NBA Draft Recap

Heat: 31 Norris Cole
Cole, a guard out of Cleveland State, can play, but whether he challenges Mario Chalmers or Mike Bibby for playing time remains to be seen. I doubt he makes an impact in Miami, who will continue to look for a real point guard between now and the start of the season.

Bucks: 19 Tobias Harris, 40 Jon Leuer
The Bucks got rid of ball hog Corey Maggette and picked up Stephen Jackson and Shaun Livingston from the Bobcats, and Beno Udrih from the Kings. They also shipped John Salmons to Sacramento, clearing the way for Jackson to carry the scoring load next year. I like Harris, a forward out of Tennessee, and Leuer is a nice story after playing collegiately at Wisconsin. This was a big night for the Bucks, but Udrih is going to waste away on the bench behind Brandon Jennings. The Bucks also have a large stable of power forwards, so don't expect much out of Harris as a rookie. The biggest question is how Jackson will react to playing for Scott Skiles in Milwaukee.

Timberwolves: 2 Derrick Williams, 43 Malcolm Lee
The fact the Wolves didn't choke and went with Williams is a win any way you look at it. Lee is a defense-first guard and was also a nice grab. I think the Wolves could have done more, but it's tough to be disappointed after getting Williams, who may end up being the star of this draft. Now the Wolves just have to figure out how to find minutes for Williams, Michael Beasley and Kevin Love, as well as find a head coach. They also picked up Brad Miller from Houston, who will be psyched about the hunting prospects in Minnesota. He'll back up Darko Milicic, but could also start if his legs are healthy enough and David Kahn ever comes to the realization that Darko is his starting center.

Nets: 25 Marshon Brooks, 31 Bogdan Bogdanovic, 36 Jordan Williams
SG Brooks was a steal at 25, as he could have gone as high as 15 to the Pacers, while SF Bogdanovic and C Williams are decent prospects. Brooks is going to get some playing time, as the Nets are thin at shooting guard, and given what they had to work with, I like what the Nets did last night.

Hornets: None
They sold their only pick (Josh Harrellson) to the Knicks, so Chris Paul won't have any fresh faces to work with next year.

Knicks: 17 Iman Shumpert, 45 Josh Harrellson
Spike Lee said he'd never heard of Landry Fields when he was drafted, and the same can be said for Shumpert, who was targeted to go a few picks earlier to the Suns. He's a solid point guard who can play defense, but won't see much run with Chauncey Billups around. Harrellson's a project and will need to get stronger to make an impact. Shumpert's got some game, but Knicks fans are not feeling very good about last night's action.

Thunder: 24 Reggie Jackson
I like Jackson, but there are questions about his coachability and attitude. The Thunder made him a promise some time ago, so he didn't bother working out for anyone. But with Russell Westbrook and James Harden around, don't expect to see much from Jackson any time soon.

Magic: 32 Justin Harper, 53 DeAndre Liggins
The Magic picked up PF Harper from the Cavaliers and he's a great shooter for a big man, but defense and strength are issues. Liggins is an athletic swingman who can play defense, but might have trouble making the team. The Magic didn't have much to work with last night, and it shows.

76ers: 16 Nikola Vucevic, 50 Lavoy Allen
The Sixers wanted bigs and them with C Vucevic and PF Allen. Vucevic was their target all along and I actually got that one right in my mock draft. He was the biggest player in the draft, but probably isn't going to challenge Spencer Hawes for a job anytime soon. There are questions about Allen's motivation, so don't expect him to make an impact next year. With the 16th pick, I think the Sixers could have done more.

Suns: 13 Markieff Morris
The Suns were targeting guard Iman Shumpert here, but ended up going with PF Morris and filling a clear need. I'm surprised Markieff went in front of his twin, Marcus, but he had great workouts and impressed the Suns. Marcus went with the following pick to the Rockets, which is a cool story. Morris could make some noise next season, as Channing Frye plays more like a shooting guard than a PF.

