. A team with Russell Westbrook is a title contender with a strong supporting cast. Gregg Popovich, J.J. Redick or a more athletic big would have been a better fit with Russ.
Team Identity
The team runs through Westbrook and his ability to create for others. The Mavericks are loaded with perimeter shooters (J.R. Smith, Courtney Lee, Gallinari) who need Russ to feed them. Coach Mike Budenholzer will inject his ball-movement principles to make this one of the most well-run teams in the league.
Biggest Strength: Perimeter Athleticism
The three-headed monster of Westbrook, Lee and Smith range from 6'3" to 6'6" and can easily share the court. Westbrook is perhaps the NBA's best athlete, while Lee and Smith can both shoot and defend their positions.
Biggest Weakness: Playmaking (Without Russ)
Ty Lawson will hopefully stay out of fictitious legal trouble, while Anderson will be asked to handle the ball perhaps more than he's used to, but switching him to point is an iffy idea when the wings are so shallow already.
Writeup provided by Greg Swartz.
Denver Nuggets
17 of 39
| Brandon Knight | Klay Thompson | P.J. Tucker | Ersan Ilyasova | Derrick Favors |
| Patty Mills | Marcus Smart | Mike Dunleavy | Richaun Holmes | Festus Ezeli |
| Joe Young | Anderson Varejao |
Head Coach: Luke Walton
Best Pick: Klay Thompson (No. 25)
Twenty-four players went before Thompson. Getting the top 2-guard in the league at No. 25 is solid value. His shooting and defense slide into any lineup.
Worst Pick: Ersan Ilyasova (No. 145)
Can he still play? I like the idea of Ilyasova, a stretch 4 who'd work away from Derrick Favors. I'm just not convinced he's capable of giving the Nuggets starter minutes anymore, which is what will likely be expected after the team took him in the fifth round.
Team Identity
The Nuggets will run the ball up off misses and look to get Thompson and Knight open looks in transition. Off made buckets, they can slow down and pound it to Favors.
Biggest Strength: Second Unit
The bench will be key for this team: Marcus Smart, Richaun Holmes and Festus Ezeli bring defense and energy, while Patty Mills and Mike Dunleavy give it shot-making.
Biggest Weakness: Forwards
Denver's forwards are arguably the worst in the league. Will the team get enough offense between P.J. Tucker and Ilyasova? Is either a strong enough defender (anymore) to stop starting-caliber counterparts every single night? It's not like Holmes or Dunleavy can spot major minutes when things go wrong either. The Nuggets will be overly reliant on their backcourt.
Writeup provided by Jonathan Wasserman.
Detroit Pistons
18 of 39
| Emmanuel Mudiay | Rodney Hood | Kyle Korver | Channing Frye | DeMarcus Cousins |
| Jarrett Jack | Jeremy Lamb | Marco Belinelli | David Lee | Pau Gasol |
| Kirk Hinrich | Marquese Chriss |
Head Coach: Billy Donovan
Best Pick: Rodney Hood (No. 50)
Hood looks poised for an even bigger breakout year than the one he had in 2015-16. His ball-handling, scoring and shooting continue to improve. He'll be viewed as one of the game's better 2-guards by the end of the season
Worst Pick: DeMarcus Cousins (No. 11)
Though incredibly talented, Cousins isn't the ideal franchise player or team leader. I would have taken Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler or even Kyrie Irving. Cousins will get his stats and All-Star invites, but I'm not convinced he's a winning player to build around.
Team Identity
Detroit will be running spread offenses, which allows Emmanuel Mudiay to drive and kick out to shooters such as Hood, Kyle Korver, Channing Frye, Marco Belinelli and Jeremy Lamb.
Biggest Strength: Shooting
The Pistons' top strength is shooting. They could lead the league in three-point makes and attempts. Having Cousins inside does help here since he draws the gravity inward. Ditto for Pau Gasol coming off the bench, which is a nice option to have. As long as they're willing to pass out of double-teams, this could be a high-functioning offense.
Biggest Weakness: Defense
Detroit will struggle to defend other teams' backcourts. And frontcourts. And pretty much everywhere. Expect Korver, Frye and Cousins to give up a ton of points. This team can't defend the pick-and-roll or opposing teams' athletic wing scorers, and it's not like there are many options off the bench to stem the tide either.
Writeup provided by Jonathan Wasserman.
Golden State Warriors
19 of 39
| Eric Bledsoe | Zach LaVine | Rudy Gay | Draymond Green | Gorgui Dieng |
| Seth Curry | Kevin Martin | Kelly Oubre | Markieff Morris | Kyle O'Quinn |
| Pablo Prigioni | Jakob Poeltl |
Head Coach: Tom Thibodeau
Best Pick: Tom Thibodeau (No. 189)
Tom Thibodeau was a brilliant pick at No. 189. With Markieff Morris on the squad, an authoritative coach is essential. Draymond Green and Thibs can put Morris on a leash and make him a defensive stud. (An imposing, highly motivational force such as Thibs is good for Dray's focus too.) Guys such as Eric Bledsoe and Rudy Gay like to freestyle but can flourish under direction.
Worst Pick: Zach LaVine (No. 69)
There was better value at pick No. 69 than Zach LaVine. At 21 years old, he should still be coming off the bench but has seen his stock artificially inflated thanks to a couple of Slam Dunk Contest wins and an anemic roster in Minnesota that gave him more minutes than he deserved in his first two years. He's due to regress with the ball in his hands more.
Team Identity
Discipline. The Warriors have to work within a system to avoid chaos. This roster isn't built for improvisation, and it's not like Thibs has been an innovator there either. Bledsoe and Green should share playmaking duties with Green having the authority to call audibles. The rest of the team should fall in line and stick to the system.
Biggest Strength: Draymond Green
It's a good thing he's proficient at everything, because the Warriors don't have anyone else who is great at anything. He'll have to play 40 minutes per game. Good thing he loves basketball.
Biggest Weakness: Scoring Star
Green is a top-10 player for his all-around talent, but not because he can take over any game with his scoring. When this team needs a late bucket, it doesn't have an obvious answer unless Bledsoe (or maybe LaVine) is hot that night.
Writeup provided by Jacob Bourne.
