What Went Down In The NBA Draft

10:59 PM

Good Night!

155775 Geoff Foster
Geoff Foster

The first round is over, and so is our live blog. Porzingis stays a Knick. The various Paul George deals that were so widely speculated about also apparently stalled. Jimmy Butler was the only big name to change teams. What was everyone’s top takeaway from the night?

Nate: In many respects, this draft went to form. It seems like the big winners have to be the Timberwolves for the Butler trade and the Knicks for not doing something stupid.

Neil: The big, obvious winner of the night is Minnesota, grabbing Jimmy Butler for very little. As for draft picks, I also liked Orlando snagging Jonathan Isaac at No. 6. The stats said he was the second-best prospect in the field, and he should be ready to contribute before too long.

Geoff: This is clearly a sentence that should never be written: I like what the Kings did in the draft. I think Fox is going to be star, Justin Jackson has a low ceiling but is a safe role player and Harry Giles obviously has huge upside if he can somehow remain healthy.

Kyle: I think the Wolves are big winners too, but they’re in a more traditional teambuilding scenario now — they have a few stars and need to find talent to surround them with. This is the step that many tank-centric rebuilds (deliberate or otherwise) haven’t had a plan for. Even the Thunder, after their big draft hauls, struggled to find talent. So it’s a win, but also just the first step. But as far as draft picks from tonight, I still think the story is Lonzo. He profiles like a 36-year-old Jason Kidd at age 19. He may be the Rajon Rondo to the Banana Boat crew’s Big Three landing in L.A. And the Lakers are still the Lakers — and could still do something ridiculous before the season starts. And at the center of that is an oversized point guard who passes like a dream, which isn’t the worst thing to have in L.A.

Chris: Clear takeaway is that the Wolves could make some real noise next season, based on what happened tonight. The Bulls are going to rebuild, and they unloaded a legitimate star, which will help Minnesota in a big way. Still waiting to see if any other big dominoes fall, with the Celtics still having the assets to get something done if they opt to go that route.

OK, so the Timberwolves owned the night. That much is clear. Now with the first round over, the basketball conversation can return to the Golden State Warriors. See you in a year, other 29 teams!

(see updates…)