NBA Draft Grades 2014: Full Results, Analysis and Instant Reaction

The 2014 NBA draft featured arguably the finest collection of prospects since the legendary 2003 class that was headlined by future superstars such as LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade.

And that’s why June 26, 2014 may go down as a day that changed the fortunes of multiple NBA franchises.

With a variety of potential cornerstones in Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, Jabari Parker, Dante Exum and Julius Randle all up for grabs, this was the perfect opportunity for a number of general managers to acquire a star-caliber talent, even outside of the first five picks. 

In the end, Wiggins, the prospect who's seemed destined for stardom for well over a year, went No. 1 to Cleveland, but the Cavaliers are far from the only team that came out with influential building blocks on Thursday night.

Looking back on what was an all-important evening for countless organizations around the league, here's a look at how well each team performed at the Barclays Center, as well as reactions and analysis on the biggest moments of the 2014 NBA draft. 

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School	Grade
1	Cavaliers	Andrew Wiggins	SF	Kansas	A-
2	Bucks	Jabari Parker	SF	Duke	B+
3	76ers	Joel Embiid	C	Kansas	A
4	Magic	Aaron Gordon	PF	Arizona	B-
5	Jazz	Dante Exum	PG	Australia	B
6	Celtics	Marcus Smart	PG	Oklahoma State	B-
7	Lakers	Julius Randle	PF	Kentucky	A+
8	Kings	Nik Stauskas	SG	Michigan	C-
9	Hornets	Noah Vonleh	PF	Indiana	A
10	Magic	Elfrid Payton	PG	UL Lafayette	B
11	Bulls	Doug McDermott	SF	Creighton	B+
12	76ers	Dario Saric	SF	Croatia	B
13	Timberwolves	Zach LaVine	PG	UCLA	B
14	Suns	T.J. Warren	SF	N.C. State	B+
15	Hawks	Adreian Payne	PF	Michigan State	C
16	Nuggets	Jusuf Nurkic	C	Bosnia-Herzegovina	B+
17	Celtics	James Young	SG	Kentucky	B+
18	Suns	Tyler Ennis	PG	Syracuse	B
19	Nuggets	Gary Harris	SG	Michigan State	B
20	Raptors	Bruno Caboclo	SF	Brazil	D+
21	Thunder	Mitch McGary	PF	Michigan	C+
22	Grizzlies	Jordan Adams	SG	UCLA	B-
23	Jazz	Rodney Hood	SF	Duke	A
24	Heat	Shabazz Napier	PG	Connecticut	B+
25	Rockets	Clint Capela	PF	Switzerland	A-
26	Hornets	P.J. Hairston	SG	UNC/NBA D-League	A-
27	Suns	Bogan Bogdanovic	SG	Serbia	B
28	Clippers	C.J. Wilcox	SG	Washington	B
29	Thunder	Josh Huestis	SF	Stanford	B-
30	Spurs	Kyle Anderson	SF	UCLA	B+

Biggest Surprises and Reaches

It wasn't a shock to see Wiggins, Parker and Embiid come off the board as the first three players chosen, but Randle's tumble out of the top five was certainly unexpected. 

After averaging 15 points and better than 10 rebounds a game as a freshman with Kentucky, Randle's long since established himself as one of the most promising power forwards in recent memory, so needless to say, the Lakers were thrilled to see his name available at No. 7. 

This was such a steal for L.A. that even Kobe Bryant was excited.

Bryant wasn't the only NBA superstar excited about his team's draft haul, as many, such as Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick, have written about LeBron's desire to play alongside Connecticut star Shabazz Napier.

By moving up to No. 24 to get the point guard who is coming off a dominant performance en route to the NCAA title, Pat Riley may also have helped his odds at luring James back to South Beach. "Even if James didn't directly influence him to draft Napier, surely LeBron took note of Riley's guts and skill in maneuvering to add a player. And surely, that can't hurt as James considers whether Riley will be capable of doing the same again in the veteran market, when free agency opens."