Houston Rockets
20 of 39
| Isaiah Thomas | Tyler Johnson | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Nikola Mirotic | Joakim Noah |
| Raul Neto | Leandro Barbosa | Solomon Hill | Jon Leuer | Enes Kanter |
| Wayne Ellington | JaMychal Green |
Head Coach: Kenny Atkinson
Best Pick: Enes Kanter (No. 162)
Defensive issues aside, Kanter has proved to terrorize second-team opponents to the tune of 21.7 points and 13.9 rebounds per 36 minutes in 2015-16. That's impressive production for anyone outside the top five.
Worst Pick: Kenny Atkinson (No. 282)
Kenny Atkinson, a rookie head coach, came off the board with names such as Quin Snyder, Jason Kidd and Scott Brooks all available. Atkinson could prove to be a fine head coach someday, but opting for a more experienced leader with this young core would have been the better choice.
Team Identity
The Houston Rockets will run the pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop to death. With talented ball-handlers in Isaiah Thomas and Giannis Antetokounmpo, mixed with stretch-4s Nikola Mirotic and Jon Leuer, this is a team designed to keep defenses sprinting to catch up.
Biggest Strength: Giannis!
A 6'11" do-it-all forward, Antetokounmpo blossomed down the stretch of 2015-16. Houston can use him as a primary ball-handler or at center in smaller lineups. He's arguably the most versatile player in the league and should shine as a No. 1 option.
Biggest Weakness: Inexperience
Antetokounmpo is 21. Tyler Johnson is 24. Nikola Mirotic is 25. This is a young starting lineup with only one player (Joakim Noah) over 27 years of age. Perhaps this could be overlooked with a veteran head coach, but Atkinson is a rookie himself. This is too much inexperience for a serious (fictional?) title run.
Writeup provided by Greg Swartz.
Indiana Pacers
21 of 39
| Dennis Schroder | Josh Richardson | Otto Porter | Paul Millsap | Brook Lopez |
| Norris Cole | Denzel Valentine | Robert Covington | Michael Beasley | Alexis Ajinca |
| Andre Roberson | Noah Vonleh |
Head Coach: Frank Vogel
Best Pick: Alexis Ajinca (No. 312)
A healthy Alexis Ajinca is criminally underrated, so the Indiana Pacers are lucky to grab him as Brook Lopez's backup this late. Ajinca can function as a roll man given enough space, has offensive range outside the paint and does an adequate job protecting the middle—provided he's not forced to switch assignments on the same possession too often.
With Lopez set to play between 30 and 35 minutes per game, and Noah Vonleh likely to see some time at center, Ajinca is a great stopgap this late.
Worst Pick: Frank Vogel (No. 192)
Taking a coach before the eighth or ninth round can easily be frowned upon—doubly so in this case, with so few proven contributors already in tow. Paul Millsap and Lopez were to this point the only surefire players selected who would, without question, start on other squads. The picks who rounded out the rest of the opening five—Otto Porter, Josh Richardson, Dennis Schroder—were all high-upside selections who offer minimal amounts of certainty.
Rolling the dice on another rotation player, instead of a coach, would have been the savvier course of action here. Other high-upside bets such as Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Dario Saric, Maurice Harkless, Dante Exum, etc. were all still on the board, and any one of them would have deepened a roster that, even now, is woefully shallow on guaranteed production.
Team Identity
It's true that Ajinca and Lopez aren't the fastest centers. But they're quick enough, and the rest of the Pacers roster demands the team play with pace.
Michael Beasley, Norris Cole, Robert Covington, Andre Roberson, Denzel Valentine, Porter, Richardson and Schroder are all physically equipped to get up and down the court. And with so many unproven shooters at various perimeter positions, this will be an integral part of the offense generating enough buckets to match up with opposing units that put down more threes.
Biggest Strength: Paul Millsap
Without Millsap, there aren't many strengths. Indy's greatest attribute is its best player's ability to complement a vast array of very specific (borderline rigid) skill sets.
Millsap is the glittery gift wrap that gives this squad its appeal. He can play alongside Beasley, Richardson, Schroder and Valentine, letting them do their thing with the ball as he stalks the three-point line, or he can collapse defenses on ball, setting up Covington, Porter, Roberson et al. for some three-point bunnies. He can even run 4-5 pick-and-rolls with Lopez or soak up spin at center so the Pacers get to run out five-out combos that push the pace further still.
Biggest Weakness: Backcourt Depth
There isn't a known asset in the Pacers backcourt. Schroder should be able to hold his own as a starter. Richardson seems like a deft shooter who can distribute. Cole might be able to function as a backup floor general. Valentine could contribute in a meaningful away as a combo guard during his rookie season. But that's a lot of "coulds" and "mights."
At some point in the draft, the Pacers needed a strong veteran presence to assume even an iota of backcourt responsibility. They never got it and are now a wild card, on either side of the floor, at both positions.
Writeup provided by Dan Favale.
Los Angeles Clippers
22 of 39
| Matthew Dellavedova | Jordan Clarkson | Joe Johnson | Ben Simmons | Karl-Anthony Towns |
| Terry Rozier | Lou Williams | Shabazz Muhammad | Andrew Nicholson | Joel Embiid |
| Beno Udrih | Paul Pierce |
Head Coach: Earl Watson
Best Pick: Karl-Anthony Towns (No. 8)
Karl-Anthony Towns is already a monster, the embodiment of the NBA's future and a rock-solid character. He has the potential to make 20-10 seasons feel routine. He’s the standard-bearer for the playmaking 5.
Worst Pick: Joel Embiid (No. 68)
Joel "The Process" Embiid could be great. I hope he'll be great. But this was a chance to get him out of a process. Loading up on bigs when L.A. already had Towns and Ben Simmons felt full-on Sam Hinkie Redux. (Never go Full Hinkie.) I suppose it can work if Simmons makes a successful transition to full-time point guard, but this exercise doesn't allow much time for experimentation.
Team Identity
The Clippers will run 4-5 pick-and-rolls for days. Simmons and Towns are both young, but it's hard to imagine many frontcourts being able to slow that set down. L.A. has some solid floor spacers in Matthew Dellavedova and Joe Johnson to surround the play as well.
