Who won the 2019 NBA draft?
After the consensus top three of Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans), Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies) and RJ Barrett (New York Knicks) were selected, Thursday carried plenty of surprises, including the Atlanta Hawks trading up to draft De'Andre Hunter at No. 4 and the Minnesota Timberwolves making a deal with the Phoenix Suns to acquire Jarrett Culver at No. 6.
Our NBA experts answer the big questions about which teams deserve A grades, which risky moves will and won't work out, early Rookie of the Year favorites and best situations.
More: First-round winners and losers
You get to give out one "A" grade. Who gets it?
Jonathan Givony: The Memphis Grizzlies. Adding three players in Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke and John Konchar (on a two-way) gets you a A+ in my book.
Mike Schmitz: The New Orleans Pelicans, and not just because of Zion Williamson. I really like Jaxson Hayes' fit with Zion, especially once Williamson becomes a more consistent shooter. While I think Zion will see a lot of minutes at the small-ball 5, head coach Alvin Gentry will be able to unlock Williamson as a 4-5 pick-and-roll ball handler with Hayes, the draft's best vertical spacer, diving to the rim for lobs -- think Lob City Blake Griffin with DeAndre Jordan. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is one of the draft's most underrated players as a pass-dribble-shoot utility guard, Marcos Louzada Silva is a quality stash option and Zylan Cheatham is one of my favorite undrafted two-way players. All in all, a big night for the Pels.
Bobby Marks: The Detroit Pistons drafted a lottery talent in Sekou Doumbouya at No. 15 and turned the last pick in the first round into four second-round picks from the Cleveland Cavaliers. Two of those second-round picks turned into Jordan Bone and Deividas Sirvydis. Detroit also added Isaiah Roby with its own selection. That's great value.
Kevin Pelton: Denver. The Nuggets, who've mined the draft for talent as well as anyone in recent years, started the night without a pick because of last summer's tax-avoiding deal that sent Kenneth Faried to the Brooklyn Nets. When Bol Bol dropped, Denver stepped in to stop his slide, giving a future second-round pick and cash to the Miami Heat for No. 44. As with Michael Porter Jr. last year, the Nuggets can afford to wait on Bol if he needs more time to rehabilitate his navicular fracture given their deep roster. And this time, they got a lottery-caliber talent for a bargain price.
Which risky move has the most upside potential?
Pelton: The Orlando Magic taking Chuma Okeke coming off an ACL tear. Okeke was No. 2 in the stats-only version of my projections, so even if he's not quite the same player after the injury, he can still be a fine pick outside the lottery. Since most rookies don't help their team win, I don't think waiting a few months or even a full season for Okeke is a real problem.
Givony: Denver taking Bol Bol at No. 44 has zero downside and huge potential. You simply don't find players with his combination of size, length, mobility, shooting touch and rim-protection prowess, certainly not in the second round. If the red flags around Bol's foot, approach to the game and slender frame prove insurmountable, the Nuggets will be no worse for the wear. Considering some of the players who were drafted ahead of Bol, it's very surprising that no other team decided to take a flyer on him.
Marks: I wouldn't necessarily call it risky since Kevin Porter Jr. was selected with the last pick in the first round, but Cleveland drafted a player with a very high ceiling. Surround Porter with a strong structure provided by head coach John Beilein and his coaching staff, and teams could be second-guessing themselves for letting Porter slide to the late first round.
Schmitz: Bol Bol to Denver. Although there's not all that much actual risk involved here, I would have taken a swing on Bol well before No. 44, as he truly is a top-5 talent.
Which risky move has the most bust potential?
Marks: The Suns' first round. There were a handful of head-scratching moves by Phoenix ,starting with the cap-clearing trade of T.J. Warren to Indiana. That was followed when the Suns moved back to No. 11 to take Cameron Johnson from North Carolina, a player projected in the mid 20s before the night started. The Suns did get Dario Saric as part of the trade to move back and now have a stretch-4 to complement Deandre Ayton.
While those moves can be critiqued, trading Milwaukee's protected 2020 first-rounder for point guard Ty Jerome was a solid move based on the Suns' need at point guard.