At the other end of the spectrum, despite the abundance of elite prospects in the pool, a handful of teams reached in Round 1, perhaps none more so than the Kings, who took former Michigan gunner Nik Stauskas with the eighth selection. 

However, the most puzzling pick has to be Philadelphia's at No. 12, as the 76ers burned their second first-rounder on Dario Saric. He absolutely has the tools to contribute, but as CBS Sports' Matt Moore noted, Saric joins Embiid and 2013 draftee Nerlens Noel as early Philadelphia picks that won't join the team on the floor immediately.

Taking Embiid at No. 3 is one thing, because with his upside and rapid rate of development as a player, there was no letting him slip away. But to further prolong the rebuild by using a second top-12 pick on yet another prospect who is not expected to join the 76ers anytime soon is a dangerous gamble for an organization that has a lengthy road back to respectability in front of it. 

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School	Grade
31	Bucks	Damien Inglis	SF	France	A-
32	76ers	K.J. McDaniels	SF	Clemson	B+
33	Cavaliers	Joe Harris	SG	Virginia	A-
34	Knicks	Cleanthony Early	SF	Wichita State	B+
35	Grizzlies	Jarnell Stokes	PF	Tennessee	B+
36	Bucks	Johnny O'Bryant III	PF	LSU	B
37	Raptors	DeAndre Daniels	SF	Connecticut	C+
38	Pistons	Spencer Dinwiddie	PG	Colorado	B
39	76ers	Jerami Grant	SF	Syracuse	A-
40	Timberwolves	Glenn Robinson III	SF	Michigan	A
41	Nuggets	Nikola Jokic	PF	Serbia	B
42	Rockets	Nick Johnson	SG	Arizona	A-
43	Hawks	Walter Tavares	C	Cape Verde	A-
44	Nets	Markel Brown	SG	Oklahoma State	B
45	Hornets	Dwight Powell	PF	Stanford	B+
46	Lakers	Jordan Clarkson	PG	Missouri	B+
47	Pelicans	Russ Smith	PG	Louisville	C
48	Hawks	Lamar Patterson	SG	Pittsburgh	C+
49	Bulls	Cameron Bairstow	PF	New Mexico	B+
50	Suns	Alec Brown	C	Green Bay	B
51	Knicks	Thanasis Antetokounmpo	SF	Greece	A-
52	76ers	Vasilije Micic	PG	Serbia	B+
53	Timberwolves	Alessandro Gentile	G	Italy	C+
54	76ers	Nemanja Dangubic	SF	Serbia	B-
55	Hornets	Semaj Christon	PG	Xavier	B+
56	Nuggets	Roy Devyn Marble	SG	Iowa	B
57	Knicks	Louis Labeyrie	C	France	B
58	76ers	Jodan McRae	SG	Tennessee	C+
59	Raptors	Xavier Thames	PG	San Diego State	B-
60	Nets	Corey Jefferson	PF	Baylor	B

Round 2 Highlights

While the night's true headliners were long gone by the time pick No. 31 rolled around, there were still some prospects with national recognition available in Round 2, such as Michigan fan favorite Glenn Robinson III, who went to Minnesota. 

And while questions remain about Robinson's ability to transition to the professional game, at least his new team sounded ecstatic at being able to add the son of former NBA All-Star Glenn II at No. 40. 

In addition to Robinson, former Louisville stud Russ Smith found a new home with the Pelicans, who took the former NCAA champion at No. 47 after flipping Pierre Jackson to Philadelphia for the pick. 

There's no question that Smith does possess the natural ability to put up points, but as USA Today noted, there are much bigger question marks surrounding his potential in the NBA: "That's the question surrounding the 2013 champion and immensely talented scorer. He's only 6-1 and doesn't have the top-end athleticism to play shooting guard, but he developed as a passer last season. He definitely has charisma, for what that's worth."

For now, Smith will likely head to the D-League to develop a more complete game, but the fact that he's a proven winner and somewhat marketable asset may help him get a shot at the next level sooner rather than later.