Biggest Strength: Frontcourt
The frontcourt will be a nightmare for opposing teams. Simmons has some learning to do on the defensive end, but Towns can help cover for him in the early months. On the other end, and on the boards, these two are going to be unstoppable. There's no letup when Embiid checks in either.
Biggest Weakness: Wing Depth
Wing depth could be a problem here. Sweet Lou Williams is fun to watch on offense when he's rolling, but he generally gives up as much as he gets. And the defense from backup 3s Shabazz Muhammad and Paul Pierce is probably even worse.
Writeup provided by Andy Bailey.
Los Angeles Lakers
23 of 39
| James Harden | Wesley Matthews | Jae Crowder | Jared Dudley | Myles Turner |
| Darren Collison | Austin Rivers | Quincy Pondexter | Larry Nance Jr. | Willie Cauley-Stein |
| Tyler Ulis | Yi Jianlian |
Head Coach: Doc Rivers
Best Pick: James Harden (No. 10)
One of two players—along with Stephen Curry—to record at least 2,000 points and 500 assists last season, Harden will lead the Lakers as a primary scorer and distributor in a way few other players can.
Worst Pick: Darren Collison (No. 171)
Considering Harden's defensive deficiencies, Matthew Dellavedova—who was selected two picks later—would have been an ideal complement at the 1. He could have at least gotten some stops and played comfortably off the ball (and out of Harden's way). It's pretty clear Collison does neither of those things. Instead, the Lakers will switch Harden to point and run with a lot of wings.
Team Identity
Small ball above all. Harden, 6'5", may be an oversized point guard, but the Lakers are going to run out four wings (Crowder, Matthews and Dudley) alongside Myles Turner. Based on their composition, the Lakers should push the pace plenty and rank among the league leaders in threes with an approach that resembles Stan Van Gundy’s four-out, one-in scheme.
Biggest Strength: Playmaking
Beyond Harden—who will do the majority of the ball-handling as the Lakers' point guard—the Purple and Gold wield solid playmakers in Austin Rivers, Darren Collison and even rookie Tyler Ulis. This team will never be short on capable distributors for all those flying wings.
Biggest Weakness: Rebounding
Myles Turner and Willie Cauley-Stein can crash the glass effectively, but with Jared Dudley penciled in as the starting power forward and the roster built around flexibility, the Lakers are going to cede extra possessions to other teams on a regular basis.
Writeup provided by Alec Nathan.
Memphis Grizzlies
24 of 39
| Kris Dunn | Evan Fournier | Khris Middleton | Blake Griffin | Ian Mahinmi |
| Shelvin Mack | Rodney Stuckey | Stanley Johnson | Josh McRoberts | Cody Zeller |
| Brian Roberts | Dewayne Dedmon |
Head Coach: David Joerger
Best Pick: Stanley Johnson (No. 165)
Johnson is a 6'7" wing with tremendous athleticism that's loaded with potential. He fell a little short of expectations during his rookie year, but he wasn't a "bust" by any stretch. I expect him to be much better this season, and as the 165th pick in the draft, he should outperform that selection by a mile.
Worst Pick: Evan Fournier (No. 76)
It seems like the committee did well with the Grizzlies, as I don't see any picks I would qualify as bad. But the least good choice here is Evan Fournier. "Never Google" had a nice start to the year, but whether he can thrive in different systems is questionable. I'd like to see more from him before taking him in the third round.
Team Identity
Memphis fans might have to adjust after watching the Bash Brothers for the last few years. With Blake Griffin, Khris Middleton, Johnson, Ian Mahinmi and Kris Dunn, there's a lot of length and turnover-generating defense on this team. Combine that with guys who can get the ball up the court and finish at the rim or drop it off to a trailing three-point shooter such as Middleton or Fournier, and you have the makings of an entertaining team.
Biggest Strength: Defense
The Grizz will be able to score points in bunches, but a lot of them are going to be coming off turnovers. Dunn should be a fantastic defender; Middleton is one of the most underrated stoppers in the game; Mahinmi is the new breed of rim protector with versatility. David Joerger has the kind of defensive mind that will bring it all together.
Biggest Weakness: Shot Creation
The Grizz could get in trouble if they have to rely a lot on their half-court offense. They have a competent scorer in Middleton, but they don't have anyone else who can carry a team down the stretch. Griffin is as close as they come, but while he has exceptional handles for a 4, he's going to wind up playing too much point forward, which limits all of what he can do as a finisher. As opponents amp up their transition defense down the stretch, that could be problematic.
Writeup provided by Kelly Scaletta.
Miami Heat
25 of 39
| Kemba Walker | Jonathon Simmons | Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | Ryan Anderson | DeAndre Jordan |
| Michael Carter-Williams | Marcus Thornton | Garrett Temple | Terrence Jones | Alex Len |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | Nikola Pekovic |
Head Coach: David Fizdale
Best Pick: Terrence Jones (No. 273)
Terrence Jones is injured a lot, but he almost fell out of the 10th round. That's patently absurd for someone with actual NBA talent. His per-36-minute splits are tantalizing, he is a three-point threat insofar as he shoots threes, and he's one of the few 6'9" power forwards who can get by playing center for more than two seconds. This grades out as a no-risk, all-reward pick.
Worst Pick: Marcus Thornton (No. 148)
Selecting Marcus Thornton in Round 5 will henceforth be known as a cardinal re-draft sin. He is not fifth-round material. He hasn't cracked 41 percent shooting from the floor since 2012-13 and doesn't do enough on defense to offset his Nick Young-level efficiency.
Yes, the Miami Heat needed a shooting guard at this time. But there were plenty of other better candidates available. To name a few: Alec Burks, Patty Mills, Arron Afflalo, Jonathon Simmons (who came to Miami in Round 6), Terrence Ross, Thabo Sefolosha, Matthew Dellavedova, Garrett Temple (chosen by the Heat in Round 9) and so on and so forth.
Team Identity
Nearly barren of reliable shooters, these Heatles need to attack the rim with fervor. Michael Carter-Williams, Garrett Temple and Kemba Walker must hope they draw enough defenders on dribble drives to find a slashing DeAndre Jordan or Alex Len. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist needs to bully his way toward the basket in the absence of a dependable jumper.