Trail Blazers: 21 Nolan Smith, 51 Jon Diebler
Smith went earlier than I thought he would and will help make up for the loss of Rudy Fernandez, who was sent to Dallas. He's going to be a bench player in Portland, and there were arguably better guards available. Diebler is a 3-point specialist who doesn't play defense, so I'm not expecting much out of him, either. The Blazers also picked up Raymond Felton from Denver, sending Andre Miller to the Nuggets. Felton will start at PG and offer solid fantasy value next season.

Kings: 10 Jimmer Fredette, 35 Tyler Honeycutt, 60 Isaiah Thomas
The Kings apparently felt like they needed Fredette in order to sell tickets, and traded down with the Bucks to get him at No. 10. I think he's a bench player in the NBA, offering instant offense, but there's also a chance the Kings will try to start him at point guard. Beno Udrih is in Milwaukee now, while they picked up John Salmons to potentially start at SF. If Tyreke Evans starts at PG over Jimmer (and I think he will), he's going to be a fantasy beast. And a lineup of Evans, Marcus Thornton, Salmons, Jason Thompson and DeMarcus Cousins, with Jimmer off the bench, should be competitive. But there may not be enough basketballs to go around.

Spurs: 15 Kawhi Leonard, 29 Cory Joseph, 42 Davis Bertans
The Spurs traded G George Hill to the Pacers to get Leonard, which was a GREAT move. Hill was playing behind Tony Parker, while Gary Neal will fill the hole left behind. Richard Jefferson is simply not very good, and Leonard could actually challenge him for a job. Joseph was a solid pickup late in the Round 1, while Bertans has potential if and when he decides to come over. The Spurs rarely fail on draft night and hit a home run on Thursday. Put Leonard on the list of Rookie of the Year sleepers. He could make a big impact if Gregg Popovich learns to trust him.

Raptors: 5 Jonas Valanciunas
The Raptors are tired of Andrea Bargnani at center and swung for the fences on Valanciunas. The problem is he won't play in the NBA next year, and possibly the year after that. I thought they'd go for Bismack Biyombo here, but there's little doubt Valanciunas will succeed in the NBA, once he shows up. But in the short term, the Raptors are the same team they were last year. And that team won just 22 games.

Jazz: 3 Enes Kanter, 12 Alec Burks
The Jazz arguably got a solid center in Kanter, as well as one of the best shooting guards in the draft. This was a big night for the Jazz, although fans are disappointed they didn't land Jimmer. Mehmet Okur's career is on the ropes, while it will be interesting to see how they handle Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors and Kanter. Someone's got to go. Burks is a sleeper and could possibly start at SG on opening night, so keep an eye on him.

Wizards: 6 Jan Vesely, 18 Chris Singleton, 34 Shelvin Mack
The Wizards needed small forwards, despite rostering the most expensive one in the league in Rashard Lewis, and got two very good ones in Vesely and Singleton. Vesely is an athletic freak, while Singleton is going to play D and be a team leader. Mack should make the team and help back up the guards off the bench. This went about as well as the Wizards could have hoped for.

The NBA Draft is in the books and we blurbed it all night long. It was mass chaos with all the minor trades that went down, while guys like Stephen Jackson, Raymond Felton, John Salmons, Beno Udrih and Rudy Fernandez changed teams. The Cavs and Timberwolves stuck to the script, taking Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams No. 1 & 2, while Jimmer Fredette will take his talents to Sacramento. Here's a team-by-team rundown of what happened on Thursday night.

Hawks: 48 Keith Benson
Benson, a center out of Oakland, may or may not make the Hawks next year. He has some upside and this was a decent way to use the 48th pick in the draft.

Celtics: 27 JaJuan Johnson, 55 E'Twaun Moore
I love Johnson, the power forward out of Purdue, as a sleeper, and they were able to add his teammate in the second round. They got a forward and a guard, and both are more than capable of making the team. And with Glen Davis possibly on his way out, Johnson could end up with solid playing time next year, although I'd be much more excited if Jeff Green wasn't around.

