2015 NBA Draft Results: Easy-to-Read Grades, Picks for All 30 NBA Teams

Thursday's 2015 NBA draft wasn't quite as straightforward as expected near the top of the order, but one expected pick was the first one. The Minnesota Timberwolves made the smart choice of Karl-Anthony Towns with the No. 1 overall selection.

Between Justise Winslow's slide to Miami at No. 10, the surprise choice Philadelphia made in Jahlil Okafor and the polarizing Kristaps Porzingis plunge by the New York Knicks, there were some fascinating twists to draft night.

Check out the complete list of picks below, followed by grades for all 30 teams and analysis of the draft's biggest winners—at least on paper.

Team	Grade	Analysis
Atlanta Hawks	C-	Turned a potential big draft asset into Tim Hardaway, which doesn't qualify as making a big splash.
Boston Celtics	B+	Terry Rozier joins a crowded point guard platoon, but R.J. Hunter is a huge help for perimeter scoring.
Brooklyn Nets	B	The injury provides some doubt, but Chris McCullough was a sound, smart pick at No. 29. Acquiring Rondae-Hollis Jefferson will help the team defensively.
Charlotte Hornets	B+	Hard not to like Frank Kaminsky as a prospect. Just difficult to see where he fits with Al Jefferson and Cody Zeller.
Chicago Bulls	A	Bobby Portis was a huge steal at No. 22. One of the best scenarios the Bulls could have hoped for.
Cleveland Cavaliers	C	Flipped Tyus Jones into two early second-rounders, but likely won't see Cedi Osman for a couple of years. Questionable, since Jones filled a huge need at backup point guard.
Dallas Mavericks	B-	More scoring help on the perimeter could have been had. Justin Anderson is a strong defender, but a sharpshooting 2-guard seemed like a better first-round pick.
Denver Nuggets	B	No denying Emmanuel Mudiay's upside, but it will come at the cost of trading Ty Lawson.
Detroit Pistons	C	Justise Winslow seemed like the better choice than Stanley Johnson to fill a need on the wing, but time will tell.
Golden State Warriors	A	The reigning champions benefited greatly from Kevon Looney's slide to No. 30.
Houston Rockets	A	Great value to acquire Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell to diversify the roster up front.
Indiana Pacers	A-	Made the right call in Myles Turner as the likely replacement for David West. Turner has a ton of upside, but may take time to reach his potential.
Los Angeles Clippers	A	Did well to acquire the rights to Branden Dawson without any 2015 draft picks.
Los Angeles Lakers	A+	D'Angelo Russell is the ideal catalyst to help the Lakers out of their losing ways. Larry Nance Jr. was a solid addition to the frontcourt at No. 27.
Memphis Grizzlies	A-	Bolstering the frontcourt with Jarell Martin was wise with Marc Gasol hitting free agency.
Miami Heat	A	Justise Winslow had tremendous value at No. 10 overall. The Heat may struggle to integrate him initially if Dwyane Wade is still around.
Milwaukee Bucks	A	Rashad Vaughn can play either guard position and joins an intriguing young nucleus in Milwaukee.
Minnesota Timberwolves	A+	The no-brainer selection of Karl-Anthony Towns alone made this draft a raging success. Sacrificing two picks for Tyus Jones seemed a bit rich, but he gives Minnesota backcourt depth.
New Orleans Pelicans	B	Traded Branden Dawson to the Clippers for cash considerations.
New York Knicks	A+	Admire the boldness on Kristaps Porzingis, and they swung a trade to get an electric guard in Jerian Grant. Successful night for the Knicks.
Oklahoma City Thunder	B+	Cameron Payne is a nice addition, but could have addressed a position other than Russell Westbrook's in the lottery.
Orlando Magic	A-	Strayed from conventional wisdom to choose Mario Hezonja. How good he ultimately is will depend on how he can harness his supreme confidence in the NBA.
Philadelphia Sixers	D	Perplexing to draft Jahlil Okafor with Joel Embiid still waiting in the wings. One of them will be a future trade chip, and the bevy of second-round picks doesn't suggest a big turnaround anytime soon.
Phoenix Suns	B+	Devin Booker is a solid option, but will have to be patient for playing time if Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight are still in the fold.
Portland Trail Blazers	B	Trading their initial pick in Rondae Hollis-Jefferson for Pat Connaughton hurt the defense, but gives Portland more offensive firepower.
Sacramento Kings	C-	The DeMarcus Cousins rumors and dysfunction of the Kings organization are still alive after Sacramento re-upped at center with Willie Cauley-Stein.
San Antonio Spurs	B	Few have heard of Serbian center Nikola Milutinov, but those types of international picks have paid off for the Spurs in the past.
Toronto Raptors	A-	Delon Wright is an immediate replacement Greivis Vasquez, and the Raptors added future assets by trading Vasquez on draft night.
Utah Jazz	A	Trey Lyles supplies the frontcourt depth Utah needs behind Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors. A smart lottery choice gives the Jazz a high mark.
Washington Wizards	B+	Time will tell how the Kelly Oubre trade works out. Washington is in ideal position to take the risk on the talented Kansas star.