Ryan Anderson and Jonathon Simmons have to use the threat of three-point range to catch defenders off guard, employing pump fakes and dribble hesitations that allow them to streak down the middle and draw fouls. If the Heat aren't able to blitz the interior and get easy looks at the rim and the charity stripe, they'll be left with an offense that leans too heavily on its best players scoring outside their comfort zone.
Biggest Strength: Frontcourt Depth
Kidd-Gilchrist and Garrett Temple are fine defensive options at small forward, and the latter can be stashed at power forward when Miami wants to play smaller. Anderson (shooting) and Jones (situational rim protection) offer two different, complementary options at the 4.
Same goes for Jordan and Len at the 5. Both can hold their own on defense while providing different benefits on the offensive end; Jordan will excel above the rim, and Len brings a developing post game and expanding jump shot.
Biggest Weakness: Outside Shooting
Anderson is the lone above-average shooter for his position on the Heat roster. Kemba Walker might fit the bill, but that presumes his 2015-16 three-point efforts weren't an anomaly. Simmons could end up under this umbrella as well, but he has barely 800 minutes of NBA burn to his name.
The Heat will need stark improvement from some combination of Tim Hardaway Jr., Carter-Williams, Kidd-Gilchrist, Temple, Thornton and even Jones. And if they don't get it, the team will be hard-pressed to maximize Jordan's ceiling as a pick-and-roll rim-runner, further debilitating an already shaky offensive model.
Writeup provided by Dan Favale.
Milwaukee Bucks
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| Jeff Teague | Tony Allen | Tyreke Evans | Carmelo Anthony | Rudy Gobert |
| Jerian Grant | Jamal Crawford | C.J. Miles | Donatas Motiejunas | Nene |
| Wade Baldwin IV | Jordan Mickey |
Head Coach: Jeff Hornacek
Best Pick: Nene (No. 201)
I love Nene in the seventh round (201st overall!). Yes, he's going to miss 30 games and probably can't play much more than 20 effective minutes per night, but he's still an ox-strong scoring force in the lane with great hands and a willingness to pass.
As insurance for Rudy Gobert, he's terrific. And when you consider he went after Boban Marjanovic, Jerryd Bayless and Shelvin freaking Mack, you can see the value is there.
Worst Pick: Tyreke Evans (No. 100)
I'm not sure how low Tyreke Evans would have to go in a draft for me not to consider him a bad pick, but I can tell you for sure that 100th is not low enough. And he's currently slotted into the starting small forward spot.
There's room for a little nuance in every discussion about every player, but Evans is one of the simplest evaluations for me: You just don't win with him. He stops the ball, can't shoot, drives without a plan, doesn't see the floor well and has never defended. None of this prevents him from getting his counting numbers when he handles the ball a lot, but it's difficult to find ways in which he actually contributes to a team's success.
Team Identity
This is a weird team with a bunch of one-way players. If you look at Tony Allen and Rudy Gobert, you see a defensive bent. But you've also got Jamal Crawford and Carmelo Anthony, two guys who only operate on the offensive end. In one sense, that's a nice mix that could create an environment in which everybody understands and embraces his role. On the other, it makes it impossible to figure out an identity.
I'm punting here; I don't know what to make of this team.
Biggest Strength: Frontcourt
I like the frontcourt a lot, especially with Anthony the clear starter at power forward. He'll work well with both Gobert and Nene, who can compensate for him defensively. There's also the slim possibility Donatas Motiejunas gets healthy and reminds everyone what a valuable inside-outside offensive threat he used to be.
Biggest Weakness: Backcourt
You really have to like Jeff Teague to believe in this backcourt. Crawford and Allen are exploitable on opposite ends, Jerian Grant is unproven behind Teague, and Wade Baldwin IV is a rookie. We've already been over my thoughts on Evans, and there's a good chance he'll play big minutes for this team as a combo guard. That's bad.
Writeup provided by Grant Hughes.
Minnesota Timberwolves
27 of 39
| Kyrie Irving | Gary Harris | Terrence Ross | Boris Diaw | Kristaps Porzingis |
| Jose Calderon | Nik Stauskas | Mo Harkless | David West | Miles Plumlee |
| Isaiah Canaan | JaKarr Sampson |
Head Coach: Steve Kerr
Best Pick: Gary Harris (No. 99)
Gary Harris is on the precipice of a breakout after improving markedly between Years 1 and 2, and there's potential for him to emerge as one of the league's premier three-and-D threats in no time. He's not a star by any stretch yet, but he's a great value here and a nice pairing with Kyrie Irving.
Worst Pick: Steve Kerr (No. 82)
This isn’t a slight against Kerr by any means, but there were some supremely talented players on the board who could have helped the Timberwolves. Considering that they're starting Terrence Ross at the 3, swapping out Kerr for Kent Bazemore—who went five picks later—could have aided the team tremendously.
Team Identity
Run and gun. While Boris Diaw and David West may limit the team's ability to get up and down, the Timberwolves can turn to a five-man unit that consists of Kyrie Irving, Gary Harris, Terrence Ross, Moe Harkless and Kristaps Porzingis. That's a whole lot of firepower.
Biggest Strength: Floor Spacing
Imagine Irving-Porzingis pick-and-rolls with Harris and Ross flaring to the corners in Kerr's system. There's lot of potential for fireworks here.
Biggest Weakness: Frontcourt Physicality
The Timberwolves stand to get bullied quite a bit on the boards if West isn't flanking Porzingis. Miles Plumlee can provide relief, but this is a pretty thin front line.
Writeup provided by Alec Nathan.
New Orleans Pelicans
28 of 39
| Reggie Jackson | Bojan Bogdanovic | Kent Bazemore | Luol Deng | Andre Drummond |
| Rajon Rondo | Lance Stephenson | Brandon Rush | Mirza Teletovic | Jusuf Nurkic |
| Luc Mbah a Moute | Josh Smith |
Head Coach: Fred Hoiberg
Best Pick: Bojan Bogdanovic (No. 147)
This roster badly needed shooting by the fifth round, and Bojan Bogdanovic will wind up being the first unit's only deadeye—much as he is in real life for the Brooklyn Nets. Unlike that sad reality, however, he won't have to be more than the fourth or fifth option here, with Reggie Jackson working the pick-and-roll to Andre Drummond, then looking for Bogdanovic and Luol Deng for kickouts while Kent Bazemore hunts for lobs.
