NBA Draft Grades 2015: Letter Marks, Results and Analysis for Every Team

Although tanking is a widely accepted aspect of the NBA, it's not necessarily a prerequisite to walking out of the NBA draft with a potential building block for the future.

Yes, Karl-Anthony Towns, D'Angelo Russell, Kristaps Porzingis and Jahlil Okafor are arguably the four most talented players in the 2015 class, but go beyond that and you'll find plenty of skilled players destined for long, productive careers in the league.

Below, you'll find draft grades for each team followed by four picks outside the top four that should provide the most value.

Draft Results

Draft Grades

Team	Grade	Notes
Atlanta Hawks	D+	Dealt Kelly Oubre, so that doesn't count in Hawks' favor. On basis of two second-rounders, Atlanta didn't get much of worth.
Boston Celtics	B+	Flip the positions the Celtics got R.J. Hunter and Terry Rozier, and Boston looks better. The team reached for Rozier, but he could emerge as a solid sixth man.
Brooklyn Nets	B	Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is likely a few years away from seriously contributing to the Nets, but should provide great value for Brooklyn.
Charlotte Hornets	C-	Can understand why the Hornets selected Frank Kaminsky, but his interior defense could really hold him back in the NBA. Charlotte could've gotten more value at No. 9.
Chicago Bulls	A	The Bulls only had one pick, but they made it count. Bobby Portis was a mid-first-rounder Chicago somehow landed at 22.
Cleveland Cavaliers	B	Rakeem Christmas provides depth inside, which the Cavs will still need even if they re-sign Kevin Love. Maybe Cedi Osman an prove to be a steal in the second round.
Dallas Mavericks	A-	Justin Anderson is an underrated three-and-D option who can contribute to a playoff contender right away.
Denver Nuggets	B+	Emmanuel Mudiay was the best player on the board, and that's never a bad strategy to take with your first-round pick. Adding Mudiay almost certainly means Ty Lawson is expendable, which should help the Nuggets' rebuild.
Detroit Pistons	B	With Justise Winslow on the board, it seems crazy the Pistons would take Stanley Johnson instead. Johnson shouldn't be a bust or anything, but Winslow will likely become the better pro.
Golden State Warriors	A-	It's not like the Warriors needed to address any major areas, so Golden State was smart to take a boom-or-bust guy like Kevon Looney. The fact he won't need to play right away should only help his development.
Houston Rockets	C+	I'm just not sold on Sam Dekker as a mid-first-round pick, and it's hard to see what need he really addresses in Houston. Rockets bumped their grade up a bit with Montrezl Harrell in second round.
Indiana Pacers	B	The Pacers are clearly putting the succession plan in place with Myles Turner being the natural replacement for Roy Hibbert. Indiana just needs to be patient with his development.
Los Angeles Clippers	C+	The Clippers acquired the draft rights for Branden Dawson, which isn't a terrible move. But it's hard seeing how Dawson seriously helps the team. Maybe he can be more of a defensive specialist.
Los Angeles Lakers	A	The Lakers were smart to pass on Jahlil Okafor. The NBA will always have room for big men, but Okafor's lack of athleticism might hinder his ceiling. D'Angelo Russell is a perennial All-Star in the making.
Memphis Grizzlies	C	The Grizzlies have struggled from deep in the past few years, so they pass on R.J. Hunter to grab another frontcourt player. They might look at Andrew Harrison as that guy instead, but Hunter was right there.
Miami Heat	A	Pat Riley is a basketball genius, but everybody could see Justise Winslow was the best pick for the Heat. Miami gets an "A" for that pick alone. No matter what else happens for the team this summer, Winslow gives it a franchise player for the future.
Milwaukee Bucks	B-	The Bucks might have sacrificed value in order to address a need with Rashad Vaughn. Milwaukee could make me eat my words in a few years.
Minnesota Timberwolves	A+	The Timberwolves walked away with the best player in the draft (Karl-Anthony Towns) and a player who should be a solid backup (Tyus Jones) for injury-prone Ricky Rubio. That's a great draft.
New Orleans Pelicans	N/A	The Pelicans traded their only draft pick (Branden Dawson) to the Clippers.
New York Knicks	B	It's nothing against the Knicks, but too many super-hyped Euro guys have flamed out to give New York a strong grade after it opted for Kristaps Porzingis. Trading for Jerian Grant was a shrewd move, however. At least the Knicks actually have a plan for the future, which represents progress.
Oklahoma City Thunder	B-	If only Devin Booker lasted one pick longer, the Thunder would've come out much better after the first round. Cameron Payne at least gives OKC a solid backup PG, which is an obvious need for the future.
Orlando Magic	B+	The Magic needed a scorer in the backcourt, and that's exactly what Mario Hezonja should supply. Hezonja also doesn't seem to carry quite the same risk as Porzingis.
Philadelphia 76ers	B	The Sixers had about 57 second-rounders, some of whom might actually play in the NBA at some point. Philadelphia was in a tough position after the Lakers snagged D'Angelo Russell. Maybe the 76ers can turn their glut of big men into more future assets.
Phoenix Suns	B	Perimeter shooting was a bit of an issue for the Suns, so Phoenix did well to get Devin Booker in the first round.
Portland Trail Blazers	C-	Strictly in terms of the draft, Pat Connaughton isn't a great return. Acquiring Mason Plumlee should, however, help to offset LaMarcus Aldridge's seemingly inevitable departure.
Sacramento Kings	A	I love the Willie Cauley-Stein pick, but I'll love it a lot less if the Kings trade DeMarcus Cousins. Having Cousins inside as the offensive threat would balance out perfectly with Cauley-Stein's defense. Take out Cousins, and WCS's offensive frailties might become an issue.
San Antonio Spurs	B-	It doesn't really matter what grade you give the San Antonio Spurs. Nikola Milutinov will probably become a key member of the team's rotation in two or three years because that's what the Spurs do with all of their draft picks.
Toronto Raptors	B	Delon Wright might not have a tremendous ceiling, but he's more of a complete point guard and brings much-needed depth to Toronto's rotation.
Utah Jazz	C+	Are the Jazz planning to trade Derrick Favors? Otherwise, it doesn't make much sense to take Trey Lyles so early, especially since it's not like Rudy Gobert is all that old, either.
Washington Wizards	B-	I'm just not a massive fan of Kelly Oubre. He could prove a major value pick here, but he also comes with some major bust potential.

