A wild NBA draft is over after trades galore and one huge move that had nothing to do with the draft and won’t even be official for another two weeks. So who won?
Sports’ draft grades take into account only what happened on draft night that was relevant to the draft itself. They are not weighted for the impact of the players, so that a team with only one second-round pick could get an A or an F depending on what the team did with its pick, even though the selection might not have much impact on the franchise’s future.
UTAH JAZZ
New faces: No. 9 PG Trey Burke, No. 27 C Rudy Gobert
Burke probably shouldn’t have been there for the Timberwolves to grab. But when they did, the Jazz acted quickly. The trade worked for both sides, as Utah added the best point guard in this draft in exchange for two first-rounders. Burke will start right away and give the Jazz a creative tour de force, though he must work on his strength to account for his size. Gobert came even cheaper. The biggest player in the draft cost the Jazz a second rounder and cash, and they now can stow him away and let him refine his game for a few years.
Grade: A
