The 2022 NBA Draft is in the books. After countless hours of preparation from teams, of traveling to see prospects in person and watching innumerable hours of film, from evaluating athleticism and skill and situation and fit and potential, the draft has finally come and gone.
Across 58 picks, the teams of the NBA divvied up the best of the prospects coming into the league, with those left out agreeing to training camp deals with the league’s various teams. Some teams didn’t make a single pick; others made as many as four.
The 2022 NBA Draft is complete, and teams have added a total of 58 prospects. How should each team be graded based on their performance?
How did each of those teams do? That’s a subjective question, based on your personal draft board or how things compared to an outside source. We’ll attempt it anyway, looking at how a team used the resources before it. We’ll decide to include trades in the evaluation when applicable.
We’ll start at the top of the alphabet, and a team that traded out of the draft a week ago but managed to get back in to stop the slide of a talented scoring threat.
2022 NBA Draft Grades for the Western Conference: Dallas Mavericks
Picks: Jaden Hardy, Wing, G League Ignite (37)
While the Dallas Mavericks’ trade for Christian Wood was announced a week prior to the draft, it couldn’t be finalized until after the draft and, in fact, opened up further by adding a third team on draft night. The Mavericks gave up non-rotation salary and the 26th pick to add Christian Wood, which may not raise their ceiling but was a reasonable price for a good player.
Then, they traded into the second round at pick No. 37, sending second-rounders in 2024 and 2028 to the Sacramento Kings to draft Jaden Hardy of the G League Ignite. Once a top prospect, Hardy chucked his way through the first half of the G League season and scared off teams that thought he could be an on-ball creator at a high level.
The Mavericks weren’t scared, but rather traded in to grab him. Adding shot creators around Luka Doncic makes sense, and the value there for Hardy was tremendous, but if Hardy is playing off-ball one wonders if he can be optimized. It was something of a weird fit, even if it’s excellent value.
Grade: B-
2022 NBA Draft Grades for the Western Conference: Denver Nuggets
Picks: Christian Braun, Wing, Kansas (21); Peyton Watson, Wing, UCLA (30); Ismail Kamagate, Center, Paris (46)
The Denver Nuggets kicked off the offseason trading season by salary-dumping JaMychal Green and picking up the No. 30 pick in this year’s draft as part of the deal. That gave them two first-rounders, and many expected the Nuggets to draft a couple of players who could be low-cost replacements for veterans jettisoned to save money and get under the luxury tax.
That’s not the direction they went at 21, taking a player in Christian Braun who fits excellently with the stars they have in place. He is a solid shooter and gritty defender who can get out in transition and run, making him the perfect receiver for Nikola Jokic’s outlet passes. He’s a solid role player who will thrive playing on the Nuggets.
They again chose not to add a switchable big or a pure point guard at 30, instead going for an upside swing with UCLA wing Peyton Watson. He was a hyped point guard who continued to grow physically while his minutes shrunk in college; he’s a big project but certainly brimming with talent, if it can be accessed.
Finally, the Nuggets took the best international center in the draft, Ismail Kamagate out of Paris. He has impressive functional athleticism, a massive wingspan, and fluid hips. He plays hard, has soft hands to catch lobs, and is a solid shot blocker. He needs to realize the potential, but there is a reasonable path to Kamagate being a starting-level center.
Grade: B-
2022 NBA Draft Grades for the Western Conference: Golden State Warriors
Picks: Patrick Baldwin Jr., Forward, Milwaukee (28); Ryan Rollins, Guard, Toledo (44); Gui Santos, Wing, Minas (55)
The Golden State Warriors just won the NBA Championship. They don’t have any immediate needs on this roster, and they have a young core that will continue to step into roles next season. Any player taken at 28 was highly unlikely to contribute next season; this was a pick for the future.
If that was the case, why not take a swing at the highest-upside player remaining? Patrick Baldwin Jr. was a Top-5 player in this class at one point, but an injury-riddled season playing for his father at a small school in Milwaukee cratered his stock. If he regains the trajectory that he was on as a high-schooler, the Warriors just got another stud to add to that young core.
Jordan Poole, Moses Moody, Baldwin, Jonathan Kuminga, and James Wiseman seem like a better young group than many rebuilding teams have.
Ryan Rollins was the Warriors’ first second-round pick, a player the Warriors sent cash to the Atlanta Hawks to move up and draft. The Toledo guard went through a late growth spurt and is now 6’3″ with a whopping 6’10” wingspan.
He is a gifted scorer with an unconscious midrange jumper and a pest on defense. He needs to add strength and sharpen his shot from beyond the arc, but both are things he can address with the Warriors. Rollins seems like an excellent option for a two-way deal next season.
Gui Santos is a draft stash from Brazil, a 6’7″ wing with a massive 7’1″ wingspan. He isn’t the best athlete but always knows where to be, and has incredible balance both as a scorer and in contesting shots on defense. He spent time on-ball at Minas and has good pick-and-roll chops.
His lack of athleticism may hold him below the level of a functional NBA player, but there is a lot of skill to like and he may get a chance in a year or two to come show what he has in NBA Summer League or training camp.
Baldwin and Rollins were in the same tier for me, and in fact, Rollins was ranked one spot higher at 32. That’s reasonable value for both picks, and the upside for the Warriors to land on two legitimate contributors or more is worth the picks they spent.
Grade: B
2022 NBA Draft Grades for the Western Conference: Houston Rockets
Picks: Jabari Smith Jr., Forward, Auburn (3); Tari Eason, Forward, LSU (17); TyTy Washington, Guard, Kentucky (29);
Coming into the NBA Draft, nearly everyone expected that the Houston Rockets would take Paolo Banchero with the third pick in the draft. Instead, Banchero went first overall to the Orlando Magic, but the Rockets were likely just fine seeing Jabari Smith Jr. fall to them.