If the Summer Olympics taught us anything, Bogdanovic can hit shots when he has the proper support and room. The Pelicans will be heavily relying on that to be true.
Worst Pick: Kent Bazemore (No. 87)
Kent Bazemore is a good player who has all five tools, but he can't be your third-round pick when higher-upside options such as Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, D'Angelo Russell or even Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are still on the board. His lack of sure-thing shooting is not a good match with Jackson and Drummond already on the roster, though spacing was the attempted goal of later picks.
Team Identity
It's hard to nail down the exact identity here, and maybe that's a plus. These Pelicans can play fast in the first unit or slow it down with Rajon Rondo table-setting Jusuf Nurkic and some shooters in the second unit. They have pick-and-roll options at the 1 and 5 spots for both groups, though there's a frightening lack of other guys who can create off the dribble.
This feels like a team that could fall apart if you can cut off basket penetration by the point guard, but that will pressure you when you can't. They're good but not great defensively, too, with enough length and defensive mobility to cover for their weaker contributors, plus a legit rim protector and rebounder in Drummond. Think: real-life Detroit Pistons, which is apt considering their two best players are Motown's finest.
Biggest Strength: Mobility
This is one of the (imaginary) league's most mobile teams, playing for a coach (Fred Hoiberg) who wants to push the pace. Bogdanovic, Mirza Teletovic and Brandon Rush probably don't provide quite enough floor spacing, but it will be close, and there are mobile wings to flank Jackson and Rondo on the move.
Biggest Weakness: Leadership
I loved Rajon Rondo being selected as the backup point guard; that's a great role for him on a team that will rely on table-setters. But choosing Lance Stephenson as his second-unit running mate is a spacing and (potentially) psychological nightmare.
Oh, and then Josh Smith got added to a group being coached by "aww shucks" Hoiberg. There is no stable leadership here and a muddled hierarchy. Beware.
Writeup provided by Joel Cordes.
New York Knicks
29 of 39
| Ricky Rubio | Will Barton | Omri Casspi | Serge Ibaka | Anthony Davis |
| Cameron Payne | Vince Carter | Al-Farouq Aminu | Mike Scott | Zach Randolph |
| Jodie Meeks | Guillermo Hernangomez |
Head Coach: Steve Clifford
Best Pick: Anthony Davis (No. 6)
Anthony Davis is a franchise cornerstone. A 6'11" combo big, the Kentucky product is an authoritative defensive presence, reliable rebounder and versatile scorer. Last season, he shot 69.7 percent at the rim and 40.9 percent from 10 feet and beyond, according to Basketball-Reference.com. Davis has a frustrating history of minor injuries, but there's no question he's an elite talent.
Worst Pick: Vince Carter (No. 306)
A veteran presence on the bench is useful, but Vince Carter might wind up needing to fill a legitimate role on this team. Behind Will Barton at shooting guard, New York would rely on a 39-year-old Carter and Jodie Meeks, who is reaching the end of his prime yet working to recover from multiple procedures on his foot.
Team Identity
While New York has the right pieces to push the tempo, the team would be better suited in the half court and relying on its defense. Davis, Serge Ibaka and Ricky Rubio highlight a formidable defense, while Omri Casspi and Will Barton offer scoring upside on a balanced, well-spaced offense.
Biggest Strength: Versatile Offense
As long as the offense has movement, the Knicks would be difficult to stop. Few players were more efficient with their post touches than Davis and Ibaka last season, and both are dangerous in pick-and-roll sets, especially with Rubio's dime-dropping. Casspi is a major three-point threat, and Barton's shooting numbers would likely improve in a smaller role.
Biggest Weakness: Bench
The starting unit is among the best of the Re-Draft, but New York's bench is a potential problem. Zach Randolph would be the primary scorer alongside Cameron Payne, Carter or Meeks, Al-Farouq Aminu and Mike Scott. If the reserves simply managed to hang onto a lead, the Knicks may consider that an excellent performance.
Writeup provided by David Kenyon.
Oklahoma City Thunder
30 of 39
| Patrick Beverley | Monta Ellis | Andre Iguodala | Tobias Harris | Al Horford |
| Dejounte Murray | Jason Terry | Arron Afflalo | Jerami Grant | Kosta Koufos |
| Isaiah Whitehead | Skal Labissiere |
Head Coach: Mike Malone
Best Pick: Monta Ellis (No. 144)
Ellis may end up being the leading scorer on this team. Al Horford, Andre Iguodala and Tobias Harris are all solid, but not outstanding, scorers. To grab someone who can still put his head down and get baskets on command in the fifth round is great value.
Worst Pick: Andre Iguodala (No. 37)
Iguodala remains one of the best role players in the NBA, but can he really be the second-best player on a championship team right now? Dirk Nowitzki, Marc Gasol and Dwyane Wade were all available and could make a bigger difference in the Robin role.
Team Identity
Oklahoma City will rely on playing excellent defense and sharing the ball between multiple scorers. Overall, this is one of the more balanced teams in the entire Re-Draft.
Biggest Strength: Defense
With Iguodala, Patrick Beverly and Al Horford, the Thunder have three great defenders at critical positions. Tobias Harris can guard both forward spots, while Kosta Koufos is an underrated shot-blocker inside.
Biggest Weakness: No Go-To Guy
There's no go-to scorer among the bunch, a vacancy that could doom them toward the end of games. Oklahoma City's best option is to suffocate teams on defense and not have to rely on big shots in crunch time.
Writeup provided by Greg Swartz.
Orlando Magic
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| Cory Joseph | Mario Hezonja | Kawhi Leonard | Jabari Parker | Nikola Jokic |
| Ish Smith | Manu Ginobili | Justin Anderson | Derrick Williams | Tiago Splitter |
| Patrick McCaw | Rashad Vaughn |
Head Coach: Erik Spoelstra
Best Pick: Nikola Jokic (No. 57)
Nikola Jokic at No. 57 is pretty strong, and not just because I made that pick. An inferior Nikola (Vucevic) went one selection before him, and the center crop was starting to get pretty thin. (Andrew Bogut was the next big off the board, just for reference.)
