Knicks, Suns, Cavaliers, Bulls, and Hawks fans are crying everywhere, while Pelicans, Grizzlies, and Lakers fans celebrate. Each team either is largely disappointed or excited in their results. Questions surrounding the situation include what teams are trading their picks and who are some teams going to take.
After hoping to land the number one pick and bring Zion Williamson to The Big Apple, the Knicks came up short, receiving the third overall pick. Fans of New York grieved everywhere, including Stephen A. Smith who said himself, “Today was one of the worst days I’ve had in a very long time.”
Knicks fans aren’t alone though – as the Cavaliers and Suns had the same odds for the first pick as the Knicks. While the Knicks at least got the third pick, the Cavs received the fifth pick and the Suns got the following pick. With both teams having the (tied for) greatest odds, they both fell out of the top four. This is very impactful as the “Big 3” of this draft (Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett and Ja Morant) are all destined to be franchise players in a few years. Instead, these two teams will probably end up with someone like Deandre Hunter, from Virginia, or Duke’s Cam Reddish.
The Chicago Bulls had a 12.5 chance to get the first pick, only 1.5% less than the Knicks, Cavs, and Suns. Instead of the top four pick they were expected to get, the Windy City landed in the seventh spot. In a similar spot, the Atlanta Hawks, with the fifth best odds, ended in the eighth spot. The Wizards, with the sixth best odds, also dropped three spots into the ninth slot.
With the teams that slipped down out of the way, it’s time to mention the teams that made big jumps. After going in with the ninth best odds, the New Orleans Pelicans made a huge leap into the first pick, winning the “Zion sweepstakes” as many are calling it. This may also effect the Anthony Davis trade request. Bleacher Report says it best: “Of course, some questioned whether Davis might have second thoughts about forcing his way out of New Orleans since he’ll now be joined by a prodigious young talent.”
The Memphis Grizzlies also made a leap from the eighth best odds into the second spot. This pick (most likely Ja Morant or RJ Barrett) will become the future cornerstone for the Memphis team. The Los Angeles Lakers also jumped from the eleventh odds to the fourth pick, and will get another solid young player, or potentially a trade bait in a trade for AD.
What do you think will go down on Draft night? Once the NBA post season ends, the attention will all move towards the NBA Draft and the offseason, with all the hype building up.