Biggest 2015 NBA Draft Winners

Minnesota Timberwolves

Towns played alongside six other NBA draft entrants in his one year at Kentucky, so it's a testament to his potential that he stood out enough to be the first player off the 2015 draft board.

The natural shot-blocking and rebounding abilities make Towns an innate force at that end of the floor. Where he really picked up his game in a short period of time was with his back to the basket, as Synergy Sports Tech highlights:

That has to give the Timberwolves confidence that Towns can become an instant starter. It's also going to help a lot to have a magnificent mentor in Kevin Garnett, who knows what it is to be the face of the franchise in Minneapolis.

Andrew Wiggins is there to bear part of that burden, as is dynamic point guard Ricky Rubio, who welcomed a strong backup in Duke national champion Tyus Jones.

Seth Davis applauded Minnesota's move to take Jones from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for their two second-round picks:

But the bigger story of course is Towns, who figures to make up for any shortcomings Wolves center Nikola Pekovic has on defense. Minnesota conceded the most points in the NBA in 2014-15, and Towns is the type of paint presence the team needs—and he can guard all the way out to the perimeter.

Towns flashes the ability to shoot three-pointers and should only continue to improve on the lower block. His ceiling is extremely high, and depending on how quickly he comes along, the Wolves may be in playoff contention sooner than expected.

Los Angeles Lakers

Instead of going in the somewhat expected direction of Okafor, the Lakers wisely went with D'Angelo Russell to be the perimeter franchise cornerstone.

With a mentor in Lakers legend Kobe Bryant to help him along, Russell figures to be in prime position to get his career off to a great start. Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding has an encouraging bit of information to pass on as Bryant prepares to be the mentor:

The former Ohio State star's ability to play either guard position also works well with promising second-year guard Jordan Clarkson. Magic Johnson also gave Russell a ringing endorsement:

Los Angeles' other first-round pick at 27th overall was Larry Nance Jr., whose father played in the NBA. The pedigree alone is reason to be excited, but Nance is an excellent defender who can play on the wing and at the 4 as well.

The team's official Twitter account logged what Nance had to say about his game, along with general manager Mitch Kupchak's thoughts:

By choosing Russell over Okafor at No. 2, though, the Lakers have a massive free-agency endgame in mind. Not only is Russell a smart choice in terms of what he'll bring to the perimeter rotation, but it also frees up L.A. to pursue the multitude of big men available on the open market.

Russell is the type of special player who could lure future free agents to the historic franchise. The focus now has to be on players like LaMarcus Aldridge or perhaps DeAndre Jordan from the crosstown rival Clippers.

New York Knicks

Knicks president Phil Jackson used his first crack at a first-round pick as executive in style, taking a flier on the tantalizingly talented Porzingis.

Boos rang out at the Barclays Center from New York fans in what had to be the strongest reaction of the night—and the most vitriolic. It's understandable to a degree, given that Porzingis is from Latvia and many fans in the Big Apple haven't seen him ball at all.

Let's give the Zen Master the benefit of the doubt, though. Jackson thinks the Knicks faithful will ultimately come around on Porzingis, per ESPN.com's Ohm Youngmisuk:

Yahoo Sports insider Adrian Wojnarowski, known to be as plugged in as anyone on the NBA beat, has heard from reputable sources that Porzingis may be a gamble that pays off in a big way:

So Jackson seems to have some idea of what he's doing, even though he's still rather new to his front-office digs. Plus, the Knicks swung a magnificent trade to inject the backcourt with some life by acquiring Jerian Grant through a trade involving Tim Hardaway.

The exchange to obtain the former Notre Dame star was enough for ESPN draft expert Chad Ford to give high praise to New York's draft:

One has to admire Grant's confidence, too, per SI NBA:

What makes Grant an exciting addition is his ability to line up at both guard positions, score from anywhere on the court and the high motor he plays with. He can be a young, energetic leader for a franchise that needs a spark.

Porzingis stands at over 7'0" tall and by all accounts has a graceful shooting stroke to blend into the more perimeter-oriented modern NBA. Check out some of the glowing testimony various draft gurus gave in advocating for Porzingis prior to the Knicks choosing him:

The marquee pieces New York added give the rotation at coach Derek Fisher's disposal tremendous flexibility. It was going to take time for the Knicks to build a contender, which Carmelo Anthony had to understand before he made his decision to remain with the team for the long haul.

Picking Porzingis will be a defining factor in how history views Jackson's stint as an executive. While most may bash the selection on instant reaction, the 19-year-old Porzingis has the tools to become a legitimate star—even if it takes a year or two for the light to go on in the Association.