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NBA draft's best, riskiest and most surprising picks

ESPN

After a lottery shake-up and plenty of surprises, all the picks and trades are in from the 2018 draft.

Who had the best night? Which moves were the riskiest? We run through our standout picks, teams and deals.

Six big winners | Trade tracker and grades | Pick-by-pick analysis


You get to give out one A grade. Who gets it?

Jonathan Givony: The Boston Celtics. I thought Robert Williams should have been a lottery pick. To get him at No. 27 -- especially considering the makeup of their roster and the fact that he might get real playing time as early as next season -- is a major coup.

Mike Schmitz: The Dallas Mavericks. Luka Doncic -- who has a real chance to be the best prospect to come out of this draft -- landed in an ideal situation for a variety of reasons. Doncic is perfect for Rick Carlisle's flow offense, and his fit with an explosive, shot-creating guard such as Dennis Smith Jr. should prove to be beneficial for both to grow together. On top of the basketball fit, having veterans such as Dirk Nowitzki, J.J. Barea and Wesley Matthews will be key to his transition, as he has never been in a losing situation, and playing for a middling Hawks team could have magnified his shortcomings. On top of that, the Mavs also snagged value picks with Jalen Brunson and Kostas Antetokounmpo.


Which risky move has the most upside potential?

Schmitz: The Celtics might have struck gold with Robert Williams if they can rev up his motor and keep him healthy. He's an ideal rim-running, lob-catching, shot-blocking, rebounding 5 in the Clint Capela mold, and the Celtics have the infrastructure and winning to help him succeed early on in his career.

Givony: The Atlanta Hawks' trading the rights to Luka Doncic. It's certainly risky passing up on Doncic, but there is no question that there is upside in the form of Trae Young, especially if you are willing to hand him the keys to the offense and let him play like he did at Oklahoma. On top of that, the Hawks got a top-5 protected 2019 first-rounder from Dallas, which could end up being a very good pick in the mid-to-late lottery next year.


Which risky move has the most bust potential?

Givony: The Sacramento Kings' selecting Marvin Bagley III (the No. 5 player in the ESPN Top 100) at No. 2. The NBA is pivoting strongly away from big men in Bagley's mold, and it felt like the Kings fell in love with the only player in the top five who was truly excited about being selected by them, which is always a risky proposition.

Schmitz: Passing on a chance at Doncic for Trae Young could prove costly for Atlanta, pending the Oklahoma guard's development. While he's extremely skilled, Young will be leaned on heavily to operate in another high-volume role in Atlanta, leaving him little room to address some of his glaring weaknesses (defense, finishing in traffic).


Which one of the top centers is in the best situation to succeed?

Schmitz: Although Chicago is still working its way back to relevance, Wendell Carter Jr. is a huge get for the Bulls given his fit with Lauri Markkanen and Kris Dunn. Having two stretch threats at the big spots will be a major boost for Chicago. Dunn and Markkanen have the ability to put the ball on the deck in ways that make up for some of Carter's lack of agility.

Givony: Mohamed Bamba might not be Orlando's starter on opening night, as Nikola Vucevic is still a very productive player, but down the road, there's quite a bit to like about this pick. The Magic have a new coaching staff and front office, and Bamba is the centerpiece of their rebuilding effort along with Jonathan Isaac (and possibly Aaron Gordon, pending his restricted free agency).


What was your biggest surprise?

Givony: A few players went a bit higher or lower than we had projected, but it was nothing terribly glaring compared with years past. Michael Porter Jr. being selected No. 14 by the Denver Nuggets is not something I would have predicted a few weeks ago, when he had very strong buzz coming out of his pro day and teams sounded encouraged by the state of his medicals.

Schmitz: Despite the whirlwind of questions surrounding Porter, it was still a bit surprising to see the former RSCI No. 2 recruit fall all the way to No. 14. Even if he doesn't play a ton as a rookie, Porter could end up being a tremendous value play for Denver.


What did you find most disappointing?

Schmitz: I was looking forward to seeing Jaren Jackson Jr.'s fit with Atlanta and particularly with John Collins. Even in the small-ball era, the two young bigs could have really complemented each other alongside Taurean Prince.

Givony: Charlotte trading Shai Gilgeous-Alexander away. I was personally excited to see the all-Kentucky backcourt with Malik Monk, as it felt like the two players complement each other very well.


Who is your early Rookie of the Year favorite?

Givony: Luka Doncic in Dallas.

Schmitz: Doncic.


Which second-round sleeper is most likely to succeed?

Schmitz: Jevon Carter. Although Memphis is in a bit of a flux, the Grizzlies are trying to win now, and Carter should make an instant impact given his tremendous defensive intensity.

Givony: Elie Okobo. He's actually in a great situation to get quality minutes next season with the Phoenix Suns.


Which undrafted player are you watching most closely?

Givony: Duke guard Trevon Duval.

Schmitz: Tryggvi Hlinason, a true role model for all the Icelandic farmers out there.


Which rookie matchup can you not wait to watch?

Schmitz: Trae Young vs. Collin Sexton.

Givony: Luka Doncic vs. Trae Young.