NBA Draft Grades 2020: Full List of Scores for All Picks
The 2020 NBA Draft had more chalk than most expected.
There were no surprise entries into the top three. The lottery came and went without a major trade. There were no giant first-round reaches; every prospect who landed there probably held that spot in some mock draft.
For draft evaluators—or, at least, this draft evaluator—that kept most draft grades away from the extremes. There weren't many picks to love, but there were even fewer to hate. Most landed in the middle from both value and talent perspectives.
Well, you can see that for yourself, since we're grading all 60 selections here, then spotlighting three of the most valuable picks in the draft.
Grades for Every Pick
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1. Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards | B
2. Golden State Warriors: James Wiseman | B+
3. Charlotte Hornets: LaMelo Ball | A-
4. Chicago Bulls: Patrick Williams | B-
5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Isaac Okoro | B
6. Atlanta Hawks: Onyeka Okongwu | B-
7. Detroit Pistons: Killian Hayes | A
8. New York Knicks: Obi Toppin | B
9. Washington Wizards: Deni Avdija | B
10. Phoenix Suns: Jalen Smith | D+
11. San Antonio Spurs: Devin Vassell | A-
12. Sacramento Kings: Tyrese Haliburton | A+
13. New Orleans Pelicans: Kira Lewis Jr. | B+
14. Boston Celtics: Aaron Nesmith | C+
15. Orlando Magic: Cole Anthony | B
16. Detroit Pistons (via Trail Blazers): Isaiah Stewart | D
17. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Timberwolves): Aleksej Pokusevski | B+
18. Dallas Mavericks: Josh Green | B
19. Detroit Pistons (via Nets): Saddiq Bey | B
20. Miami Heat: Precious Achiuwa | B
21. Philadelphia 76ers: Tyrese Maxey | B+
22. Denver Nuggets: Zeke Nnaji | C
23. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Knicks): Leandro Bolmaro | C+
24. Denver Nuggets (via Pelicans): RJ Hampton | B+
25. New York Knicks (via Thunder): Immanuel Quickley | C
26. Boston Celtics: Payton Pritchard | C-
27. Utah Jazz: Udoka Azubuike | D
28. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Thunder): Jaden McDaniels | B
29. Toronto Raptors: Malachi Flynn | C+
30. Memphis Grizzlies (via Celtics): Desmond Bane | A-
31. Dallas Mavericks: Tyrell Terry | A
32. Charlotte Hornets: Vernon Carey Jr. | D+
33. Los Angeles Clippers (via Knicks): Daniel Oturu | C-
34. Oklahoma City Thunder (via 76ers): Theo Maledon | B-
35. Memphis Grizzlies (via Kings): Xavier Tillman Sr. | B
36. Dallas Mavericks (via 76ers): Tyler Bey | B+
37. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Wizards): Vit Krejci | D
38. Detroit Pistons (via Jazz): Saben Lee | C-
39. Utah Jazz (via Pelicans): Elijah Hughes | B-
40. Sacramento Kings (via Grizzlies): Robert Woodard II | B+
41. San Antonio Spurs: Tre Jones | C+
42. Charlotte Hornets (via Pelicans): Nick Richards | C
43. Sacramento Kings: Jahmi'us Ramsey | A-
44. Chicago Bulls: Marko Simonovic | D+
45. Milwaukee Bucks: Jordan Nwora | B
46. Portland Trail Blazers: CJ Elleby | C-
47. Boston Celtics: Yam Madar | C
48. Golden State Warriors: Nico Mannion | B+
49. Philadelphia 76ers: Isaiah Joe | A-
50. Atlanta Hawks: Skylar Mays | B+
51. Golden State Warriors: Justinian Jessup | C
52. Houston Rockets (via Kings): Kenyon Martin Jr. | C-
53. Washington Wizards (via Thunder): Cassius Winston | A
54. Indiana Pacers: Cassius Stanley | C+
55. Los Angeles Clippers (via Nets): Jay Scrubb | B-
56. Charlotte Hornets: Grant Riller | A
57. Brooklyn Nets (via Clippers): Reggie Perry | C+
58. Philadelphia 76ers: Paul Reed | B+
59. Toronto Raptors: Jalen Harris | C
60. Milwaukee Bucks: Sam Merrill | B
7. Detroit Pistons: Killian Hayes | A
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With Andre Drummond gone, and Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose advancing through their 30s, the Pistons needed a franchise face. They may have found exactly that with Killian Hayes.
That's an optimistic projection, of course, but the baseline skills are there to support it. He's a smooth shot-creator who can get fancy when he needs to do, and his footwork conjures up images of James Harden and Manu Ginobili.
"Hayes has the best combination of ballhandling, shooting and passing ability in this draft," The Ringer's Jonathan Tjarks wrote. "He could develop into an elite point guard."
Hayes has some rough patches now—mostly connected to his inconsistent shooting and left-hand dominance—but if any club can wait out a bumpy beginning, it's Detroit. This was a great way for new general manager Troy Weaver to put his first significant stamp on the organization.
12. Sacramento Kings: Tyrese Haliburton | A+
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New Kings general manager Monte McNair didn't try to do too much in his first draft with Sacramento. Instead, the executive simply tracked prospects who were sliding down the draft board and pounced on them as value picks.
Never was that clearer—or more impactful—than when the Kings snagged Tyrese Haliburton at No. 12. He had a decent chance of going top five and seemed unlikely to get the past the Nos. 6-8 range, but the 6'5" guard somehow slipped all the way to Sacramento, where he should instantly perk up a squad aiming to book its first playoff trip since 2006.
"Sacramento was a perfect place for me and somewhere that we really looked at and thought it would be a perfect fit, somewhere where we felt I would have an opportunity right away," Haliburton told reporters. "... Sacramento is a place that I wanted to be and here I am, and I'm really ecstatic about it."
Haliburton isn't a great athlete or shot-creator, but the Kings hope to have those areas covered by De'Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley III, Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes. Haliburton is (or at least can become) a great passer, defender and spot-up shooter, making him a fit both alongside and behind Fox.
31. Dallas Mavericks: Tyrell Terry | A
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While Dallas went defensive with the selections of Josh Green and Tyler Bey, its historically efficient offense still plucked a deadly long-distance shooter atop the second round.
Tyrell Terry could've—and should've—been selected long before the No. 31 spot. He held the No. 8 spot on the big board of The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, who called Terry "potentially a game-changing shooter with limitless range."
Dallas needed a new sniper after trading away Seth Curry for Josh Richardson and the pick that became Bey, and Terry can step right into that role. He drilled 62 triples at a 40.8 percent clip in Stanford and further flashed his form with an 89.1 percent success rate on free throws. He also showed more off-the-dribble elusiveness than Curry, drawing comparisons from O'Connor to CJ McCollum and former Mavs standout Jason Terry.
Having Tyrell Terry's catch-and-shoot stroke alongside a genius playmaker like Luka Doncic isn't fair.
