NBA Draft: Grades for all 30 teams in the 2021 NBA Draft
NBA Draft Grades: Pacific Division
Golden State Warriors: Jonathan Kuminga (7); Moses Moody (14)
The Warriors were at the center of countless trade rumors, and while they could still move one or both of these players, they ended up making both selections. The Kuminga pick at seven was a ceiling play, as he is raw but has a very real chance of becoming a plus scorer, and a slight chance at becoming a star. It’s hard to pass on that at seven, especially for a team not expecting to be in the lottery for the next half-decade or more. For a team balancing both the present and the future, it was an understandable move.
If they went upside at seven they were “supposed” to go with an older win-no” veteran at 14; given how the board fell that would likely have been Corey Kispert. Yet the Warriors got to have their cake and eat it to, as the player they likely would have taken at seven instead of Kuminga, Moses Moody, dropped all the way back to them at 14. Moody’s most likely outcome is a 3-and-D wing, and his upside is as a future star playing alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and taking the reigns.
Grade: A
LA Clippers: Keon Johnson (21); Jason Preston (33)
The Clippers discovered just how valuable having big perimeter players can be in last year’s playoffs, abandoning a center and playing five like-sized players. Rather than regress and take a big man late in the first round they spent a modest price (one of a host of future seconds they own) to move up and take Keon Johnson, an elite athlete who needs a lot of skill development but who can one day stay on the floor in those situations. In the second they took 6’4″ point guard Jason Preston, who fills a need and brings size and passing to the position.
Grade: A-
Los Angeles Lakers: The Los Angeles Lakers were rumored to be trying to trade up in the draft…until they weren’t, moving the pick to the Washington Wizards in the Russell Westbrook deal. They traded their second-round pick for Reggie Bullock in 2019.
Trade Grade: F
Phoenix Suns: The Phoenix Suns came into draft day with the 29th overall pick, but moved that to the Brooklyn Nets along with Jevon Carter for Landry Shamet, saving them money this season and letting them try him out as a floor-spacer off the bench.
Sacramento Kings: Davion Mitchell (9); Neemias Queta (39)
Full disclosure: I personally love both players the Kings took. I think Mitchell plays incredibly hard, and I love all the little things he does. That being said, his upside is very limited, and his shooting from last season was almost certainly a fluke. There were many better players available at nine, and the Kings have already invested a lot of money and draft assets into their backcourt.
At least the Kings had a plan, to address their porous defense, and after taking Mitchell ninth they took Utah State center Neemias Queta with the 39th pick. The 7’0″ Portuguese center is an elite rim protector, and offensively he can be a passing hub at the elbow. There is real worry about his lateral movement, but he has a very real chance of becoming a low-end starting center and that’s great value at 39. I had Queta 26th on my board (and Mitchell 17th).
Grade: B-