Bobcats: 7 Bismack Biyombo, 9 Kemba Walker
Michael Jordan's not known for having good drafts, but Rich Cho, the guy who brought Gerald Wallace to Portland before being fired a few weeks ago, is now in charge. I love Biyombo's defense and think he's another Serge Ibaka in waiting, while Walker was likely a huge steal at No. 9. The Cats also jettisoned Stephen Jackson and Shaun Livingston to Milwaukee, while picking up Corey Maggette, who is on his last legs. Yes, they now have ball-hog Maggette and Kwame Brown is their starting center, but this has to be considered a successful draft by the Bobcats. Now they just need Gerald Henderson to get healthy and live up to the hype, although I am wondering who is going to fill the scoring hole left in the wake of Jackson.

Bulls: 23 Nikola Mirotic, 30 Jimmy Butler
The Bulls came in with the No. 28 and 30 picks, but made a trade to get to No. 23. Mirotic may or may not ever play in Chicago, as he just signed a new deal in Europe, while Butler is a nicely sized shooting guard out of Marquette. If you haven't read about Butler's life, you should do it now. While there's not much to love about the Bulls' draft, they did OK for what they had to work with.

Cavaliers: 1 Kyrie Irving, 4 Tristan Thompson
Irving was a no brainer and to me, the surprise pick of the first round was Thompson at No. 4. Kanter was gone, but Thompson still seems a bit underdeveloped, and he'll have to fight J.J. Hickson for minutes. This was certainly an exciting night for the Cavs, and GM Chris Grant is either going to look like a genius or fool depending on what kind of player Thompson turns out to be. One thing is for sure, and that's that the Cavs' brass loves Tristan Thompson. Will the fans?

Mavericks: None
The Mavericks drafted Jordan Hamilton at No. 26 and traded him to the Nuggets, via the Blazers, in exchange for Rudy Fernandez. Rudy's a nice get for the Mavs, although they already have a stable full of guards.

Nuggets: 22 Kenneth Faried, 26 Jordan Hamilton, 52 Vernon Macklin
I still can't believe Faried didn't end up in Portland. He's a rebounding machine, all about the hustle, and while he'll never be a great fantasy player, he's solid. Hamilton has issues, as in conditioning and shot selection, but can score, while PF Macklin will just be trying to make the roster. The Nuggets also shipped Raymond Felton to Portland and got Andre Miller in return. George Karl loves Miller, and his arrival is not going to do any fantasy favors for the owners of Ty Lawson.

Pistons: 8 Brandon Knight, 33 Kyle Singler
Great night for Detroit. Knight, the guard out of Kentucky, who could have gone as high as No. 3, fell to No. 8, while PF Singler was a potential first-rounder out of Duke. I'm not sure the Pistons could have done more with the picks they had, although I'm still a little surprised they took a guard instead of a big man. Seeing Tristan Thomas go at No. 4 was probably a shock to their system, and while taking one of the Morris boys might have made more sense, it's hard to argue with Knight at No. 8.

Warriors: 11 Klay Thompson, 39 Jeremy Tyler, 44 Charles Jenkins
Jerry West, who now works for the Warriors, loved swingman Thompson and got his man. I'm not sure how he fits in with the Warriors, but he's a nice player. Tyler's a raw center and Jenkins is a solid guard. This was a fine draft for the Warriors, but nothing to be too excited about.

Rockets: 14 Marcus Morris, 20 Donatas Motiejunas, 38 Chandler Parsons
PF Morris was solid at No. 14, Motiejunas came via the Wolves, along with PG Jonny Flynn, while F/C Brad Miller is headed to Minnesota. The Wolves have already put Flynn on the trading block, and while we don't know when Motiejunas might show up to play in the NBA, this was a solid night for the Rockets. Just don't expect a lot of fantasy help from Morris, as he'll play behind Luis Scola and several other big bodies in Houston next year.

Pacers: None (traded 15 Kawhi Leonard to Spurs for G George Hill)
I liked Leonard and wonder why the Pacers need Hill when they already have Darren Collison. Granted, the Pacers didn't need Leonard with Danny Granger around, but I think he's going to be a very good player. Hill is from Indy, a good kid and a nice talent, but this now looks like a two-headed PG situation in Indy. And that stinks from a fantasy perspective. Not a bad night for the Pacers, but not a great one, either.