Pelton: The Washington Wizards taking Rui Hachimura No. 9 overall. Hachimura's celebrated athleticism didn't translate into many box-score contributions at the defensive end, on the glass or as a playmaker. So if Hachimura isn't an elite scorer, his other limitations may offset the value he provides putting the ball in the hoop.
Schmitz: The Suns moving out of No. 6 to draft Cam Johnson at 11. While Saric is a quality player, and I love what they did getting Jerome, the Johnson pick made little sense to me, especially when it turns out they could have had Jarrett Culver at No. 6 if they stayed put. I do believe Jerome will be a steadying force, but Phoenix could have just added the Virginia standout guard at No. 24 after the deal with the Boston Celtics. If Phoenix left the draft with Culver and Jerome, the narrative would be much different.
Givony: Phoenix trading the No. 6 pick for Dario Saric and Cam Johnson at No. 11.
Which lottery pick is in the best situation to succeed?
Schmitz: De'Andre Hunter in Atlanta. The former Virginia standout and national champion can focus on what he does best -- defending everyone and making open shots. With Trae Young shouldering the bulk of the offense and Kevin Huerter and John Collins also poised to be in shot-creation situations, Hunter's ballhandling limitations and so-so feel won't be as exposed. While most top-four picks are thrust into a featured role early on, Hunter can stick to the same script that landed him so high in the first place.
Marks: Coby White in Chicago. Head of basketball operations John Paxson made it clear when he addressed the media at the end of the season that he was prepared to address the point guard position, even with incumbent Kris Dunn still under contract. With the addition of White, Chicago went 2-for-2, selecting the best available player at No. 7 and filling a position of need.
Pelton: Jaxson Hayes in New Orleans. There's nothing better for a rim-running center than having Lonzo Ball, Jrue Holiday and possibly even Zion Williamson getting out in transition and throwing him lobs. And at the other end of the court, Williamson's strong rebounding could help compensate for Hayes' weakness on the defensive glass.
Givony: Cam Reddish in Atlanta. Reddish's talent is undeniable, and at No. 10 he was certainly worth taking a flyer on, especially since he won't be called upon to do too much in terms of shot-creation, which should accentuate his strengths. Reddish is an excellent fit alongside the pick-and-roll passing prowess of Trae Young, who should generate quite a few open looks for him.
What was your biggest surprise?
Pelton: Cameron Johnson going in the lottery. At 23, he's the oldest player drafted in the lottery since fellow North Carolina product Tyler Hansbrough a decade ago. It feels like the Suns could have traded down again and still gotten Johnson while helping recoup the second-round pick they traded to the Indiana Pacers with T.J. Warren.
Givony: I was surprised to see guys like Luguentz Dort, Terence Davis, Jontay Porter, DaQuan Jeffries, Zylan Cheatham and Shamorie Ponds go undrafted. I think that the success of Allonzo Trier and Kenrich Williams has made agents very averse to taking two-way contracts, and it seems like NBA teams have reverted to offering those earlier and earlier in the draft, which caused for some very surprising selections throughout the second round.
Schmitz: Nassir Little dropping all the way to No. 25. We've learned since the collegiate preseason that he's far from a perfect prospect. Questions about his work ethic and motor arose during the pre-draft process, which aligned with his uneven season at UNC. But even with that in mind, for 25 teams to pass on a player with his tools and defensive versatility is mind-boggling. Hopefully this lights a fire under Little, as he has top-10 talent in the Jaylen Brown mold. Portland figures to be a great fit for him alongside Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
Marks: This is a tie between Sekou Doumbouya falling out of the lottery and Keldon Johnson being picked at No. 29. After conducting a workout in mid-June, the 18-year-old had teams raving about his talent. He fits the physical profile of a modern forward at 6-foot-9 with a standing reach of 8-11, which should allow the Pistons to play him at three positions. With strong player development, four years from now Doumbouya could be looked at as the steal of the draft. Like Doumbouya, Johnson has lottery talent but came close to falling out of the first round before the Spurs drafted him. Johnson has the ability to guard four positions and play with toughness, averaging close to six rebounds in his one year at Kentucky.