I guess Jokic's defense is a question mark, but I like the idea of him developing on that end while effectively running the team's offense from the high post and as a roll threat who gets into the middle and finds shooters. His passing works well on a team that also ended up with Manu Ginobili, Cory Joseph and Kawhi Leonard. It's like he's getting to play in the Spurs system, and I like that.
Worst Pick: Derrick Williams (No. 177)
You're not going to find a lot of talent in the sixth round, but you should theoretically find someone you'd consider playing off the bench. Derrick Williams is not that someone. Patrick Patterson, Taj Gibson and Clint Capela went within the next 10 picks. I would have rather had any of them.
Team Identity
I picked the Magic as the most entertaining team because Jokic and Ginobili are two of the most enjoyable players to watch if you're into craftiness—which I am. Mario Hezonja is a loose cannon, Patrick McCaw is a havoc-wreaker on defense and Jabari Parker has his bounce back. This will be a fantastic offensive team to watch, and maybe Leonard will play enough defense to keep final scores respectable. These guys will be pretty good but very fun.
Biggest Strength: Scoring
There will be no shortage of good shots with so many unselfish players here. I like the idea of using Leonard at the 4 to space the floor.
Biggest Weakness: Frontcourt Defense
Frontcourt defense is going to be a problem. Parker and Williams don't guard anyone, and Jokic gets overpowered down low. Relying on Tiago Splitter to stay healthy and anchor a defense is a little scary, and whatever he might provide on that end won't be enough to justify taking Jokic off the floor. These guys are going to get scored on—even with Leonard.
Writeup provided by Grant Hughes.
Philadelphia 76ers
32 of 39
| Damian Lillard | Norman Powell | Andrew Wiggins | Trevor Ariza | Nerlens Noel |
| D.J. Augustin | Iman Shumpert | Kyle Singler | Trey Lyles | Timofey Mozgov |
| Corey Brewer | Dragan Bender |
Head Coach: Terry Stotts
Best Pick: Damian Lillard (No. 17)
Philadelphia would love to build its franchise around Damian Lillard. He's a relatively efficient scorer with great range as well as a willing and smart passer. He can sometimes be a lazy defender, but his well-rounded offensive arsenal is unmatched by any player who was still available at No. 17 overall.
Worst Pick: Kyle Singler (No. 344)
I'm a fan of this roster overall, so really, this is just nitpicking. Scraping the bottom of the NBA barrel is much tougher than you might think, but I would rather take a flier on a young player who just hasn't played many minutes.
We know what Kyle Singler is, and it's not good. The Duke product is a mediocre shooter outside of 16 feet, has never managed a player efficiency rating above 12 and has never recorded a positive defensive box plus/minus, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
Team Identity
The roster is wonderfully built around Lillard. Although the 76ers will only go as far as he can carry the offense, this team's defense and coaching will give the squad a chance to win. Young talents are all over the starting lineup, while the bench has a decent mix of potential and veteran experience.
Biggest Strength: Balance
Lillard could launch shots to his heart's content without cutting into a teammate's role. Each player at the 2-4 spots can space the floor, and most of them would atone for Lillard's sometimes-shaky defense on the other end.
Biggest Weakness: Secondary Scoring
When Lillard checks out in this hypothetical world, who would become the dominant scorer? Philadelphia has plenty of respectable complementary pieces such as Trevor Ariza and Andrew Wiggins, but who would be the top option? Though Wiggins absolutely could develop into that, in the real NBA, he's been inefficient as Minnesota's No. 1 scorer.
Writeup provided by David Kenyon.
Phoenix Suns
33 of 39
| Paul George | Bradley Beal | Avery Bradley | Bobby Portis | Mason Plumlee |
| Deron Williams | Randy Foye | Jeff Green | Richard Jefferson | Clint Capela |
| T.J. McConnell | Luis Scola |
Head Coach: Scott Brooks
Best Pick: Paul George (No. 7)
At 26 years old and one season removed from his horrific leg injury, Paul George is entering the prime of his career. He has few limitations on either end of the floor, though his foray as a small-ball 4 last season wasn't a smashing success on the defensive end.
Otherwise, he can do everything for a team, evidenced by him scoring the 10th-most points per game in the league while also defending the opponent's best wing. He'll move to a point forward role here, much like Antetokounmpo in real-life Milwaukee, so prepare to see a lot of opposing point guards get overpowered.
Worst Pick: Avery Bradley (No. 67)
Avery Bradley is a valuable defender, but the timing of the pick left Phoenix in a tough spot. Instead of targeting a post player to complement George and Bradley Beal, Bradley came off the board and slid George down to the point. In the aftermath, the Suns eventually settled for Bobby Portis and Richard Jefferson at power forward.
While Bradley is a quality player, the third round was the final chance to give George and Beal a proven offensive weapon in the frontcourt before another couple of defense-first players.
Team Identity
Phoenix is a backcourt-focused team with a versatile superstar. Between George, Beal and Bradley, the starting lineup has willing—and, more importantly, capable—three-point shooters. Portis could develop into a stretch-4, too. Although the Suns won’t overwhelm opponents with offense, a suffocating defense should carry the team through a poor shooting night.
Biggest Strength: Defense
Bradley was an inopportune pick, but again, he's not a bad player. The Celtics swingman is a significant part of a strong defensive roster. Bradley, George and Miles Plumlee each ranked in the top 60 of defensive win shares last season, according to Basketball-Reference.com. Eight of Phoenix's nine other players were rated between 110 and 200.
Biggest Weakness: Frontcourt Scoring
Unless Portis eventually becomes a legitimate offensive threat, the frontcourt lacks scoring potential. Of all Phoenix draftees at power forward or center, Mason Plumlee's 9.1 points per game led the group. If the frontcourt ever struggles to protect the rim, the players won't be providing much value.
Writeup provided by David Kenyon.
