2022 NBA Draft: Grades For All 30 Teams
Perhaps the best time of the NBA year is during the offseason, as right after the NBA Finals conclude, a new generation of talent is welcomed to the league during the NBA Draft.
On Thursday night, the NBA welcomed 58 new faces to the league, as well as a slew of undrafted free agents who are looking to make a name for themselves and likely earn a two-way contract through their play in Summer League and throughout training camp.
While some fan bases are celebrating their team’s pick, some are left with a blank stare, wondering why their team made a certain pick… or for some, why they didn’t make a pick at all!
Let’s dive right in and take a look at all 30 teams, grading their activity and moves made on draft night!
Atlanta Hawks
Drafted: G/F AJ Griffin (Pick #16), G/F Tyrese Martin (Pick #51)
Trades: Traded rights to Ryan Rollins (Pick #44) to Golden State Warriors for rights to Tyrese Martin (Pick #51) and $2M in cash considerations
While there was talk throughout the night amongst teams about John Collins possibly being on the move, the Atlanta Hawks did a complete-180 from their thinking entering the night and kept everyone on their roster. Not only did Collins remain with the team, but so did Danilo Gallinari and Bogdan Bogdanovic, putting the Hawks in an awkward position heading into free agency.
It does appear as if Atlanta is going to look to “run things back” for the 2022-23 season in terms of their core, but I still find it hard to believe that they are not looking to make a big move. Perhaps this move will have to wait until around the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline instead.
Draft-wise though, the Hawks made out pretty well with AJ Griffin falling to them with the No. 16 overall selection. Griffin is the perfect type of catch-and-shoot scorer out on the perimeter in a Trae Young-led offense and quite honestly, he may very well end up being the best shooter from this draft class. This was not a bad draft for the Hawks by any means, yet it will be overshadowed by their inability to add an immediate impactful talent.
GRADE: B
Boston Celtics
Drafted: G JD Davison (Pick #54)
Trades: NONE
As many expected, the Boston Celtics were very quiet in the 2022 NBA Draft, as they only had one lone second-round pick at No. 54 overall to utilize, which they used on Alabama’s JD Davison. Earlier in the draft, the Celtics did make some calls to other teams picking near the end of the first-round to try and move up, but these attempts did not gain any traction whatsoever given Boston’s lack of assets. Sources say the Celtics were willing to talk about Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard in these discussions to potentially move up in the draft.
This franchise’s attention now turns towards free agency and the trade market with their high-value trade exceptions, as Brad Stevens recently said that the Celtics are “exploring every avenue to use it,” in regards to their $17 million TPE that expires on July 17. I would fully expect Boston to use a couple of their trade exceptions to bring in at least two key names to bolster their bench unit offensively.
Not really doing anything on draft night though and selecting a guard that still has work to do in order to be a factor in the team’s second rotation, the Celtics really did not earn themselves any kind of a grade on Thursday night.
GRADE: I guess a C for average, but it is truly UNDECIDED
Brooklyn Nets
Drafted: NONE
Trades: NONE
Wait, do you hear that? Those are crickets coming from the Brooklyn Nets draft room and front-office. Quite honestly, I do not even think the Nets were in their own building on draft night because they had no reason to be seeing as all of their draft picks over the next decade are in Houston!
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving continue to be the key talking points of this franchise and until a decision is made with them, there is no telling as to what the Nets will look like both during the 2022-23 season and for the next several years. Having no draft picks and not looking to acquire any, Brooklyn’s focus is very clearly on figuring out the status of their stars. The next two weeks will determine whether the Nets will still be a championship contender or if they will be rebuilding until at least the 2028-29 season.
GRADE: No Grade
Charlotte Hornets
Drafted: C Mark Williams (Pick #15), G Bryce McGowens (Pick #40)
Trades: (1) Traded rights to Jalen Duren (Pick #13) to Detroit Pistons via New York Knicks in exchange for DEN 2023 1st Round Pick (Top-14 Protected), NYK 2023 2nd Round Pick, UTA 2023 2nd Round Pick (via NYK), DAL/MIA 2023 2nd Round Pick (More Favorable, via NYK) and NYK 2024 2nd Round Pick; (2) Traded rights to Josh Minott (Pick #45) and NYK 2023 2nd Round Pick to Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for rights to Bryce McGowens (Pick #40)
Mitch Kupchak and the Charlotte Hornets ended up being very busy on draft night and they were a part of the biggest trade of the night involving lottery pick Jalen Duren. The haul they got back for Duren given that they were selecting Mark Williams with the No. 15 overall pick was definitely advantageous to the Hornets, as they added a protected first-round pick in 2023, as well as a 2024 second-round pick and two second-round picks in 2023, one of which was moved for Bryce McGowens later on in the second-round on Thursday.
