NBA Daily: Biggest Losers On Draft Night

For months it has been accepted that Zion Williamson would be the number one draft pick. Ja Morant and R.J. Barrett were also drafted at two and three as expected. What transpired after that was much less expected, including a few major surprises along the way. There had been rumors leading up to the draft that the New Orleans Pelicans, in possession of the number four pick after agreeing to terms with the Los Angeles Lakers in the Anthony Davis trade, would be looking to move the pick.

The 2019 NBA Draft is now in the books and we can take a step back and evaluate how things unfolded. Take a look at Ben Nadeau’s analysis as to who the big winners on draft night were. Whether any selected player lives up to expectations or is ultimately successful is something that can take years to determine. But, for now, let’s take a look at some who may have not had the best night.

The Phoenix Suns

The Suns started draft day by dumping forward T.J. Warren to the Indiana Pacers to be rid of the remaining three years on his contract while sending the Suns’ number 32 pick to help complete the trade. The frustrating issue here is Warren is in his mid-twenties, is productive, doesn’t have a toxic contract and can be very useful on a contending team. In another trade, the Suns moved down, sending the number six pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves for power forward Dario Saric and the 11^th pick. Saric is a useful player on offense and a good fit on the Suns who is now another player on the roster who will likely contribute to the team’s defensive woes. Also, moving Warren seemed to be about clearing cap space so the Suns could go after a player like D’Angelo Russell. However, taking on Saric’s contract cut into that strategy.

With the 11^th pick, the Suns selected Cameron Johnson, a sweet shooting forward who figures to slot in extremely well as a compliment to franchise cornerstones Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton, who both require the ball in their hands frequently to be successful. This pick shocked many including Johnson’s own teammate, Coby White, who displayed shock and enthusiasm for his teammate’s unexpectedly high selection. The issue for the Suns is that Johnson is an older prospect who is somewhat limited beyond his outside shooting, has had hip issues, which could be an indicator that he will have trouble staying healthy and he doesn’t have the same potential upside as other players in the draft.

Many projections had Johnson going as low as early in the second round. Imagine if the Suns could have had Johnson at their original 32^nd pick. The Suns also traded a 2020 first-round pick (acquired from Milwaukee) to Boston to obtain the number 24 pick to get Ty Jerome and center Aron Baynes. The biggest and most puzzling part of this trade is that it cost the Suns much of the cap space they just cleared, presumably for Russell. For these moves to really pay off going forward, the Suns will need to maximize the cap space freed up in the Warren trade (and then somewhat given up) and find a way to shore up a team that sorely needs better point guard play and is weak on the defensive end. On a day that saw the Suns give up so much and saw so many other players go far below their projections, this day may sting for a while.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers also came into the draft with a high pick but, like the Suns, they were moved down a couple of spots in the draft lottery and were bumped out of the top three. Just before the draft, there was chatter about the Cavaliers moving out of the fifth pick in a possible trade. Ultimately, with the Hawks jumping up to take De’Andre Hunter at four, the Cavaliers selected Darius Garland, after he had been slotted at fourth in many mock drafts.

A talented shooter and isolation-based scorer, Garland has a high potential ceiling due to his offensive capabilities. The issue is team fit. The Cavaliers are still rebuilding following LeBron James’s departure and until draft day only had one foundational talent in Collin Sexton. Garland and Sexton will likely occupy much of the same space on offense and don’t complement each other based on their preferred style of play.

Garland is a good player and the Cavaliers can still make this work but considering the value that other teams were able to extract for moving down in the draft (see Pelicans; not the Suns), it is a shame that the Cavaliers didn’t use the opportunity to move down and possibly add additional assets in a trade or perhaps select a better fitting prospect.

Bol Bol

Being drafted in the NBA is a blessing. Period. Of course, expectations are relative and being drafted lower than is widely expected is disappointing. Going lower also comes with fewer contractual guarantees and decreased pay. Bol Bol might still have a productive career but many projected him as a possible lottery pick or at least a late first-rounder. Conversations about Bol leading up the draft did not appear positive and his stock seemed to be falling. Even still, Bol slipping to 44 to Denver still came as a shock. Of all players in attendance, Bol was also the last person to be selected. By the time his name was called, he left his table and awaited off stage, still hoping to be drafted.

Without immediate pressure or need to play him in Denver, Bol should have the time he needs to focus on any health issues and develop physically. It is possible that his foot and possible knee issues are worse than is widely reported. Perhaps issues with his durability, extremely light frame and potential for re-injury outweighed the shot blocking, shooting and offensive creativity Bol displayed in his one injury-shortened season in Oregon.

Many other players went far below their projections. Nassir Little fell to the Portland Trail Blazers, which is actually a favorable fit for him. Tacko Fall fell out of the draft, although there have always been limitations to his game that made him a more limited prospect. Still, Bol’s drop stood out as one of the top stories. While the odds are against players drafted this low, Bol could make news again should he succeed and prove doubters wrong.