Clippers: 37 Trey Thompkins, 47 Travis Leslie
PF Thompkins and SG Leslie, both out of Georgia, fell to the Clippers in the second round. Living an hour from Athens, I really like both players, and Leslie could challenge Blake Griffin in future dunk contests. For not having a first-round pick, I love this draft for the Clips, and they're going to be tough to make fun of going forward.

Lakers: 41 Darius Morris, 46 Andrew Goudelock, Metta World Peace
Guard Morris is a potential steal at 46 for the Lakers, while Goudelock, also a guard, will just try to make the team. The Lakers also took a couple of unknown Euros, who will probably never step foot in L.A. But the news of the day for the Lakers was that Ron Artest is changing his name to Metta World Peace. It's no joke, and he'll likely have Peace on the back of his jersey once the new season gets underway. And that's just plain fun.

Grizzlies: 49 Josh Selby
Selby was a potential steal this late, as many of us had him going late in the first round. He's got length and can shoot it, but won't see much playing time with the solid guard core the Grizzlies already had. But getting Selby at 49 is a win for Memphis.Heat: 31 Norris Cole
Cole, a guard out of Cleveland State, can play, but whether he challenges Mario Chalmers or Mike Bibby for playing time remains to be seen. I doubt he makes an impact in Miami, who will continue to look for a real point guard between now and the start of the season.

Bucks: 19 Tobias Harris, 40 Jon Leuer
The Bucks got rid of ball hog Corey Maggette and picked up Stephen Jackson and Shaun Livingston from the Bobcats, and Beno Udrih from the Kings. They also shipped John Salmons to Sacramento, clearing the way for Jackson to carry the scoring load next year. I like Harris, a forward out of Tennessee, and Leuer is a nice story after playing collegiately at Wisconsin. This was a big night for the Bucks, but Udrih is going to waste away on the bench behind Brandon Jennings. The Bucks also have a large stable of power forwards, so don't expect much out of Harris as a rookie. The biggest question is how Jackson will react to playing for Scott Skiles in Milwaukee.

Timberwolves: 2 Derrick Williams, 43 Malcolm Lee
The fact the Wolves didn't choke and went with Williams is a win any way you look at it. Lee is a defense-first guard and was also a nice grab. I think the Wolves could have done more, but it's tough to be disappointed after getting Williams, who may end up being the star of this draft. Now the Wolves just have to figure out how to find minutes for Williams, Michael Beasley and Kevin Love, as well as find a head coach. They also picked up Brad Miller from Houston, who will be psyched about the hunting prospects in Minnesota. He'll back up Darko Milicic, but could also start if his legs are healthy enough and David Kahn ever comes to the realization that Darko is his starting center.

Nets: 25 Marshon Brooks, 31 Bogdan Bogdanovic, 36 Jordan Williams
SG Brooks was a steal at 25, as he could have gone as high as 15 to the Pacers, while SF Bogdanovic and C Williams are decent prospects. Brooks is going to get some playing time, as the Nets are thin at shooting guard, and given what they had to work with, I like what the Nets did last night.

Hornets: None
They sold their only pick (Josh Harrellson) to the Knicks, so Chris Paul won't have any fresh faces to work with next year.

Knicks: 17 Iman Shumpert, 45 Josh Harrellson
Spike Lee said he'd never heard of Landry Fields when he was drafted, and the same can be said for Shumpert, who was targeted to go a few picks earlier to the Suns. He's a solid point guard who can play defense, but won't see much run with Chauncey Billups around. Harrellson's a project and will need to get stronger to make an impact. Shumpert's got some game, but Knicks fans are not feeling very good about last night's action.

Thunder: 24 Reggie Jackson
I like Jackson, but there are questions about his coachability and attitude. The Thunder made him a promise some time ago, so he didn't bother working out for anyone. But with Russell Westbrook and James Harden around, don't expect to see much from Jackson any time soon.