Mark Williams fills an immediate void in the Hornets’ frontcourt and it would be shocking if he is not the starting center for this team. In fact, he needs to be the starting center because of his ability to play on both ends of the floor and run in transition with one of the more athletic cores in the entire league. I love this pick of Williams by the Hornets.
GRADE: A
Chicago Bulls
Drafted: G Dalen Terry (Pick #18)
Trades: NONE
Other than using their only first-round pick on Dalen Terry at No. 18 overall, the Chicago Bulls ended up being very quiet on draft night, which was expected. Addressing a need out on the perimeter was essential for the Bulls and they ended up with one of the better high-potential guards in this draft class with Terry.
I am really high on Dalen Terry’s abilities to be an impactful two-way player because of his length and while they now have a logjam of talent in their backcourt, Terry will be able to find his way onto the floor during his rookie season due to his defensive tendencies. All attention in Chicago now turns to Zach LaVine’s pending free agency and whether or not they can bring the All-Star back.
GRADE: B+
Cleveland Cavaliers
Drafted: G Ochai Agbaji (Pick #14), C Khalifa Diop (Pick #39), F Isaiah Mobley (Pick #49), F Luke Travers (Pick #56)
Trades: Traded rights to Sasha Vezenkov and $1.75M in cash considerations to Sacramento Kings ahead of draft for rights to No. 49 overall selection (Isaiah Mobley) in 2022 NBA Draft.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were one of the most fun teams to watch during the 2021-22 season and with them being as young as they are, this group is only going to get better, making it a matter of time until they make the playoffs. Continuing to add depth with their No. 14 overall pick was the key for the Cavs and they did so by selecting an impactful perimeter player in Ochai Agbaji, who is coming off winning a national championship with Kansas.
With there being questions about Collin Sexton’s future, this was a smart choice by the Cavaliers, especially since Ochai Agbaji can play alongside Darius Garland and Collin Sexton as well by coming off-the-bench. As for their second-round picks, the Cavaliers continued to stockpile talent for the future, going with two draft-and-stash guys in Khalifa Diop and Luke Travers, as well as the older brother of Evan Mobley in Isaiah Mobley with the No. 49 overall selection in the second-round.
Overall, the 2022 NBA Draft was a successful night for the Cleveland Cavaliers, as they continued to find ways to build for the future while also capitalizing on their growth right now without sacrificing any assets.
GRADE: A-
Dallas Mavericks
Drafted: G Jaden Hardy (Pick #37)
Trades: Traded 2024 2nd Round Pick and 2028 2nd Round Pick to Sacramento Kings for the draft rights to Jaden Hardy (Pick #37)
To not having any draft pick entering the night to walking away with Jaden Hardy, who I absolutely love as a young prospect entering the NBA, makes the Dallas Mavericks one of the biggest winners of this draft in my mind. The Mavericks do not have cap space, hence why they did not want to add a first-round pick, and to get a potential All-Star talent down the line with the No. 37 overall pick is an absolute steal.
Why Jaden Hardy fell as far as he did is unknown, but he presents an immediate successor plan for if Jalen Brunson goes elsewhere in free agency and even if Brunson stays, Hardy will still be able to make an impact as an elite-level offensive weapon while only about to turn 20-years-old. I really do think Jaden Hardy has a chance to be one of the best players from this draft class in time and next to Luka Doncic, Hardy could absolutely turn into a key weapon for Dallas.
GRADE: A+
Denver Nuggets
Drafted: G Christian Braun (Pick #21), F Peyton Watson (Pick #30), C Ismaël Kamagate (Pick #46)
Trades: Traded a 2024 2nd Round Pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for the draft rights to Ismaël Kamagate (Pick #46)
The Denver Nuggets have always been an unconventional team when it comes to the NBA Draft, as they take guys that fit their system and needs as a franchise heading into the following year rather than the best prospect on the board. Sometimes, the guys they draft are the top names on their board and this year, Christian Braun and Peyton Watson were obviously high on the Nuggets’ “wants list” due to the fact that many ranked them as second-round prospects.
Watson is more of a long-term project, as he is still a very raw prospect on both ends of the floor, but Braun should be able to play key minutes off-the-bench during his rookie season due to his shooting abilities out on the perimeter and his ability to defend multiple positions. In the second-round of the draft, trading up for Ismaël Kamagate at the expense of a second-round pick is good value, especially since Kamagate can be a draft-and-stash guy for this franchise, offering them a high-flying rebounding talent down the road behind Nikola Jokic.