Taking stock of things I liked and didn’t like (non–Cooper Flagg edition) in the first round of the 2025 NBA draft …
The Suns then cut a deal with Charlotte for Mark Williams, surrendering the 29th overall pick in this draft and a 2029 first. Huh? Why invest in Maluach and then acquire Williams? If you’re keeping score at home, Phoenix now has a center rotation that includes Williams, Maluach, Nick Richards and Oso Ighodaro.
There is a disconnect between what the Suns are and what they think they are. They seem to think they are a playoff contender that can retool around Devin Booker with Jalen Green and a couple of athletic centers and make the playoffs. What they are is an odd-fitting roster that will struggle to make the backside of the play-in bracket.
What is Portland doing? A year after drafting Donovan Clingan—and already having Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III—the Blazers used a mid-first-round pick on Yang, a soon-to-be 20-year-old with a raw offensive game. This is a big swing by the Blazers. Mike Schmitz, Portland’s assistant general manager, is one of the smartest scouting minds I know. Schmitz must see something in Yang. Maybe he develops into a modern version of Yao Ming. The flip side is he becomes a Chinese Bruno Caboclo.
On draft night, the Pels drafted Jeremiah Fears. Good pick. Fears is 18, but I’ve heard execs rave about his potential. New Orleans then traded a 2026 first to move up 10 spots to draft Maryland big man Derik Queen, at No. 13. I’m not a Queen guy. There’s more variance with him than any player in the lottery. He’s got great hands and good footwork, but he’s a limited athlete and a poor shooter (53% from the floor/20% from three) with a slow release. Not sure how he fits alongside Williamson, either. Some risky decisions from the Joe Dumars–led front office.
Even in a weak Eastern Conference, the revamped Celtics will struggle next season. But the sliding under the tax will open up options next summer and Boston will go into the 2026–27 season with Brown, Jayson Tatum and Derrick White under contract. That’s a pretty good core to build around.
It was great. There just wasn’t enough of it. ESPN has a weird habit of underutilizing its experts. An ideal draft panel would have been Givony (who eats, drinks and breathes this stuff year-round), Marks (whose understanding of team needs and cap structure is unrivaled) and Bob Myers (who knows a few things about hitting on picks), with Malika Andrews steering the conversation. By not doing that, the Mothership opens itself up to criticism. Justifiable criticism, I’d say.
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