Portland Trail Blazers
34 of 39
| Shaun Livingston | Devin Booker | Nicolas Batum | Kevin Love | Bismack Biyombo |
| Derrick Rose | Gerald Green | T.J. Warren | Udonis Haslem | Brandan Wright |
| Tony Snell | DeAndre' Bembry |
Head Coach: Tyronn Lue
Best Pick: Bismack Biyombo (No. 95)
Bismack Biyombo’s offensive deficiencies have been documented, but he's a decent value at No. 95 and a perfect fit alongside Kevin Love. With Biyombo in place to cover the rim on defense, Love is free to clean up the boards. On the other end, Biyombo will demand few, if any, touches, so Love can operate from anywhere he wants.
Worst Pick: Derrick Rose (No. 155)
Theoretically, Derrick Rose as a sixth man should be fine. In practice, I'm not so sure. Rose has reached a point where he's a detriment on both ends of the floor. Among the 77 point guards listed, he was 54th in offensive real plus/minus, 74th in defensive real plus/minus and 74th in overall real plus/minus, according to ESPN.com.
Bad shooting, bad shot selection and bad defense generally equal bad minutes, especially for a guy who still thinks he's a star and may not accept a bench role.
Team Identity
Love, Nicolas Batum and Devin Booker are going to shoot a ton of threes to try to make up for the lack of offense from Biyombo, Shaun Livingston and the bench. And Tyronn Lue will let them because J.R. Smith recently converted him to the Church of the Contested Three.
Biggest Strength: Starters
Portland's starting five is strong. Two solid shooters in Love and Booker and two smart playmakers in Livingston and Batum all fit together well. And Biyombo as the anchor of it all should help the Blazers to at least be competitive on defense.
Biggest Weakness: Bench
Brandan Wright and T.J. Warren are decent enough players, but a second unit with a backcourt of Rose and Gerald Green could get rolled on a lot of nights.
Writeup provided by Andy Bailey.
Sacramento Kings
35 of 39
| Jrue Holiday | Eric Gordon | Kevin Durant | Ed Davis | Nikola Vucevic |
| Greivis Vasquez | Dion Waiters | Evan Turner | Jonas Jerebko | Joffrey Lauvergne |
| Briante Weber | Spencer Hawes |
Head Coach: Stan Van Gundy
Best Pick: Kevin Durant (No. 5)
Kevin Durant at No. 5 was a steal. He should have gone at least one or two picks earlier and was the obvious choice as a nucleus for a team with a clean slate.
Worst Pick: Greivis Vasquez (No. 296)
This team is nearly devoid of duds. It's hard to hate on Greivis Vasquez as your backup point guard, but with Aaron Brooks still on the board, that would have been a preferable choice to give the squad a little more shooting.
Team Identity
The Kings are so balanced that they don't need position-less modern tricks to build an offense. Durant is clearly the center of everything, and he'll be a danger from all over the floor with Holiday and Gordon scoring and dishing from multiple distances. This offense can morph from a deep attack to a post game with off-ball movement on any given possession.
Biggest Strength: Versatility
As soon as you stop one scorer one way, they've got another to beat you in an entirely different fashion. Even if KD isn't having his best night, three other starters are capable of putting up 20 or even 25-plus on a good night. And SVG will yell a lot, too.
Biggest Weakness: Depth
The bench has some average-to-disappointing talent. Dion Waiters proved useful in the playoffs last year but is far from reliable. Jonas Jerebko is the definition of passable. Evan Turner is an overpaid bust with some silver linings. They can blend into any lineup but can't hack it on their own without a star on the floor.
Writeup provided by Jacob Bourne.
San Antonio Spurs
36 of 39
| Stephen Curry | J.J. Redick | Justise Winslow | Aaron Gordon | Marcin Gortat |
| J.J. Barea | Langston Galloway | Jaylen Brown | Patrick Patterson | Marreese Speights |
| Brice Johnson | Domantas Sabonis |
Head Coach: Brad Stevens
Best Pick: Brad Stevens (No. 180)
Yes, taking Steph Curry should be the "most obvious best pick" because he has been the league's best player two years running (LeBron James' Finals notwithstanding). But this isn't the Golden State Warriors' loaded lineup we're talking about; parity reigns much more in this alternate universe.
Though this Spurs roster (and especially its starting five) is good and should be even better around Curry, selecting the perfect maestro to scheme it was wise. Brad Stevens was a steal this late, and he ensures the margin for error is as limitless as Curry's range.
Worst Pick: Brice Johnson (No. 361)
Marreese Speights and Domantas Sabonis were taken in the previous two rounds, so this team had five bigs. It was lacking a third point guard and enough competent shooting at the wings (besides J.J. Redick). Thus, drafting Brice Johnson makes absolutely no sense, though taking Jaylen Brown in the eighth round was both too early and head-scratching for similar reasons, unless he can defend at an NBA level.
There were cheap shooters or athletic, young wings available as a flier rather than burning a top-of-the-round pick on a guy who should have gone undrafted.
Team Identity
Steph Curry can run pick-and-roll with Aaron Gordon or Marcin Gortat all day, and good luck trying to ice those or double Curry. And when J.J. Redick is your poor man's Klay Thompson, you're doing OK. Gordon might not replicate all of Draymond Green's intangibles, but he's got the skill set to provide a lot of similar production at a higher altitude.
This bench with its lack of shooting (other than Patrick Patterson) is pretty sketchy, but in Brad Stevens we trust at making both units' offenses work. There's a lot of defensive length, especially between Winslow, Brown and Gordon, but this team may struggle a little more on that end than people think. Still, any team with Curry, Stevens and a reasonable supporting cast is winning 50 games, entertaining you every night and a sleeper contender.
Biggest Strength: Options for Curry
Curry has options on the lob (Winslow and Gordon), on the roll (Gordon and Gortat) or the kickout (Redick), and that's just the starting lineup. And if you're trying to freeze out any of those guys, then you're single-covering Curry to your own doom.
Brad Stevens has plenty of athletic toys to play with, though trading one of the youngsters for a true three-and-D wing would probably be an in-season must unless Winslow's shot improves that much or Jaylen Brown is ahead of his years.
Biggest Weakness: Shooting Depth
How can a team that has Curry, Redick and Patterson want for shooting? Probably because there aren't many other comforting options unless the young guys grow quickly and/or J.J. Barea and Langston Galloway have a consistent year.