What did you find most disappointing?
Schmitz: The lack of international flavor in this draft. We knew this was a down year, but seeing only six non-college/G League international players drafted was a bit of a letdown. While Doumbouya, Goga Bitadze and Luka Samanic all going within four picks of each other was a nice run, the draft did feel like it was missing some zest one year removed from Luka Doncic mania. Luckily, the 2020 draft is loaded with foreign players, headlined by projected top-5 picks Theo Maledon and Deni Avdija.
Marks: The player selection process. We won't blame the NBA on this one, since the league gets input from teams on which players should be in the green room waiting to have their names called. However, as we hit pick No. 25, six players were still sitting there. How do we fix this? Maybe go back and have only 14 players invited instead of the 23 chosen for the green room this year.
Pelton: Jontay Porter going undrafted. Just 18 at the time, Porter withdrew from last year's draft and seemed like a strong candidate to solidify himself as a first-round pick after his sophomore season at Missouri. Instead, he ruptured his ACL and MCL during the preseason, then re-ruptured the ACL in a March workout. While this isn't the end of Porter's story, he's unfortunately emerged as a better example than his older brother (Michael Jr.) of the earnings hit players can suffer due to injuries sustained while playing NCAA basketball without financial compensation.
Givony: The number of underclassmen who went undrafted but won't be able to return to college, since the NBPA and NBA never got around to amending their bylaws. The NCAA actually did the right thing and changed their rule allowing players who were invited to the combine to return to school if they went undrafted -- but that was contingent on the NBA and NBPA agreeing to make those players who went back to college ineligible to be called up to the league. Now these players are caught in limbo, when some of them may have considered returning.
Who is your early Rookie of the Year favorite? What about No. 2?
Marks: I would love to pick another player, but Zion Williamson will be the favorite. If there is a challenge, it will come from his former teammate, RJ Barrett, who can immediately be the best player on the New York roster. If the Knicks strike out in free agency and continue rebuilding with a focus on player development, don't be surprised if Barrett leads all rookies in scoring.
Givony: RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson.
Schmitz: Zion and Barrett. Zion is the clear favorite here, and I think he's in a perfect situation to put up big numbers on an up-tempo team that plays small. As for Barrett, while I think Morant has superior upside, Barrett is the more physically mature prospect who is hungry to score, which should result in solid box-score stats. With Morant still evolving physically, I'd lean Barrett in Year 1, but I think the Grizzlies' guard surpasses Barrett in Year 2 and beyond.
Pelton: Zion. Let's not overthink this. Zion is the best prospect, he'll surely start from day one, and he has every opportunity to accumulate the box-score stats that typically translate into Rookie of the Year. For second, I'd say Barrett, who could get plenty of shots in New York next season.
Which rookie matchup can you not wait to watch?
Schmitz: Ja Morant vs. Darius Garland. I've been singing Garland's praises all week, but I'm curious to see how he'd fare head-to-head against Morant. It's a contrast in styles, with Morant as a downhill attacker and facilitator while Garland lights it up from distance. I'm still interested to see if the argument that Garland could have actually competed for the No. 1 point guard spot if healthy at Vandy has any validity.
Givony: Coby White vs. Jarrett Culver. There was a significant debate among NBA front offices about who the better prospect was between these two. In my eyes, it isn't really close. It's Culver all the way. But I want to see how their head-to-head matchups next year shape up.
Marks: Any team that is playing New Orleans. The Pelicans not only have the potential to be a playoff team but one of the most exciting draws with four players -- Williamson, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Jaxson Hayes -- selected in the top 10 since 2016. Factor in Nickeil-Alexander Walker (selected at No. 17) along with the ability to have $30 million toward free agency and New Orleans is on solid footing for the future.
Pelton: RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson. No, the former Duke roommates won't match up in the conventional sense of guarding each other at both ends. Still, I'm excited to see them on opposite teams given the strong friendship that was evident as they talked about each other being drafted among the top three picks.