Best Value Picks

6. Sacramento Kings: Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky

Admittedly, a fairly large amount of Willie Cauley-Stein's value to the Sacramento Kings is tied up in whether or not they trade DeMarcus Cousins. According to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the Kings are fielding offers for the skilled big man.

Leaving aside how foolish simply trading Cousins is on its own, dealing him now makes even less sense. In Cousins and Cauley-Stein, Sacramento would have two post players whose styles are almost perfect complements of one another.

Cousins could cover for Cauley-Stein's offensive deficiencies, while Cauley-Stein would be the rim protector Cousins almost certainly will never be.

Take Cousins out of the equation, and the Kings might be stuck with a 7-footer who provides marginal returns on the offensive end. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but that might not be worth taking sixth overall.

7. Denver Nuggets: Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China

Not that long ago, Emmanuel Mudiay was viewed as a potential option for the first pick in the 2015 draft. Then he went to China, and his stock never quite recovered.

NBC Sports' Rob Dauster wonders if Mudiay's Chinese expedition might become something of a cautionary tale for future draft prospects:

Mudiay's somewhat rotten luck is the Denver Nuggets' gain. Not only did they get one of the top players in the draft, they also grabbed their point guard of the future. The team also now has cover for a potential Ty Lawson trade, per Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix:

The Nuggets are clearly rebuilding, and Mudiay can lead the team for years to come. His athleticism and inside scoring are exactly what teams are looking for now in franchise point guards.

He turned the ball over a bit too often in China, and his three-point shooting left a little to be desired. As long as Mudiay can iron out those wrinkles in his game, Denver will have knocked this out of the park.

10. Miami Heat: Justise Winslow, SF, Duke

Whichever basketball gods Pat Riley prayed to before the draft, he should keep them on speed dial. How in the world did Justise Winslow fall all the way to the Miami Heat at 10th overall?

Riley compared Winslow to a former All-Star and also a key player from the reigning NBA champions, per Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick:

The former Duke Blue Devils star is one of those guys who excels in so many different areas. He's a tremendous perimeter defender, strong rebounder and above-average scorer.

Winslow is basically Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with a jumper.

The great thing for the Heat is that even in the absolute worst-case scenario this summer—Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic sign elsewhere—a core with Winslow, Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside is still good enough to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.

Should Miami re-sign both Wade and Dragic, throwing Winslow in the mix could be the move that turns the franchise back into a contender to win the East.