Magic: 32 Justin Harper, 53 DeAndre Liggins
The Magic picked up PF Harper from the Cavaliers and he's a great shooter for a big man, but defense and strength are issues. Liggins is an athletic swingman who can play defense, but might have trouble making the team. The Magic didn't have much to work with last night, and it shows.

76ers: 16 Nikola Vucevic, 50 Lavoy Allen
The Sixers wanted bigs and them with C Vucevic and PF Allen. Vucevic was their target all along and I actually got that one right in my mock draft. He was the biggest player in the draft, but probably isn't going to challenge Spencer Hawes for a job anytime soon. There are questions about Allen's motivation, so don't expect him to make an impact next year. With the 16th pick, I think the Sixers could have done more.

Suns: 13 Markieff Morris
The Suns were targeting guard Iman Shumpert here, but ended up going with PF Morris and filling a clear need. I'm surprised Markieff went in front of his twin, Marcus, but he had great workouts and impressed the Suns. Marcus went with the following pick to the Rockets, which is a cool story. Morris could make some noise next season, as Channing Frye plays more like a shooting guard than a PF.

Trail Blazers: 21 Nolan Smith, 51 Jon Diebler
Smith went earlier than I thought he would and will help make up for the loss of Rudy Fernandez, who was sent to Dallas. He's going to be a bench player in Portland, and there were arguably better guards available. Diebler is a 3-point specialist who doesn't play defense, so I'm not expecting much out of him, either. The Blazers also picked up Raymond Felton from Denver, sending Andre Miller to the Nuggets. Felton will start at PG and offer solid fantasy value next season.

Kings: 10 Jimmer Fredette, 35 Tyler Honeycutt, 60 Isaiah Thomas
The Kings apparently felt like they needed Fredette in order to sell tickets, and traded down with the Bucks to get him at No. 10. I think he's a bench player in the NBA, offering instant offense, but there's also a chance the Kings will try to start him at point guard. Beno Udrih is in Milwaukee now, while they picked up John Salmons to potentially start at SF. If Tyreke Evans starts at PG over Jimmer (and I think he will), he's going to be a fantasy beast. And a lineup of Evans, Marcus Thornton, Salmons, Jason Thompson and DeMarcus Cousins, with Jimmer off the bench, should be competitive. But there may not be enough basketballs to go around.

Spurs: 15 Kawhi Leonard, 29 Cory Joseph, 42 Davis Bertans
The Spurs traded G George Hill to the Pacers to get Leonard, which was a GREAT move. Hill was playing behind Tony Parker, while Gary Neal will fill the hole left behind. Richard Jefferson is simply not very good, and Leonard could actually challenge him for a job. Joseph was a solid pickup late in the Round 1, while Bertans has potential if and when he decides to come over. The Spurs rarely fail on draft night and hit a home run on Thursday. Put Leonard on the list of Rookie of the Year sleepers. He could make a big impact if Gregg Popovich learns to trust him.

Raptors: 5 Jonas Valanciunas
The Raptors are tired of Andrea Bargnani at center and swung for the fences on Valanciunas. The problem is he won't play in the NBA next year, and possibly the year after that. I thought they'd go for Bismack Biyombo here, but there's little doubt Valanciunas will succeed in the NBA, once he shows up. But in the short term, the Raptors are the same team they were last year. And that team won just 22 games.

Jazz: 3 Enes Kanter, 12 Alec Burks
The Jazz arguably got a solid center in Kanter, as well as one of the best shooting guards in the draft. This was a big night for the Jazz, although fans are disappointed they didn't land Jimmer. Mehmet Okur's career is on the ropes, while it will be interesting to see how they handle Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors and Kanter. Someone's got to go. Burks is a sleeper and could possibly start at SG on opening night, so keep an eye on him.

Wizards: 6 Jan Vesely, 18 Chris Singleton, 34 Shelvin Mack
The Wizards needed small forwards, despite rostering the most expensive one in the league in Rashard Lewis, and got two very good ones in Vesely and Singleton. Vesely is an athletic freak, while Singleton is going to play D and be a team leader. Mack should make the team and help back up the guards off the bench. This went about as well as the Wizards could have hoped for.