Speaking of which, there's no depth behind Curry at point guard besides Barea, and both have been known to get dinged up. This roster got imbalanced during its later picks, and that moved this from a clear contender to a second-tier team.
Writeup provided by Joel Cordes.
Toronto Raptors
37 of 39
| Mike Conley | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | DeMarre Carroll | Amir Johnson | Hassan Whiteside |
| Elfrid Payton | Ben McLemore | Wesley Johnson | Jared Sullinger | Jeff Withey |
| Trey Burke | Brandon Bass |
Head Coach: Nate McMillan
Best Pick: Mike Conley (No. 31)
When you're the last team in the draft, sometimes it's hard to even get one pick who has true first-round talent. The Raptors were lucky enough to get two. Mike Conley is not great at any one thing, but he does a lot of things at a high level. Getting a guy like that to run your team with a second-round pick is a steal.
Worst Pick: Wesley Johnson (No. 210)
Wesley Johnson had a player efficiency rating of 11.0 last year, according to Basketball-Reference.com. That had him ranked 278 out of 350 players who topped 500 minutes. Adding in the 20-30 players who are rookies or second-year players who can easily jump over him, he’s at best the 300th player in the league. He was drafted at least three rounds too soon. I don't get this one.
Team Identity
I don't want to say Toronto will be slow, but it will be deliberate. It'll have a nice pick-and-roll combination with Conley and Hassan Whiteside. It has passable shooters in DeMarre Carroll and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. And all of those guys can defend, too. This might be the best defensive team drafted, anchored by Whiteside.
Biggest Strength: Half-Court Play
This group will be fantastic in a tempo-controlled game where everyone can get set on both sides of the ball and do their jobs. It is a well-assembled team you can see working together, and Conley has been running just that type of offense for years now. He's a perfect choice to lead.
Biggest Weakness: Transition Defense
Transition will be a problem here. While the Raptors have good defenders, they're not the type to run up and down the court with abandon. If you can press and get them out of their rhythm, you'll have a chance to make them uncomfortable and win.
Writeup provided by Kelly Scaletta.
Utah Jazz
38 of 39
| Kyle Lowry | C.J. McCollum | Wilson Chandler | Marvin Williams | Jonas Valanciunas |
| Brandon Jennings | Alex Abrines | Matt Barnes | Dario Saric | Cole Aldrich |
| Troy Daniels | Mitch McGary |
Head Coach: Jason Kidd
Best Pick: Brandon Jennings (No. 226)
Brandon Jennings returns with the same flashy bounce to his step as he had before the Achilles injury. He's held down starting jobs in the past but seems to be the perfect backup point guard. He'll be more valuable as the team's sixth man than Cole Aldrich, whom the Jazz got two rounds earlier.
Worst Pick: Cole Aldrich (No. 166)
Aldrich would have been available in the later rounds. He was a reach in Round 6. Taj Gibson would have been a better small-ball 5 option with more upside, athleticism, rebounding, scoring, teeth and just about everything else besides length.
Team Identity
The Jazz will be known for their backcourt firepower. Kyle Lowry and C.J. McCollum could emerge as the league's top scoring guard duo, with both capable of averaging 20 points per game.
Biggest Strength: Backcourt
Given the team's identity, it's no surprise Utah's backcourt is its biggest strength. Lowry, McCollum, Jennings and Alex Abrines will put heavy pressure on the defense with attacking and shooting. Lowry will also be able to help cover for McCollum on the defensive end. Ditto for Abrines with Jennings.
Biggest Weakness: Interior Defense
How much rim protection will Utah get between Marvin Williams, Jonas Valanciunas and Dario Saric? Not enough. Bigger teams will eat the Jazz alive inside.
Writeup provided by Jonathan Wasserman.
Washington Wizards
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| Goran Dragic | Dwyane Wade | Marcus Morris | LaMarcus Aldridge | Boban Marjanovic |
| Aaron Brooks | Buddy Hield | Thabo Sefolosha | Trevor Booker | Greg Monroe |
| Tyus Jones | Livio Jean-Charles |
Head Coach: Brett Brown
Best Pick: Goran Dragic (No. 80)
I'm a fan of Goran Dragic in the third round. I think he's better than Zach LaVine and Victor Oladipo, combo-ish guards who went ahead of him. The only criticism I'd have is that Dwyane Wade went to the Wizards in the prior round, and we learned last year that Wade's ball-dominant game minimizes Dragic's value. Still, at No. 80, Dragic is a good pick.
Worst Pick: Greg Monroe (No. 140)
Everyone picks on Greg Monroe, so maybe this is overkill. But I'm not into taking him in the fourth round. If you wanted scoring from a big man, Al Jefferson, Enes Kanter and Jahlil Okafor were still on the board. And if you wanted someone who'd actually help on defense, Amir Johnson was available.
In fact, I would have taken Clint Capela over Monroe, and Capela lasted another 47 picks. Even in the pretend, re-drafted modern NBA, it's tough to justify investing in Monroe's one-way game.
Team Identity
This team is going to play deliberately. Nobody in the frontcourt can run with an uptempo attack, and Wade is a half-court player at this stage of his career. It's rare to ascribe a grind-it-out mentality to a team that is defined more by offense than defense, but it looks like that's what we've got here.
Biggest Strength: Pick-and-Pop Offense
I think this is a bottom-three team, so this is tough. I suppose the Dragic-Aldridge pick-and-pop could yield some good things, especially if Hield is hanging out in the corner as a spacing threat.
I'd feel better about trusting that strength if Aldridge were willing to play more center (which would create a five-out look on offense, but he wasn't into that with the real-life Spurs, so it's hard to get too excited here.
Biggest Weakness: Shot Creation
Outside of Dragic, who's really more of a 50-50 split in the scoring-facilitating breakdown, there's not a trustworthy shot creator on this roster. Wade looks to score first, Buddy Hield has to be set up and the team's two best scoring bigs—Aldridge and Monroe—aren't great passers.
There was a time when Monroe's court vision made him a potential offensive hub, but that area of his game has deteriorated. Maybe the Wizards are comfortable running the offense through him on the second unit, but I could see this team generally having a hard time maximizing its talent without more pass-first types.
Writeup provided by Grant Hughes.