Smith is one of this draft’s best shooters, with a smooth jumper he can get off against almost anyone. He’s also a strong defender who can hold up in space and will battle inside. His weakness is on-ball shot creation and playmaking, but on a team with two ball-dominant guards and a center in Alperen Sengun who can pass at a high level, Smith’s weaknesses are muted and his strengths are set up to shine.
The Rockets went right back to the defensive well with their second first-round pick, taking LSU’s Tari Eason at 17. He is a long, strong force of nature with relentless energy who attacks opponents on defense in racking up steals and blocks in historic numbers, and who attacks on offense to draw fouls and put pressure on a defense. He is the exact kind of player you need to fill a roster with when you have defensive question marks at both guard positions.
They traded into the back end of the first round by moving Christian Wood to the Dallas Mavericks, then dropped back a few slots to 29, and there took TyTy Washington. Inexplicably, the Kentucky guard plummeted down the draft board, but he has a large wingspan and solid defensive tools, and offensively he is an incredible passer with a high basketball IQ and great natural touch. He could very easily be the long-term starter in the backcourt with Jalen Green and he lasted until the 29th pick.
Grade: A+
2022 NBA Draft Grades for the Western Conference: LA Clippers
Picks: Moussa Diabate, Center, Michigan (43)
The LA Clippers have spent a lot of draft capital assembling a very deep roster, but they held onto the 43rd pick in this year’s draft and used it to add a raw center in Moussa Diabate. He has plenty of length and grit, and he plays with energy on both ends of the court.
His combination of speed and length allows him to stay in front of a number of opposing players at various positions and he brings decent weakside shot-blocking as well.
The question for Diabate is whether he is simply a roll-man on offense or can develop the skills to be more. If the former, he should get a chance to hang on at the end of an NBA roster, such as the third center for the Clippers on a two-way deal this season. Yet if he can improve his passing or shooting, then he could be something a little more valuable.
The Clippers would have had the 12th pick in the draft this season, but it was instead owed to the Oklahoma City Thunder from the Paul George deal. That’s a painful pick to lose, but George has been great for the Clippers and the deal seems well worth the cost.
Grade: C
2022 NBA Draft Grades for the Western Conference: Los Angeles Lakers
Picks: Max Christie, Wing, Michigan State (35)
The Los Angeles Lakers have stripped bare their draft assets and were without a pick in this year’s draft, but on the day of the draft, they traded a future second-round pick and cash to the Orlando Magic to acquire the 35th pick in the draft.
They used that pick on Max Christie, a young wing out of Michigan State, who projects as a player who will need a year or two to contribute. He has a great shot and good backcourt size, but he can’t do much with the ball in his hands. For a Lakers team looking for role players, perhaps he can catch on quickly.
Their original first-round pick went to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of the Anthony Davis deal. It landed at eighth, gifting the Pelicans a player in Dyson Daniels who is a perfect fit and could end up starting for a team deep in the playoffs.
Grade: C
2022 NBA Draft Grades for the Western Conference: Memphis Grizzlies
Picks: Jake LaRavia, Forward, Wake Forest (19); David Roddy, Forward, Colorado State (23); Kennedy Chandler, Guard, Tennessee (38)
The Memphis Grizzlies have a deep team, and after making multiple first-round picks in a few different recent drafts, they didn’t need to use both of their first-round picks this year.
So what did the Grizzlies do? They consolidated those two picks to move up to 19… and then traded back in almost immediately, sending De’Anthony Melton to the Philadelphia 76ers for Danny Green and pick No. 23, giving them another two first-round rookies.
All three picks were invested into the frontcourt. At 19, the Grizzlies added Jake LaRavia, which was a peculiar fit. On the one hand, LaRavia seems ready-made to replace Kyle Anderson’s role on the roster as a solid forward who can shoot and defend, but he’s certainly not the sort of high-upside play that many expected the Grizzlies to make.
Pick No. 23 was the true wild-card, however. The Grizzlies traded Melton for the pick, which was fine value for Melton, but then used it on a player in David Roddy who wasn’t expected to go in the first round. An overweight and yet undersized power forward, Roddy has a lot of skills wrapped in a frame that is either filled with potential or dooming him to fail.
Kennedy Chandler fell down the board to 38 because of his size, but he is an absolute pest on the ball and adroit at generating steals. On offense, he is lightning-fast with a tight handle; his shot is streaky, but not broken. If the team is looking for a backup point guard to replace Tyus Jones, Chandler could be that player early on.
Grade: B-
2022 NBA Draft Grades for the Western Conference: Minnesota Timberwolves
Picks: Walker Kessler, Center, Auburn (22); Wendell Moore, Wing, Duke (26); Josh Minott, Forward, Memphis (45); Matteo Spagnolo, Guard, Vanoli Cremona (50)
The Minnesota Timberwolves started the night with the 19th pick in the NBA Draft, but they sure didn’t stay there. They dropped back to 22, drafting Auburn center Walker Kessler, and then traded back around to pick No. 26 by joining the Houston-Dallas Christian Wood trade to add Duke wing Wendell Moore.
Kessler was a popular pairing with the Timberwolves, as Karl-Anthony Towns’ skillset suggests his lack of rim protection may limit the defense’s ceiling. Playing him alongside a non-shooting center lessens his offensive impact as a smooth-shooting big, but Kessler’s rim protection would help to shore up Towns’ weaknesses and provide a solid backup option. The problem is that Kessler’s lack of lateral movement means he will likely be toast on the perimeter, limiting the Wolves’ defensive scheme options.
Wendell Moore was less of a surprise and instead was a solid value at pick No. 26 as a do-it-all wing who can dribble, pass, shoot, score, and defend. He became a leader last season at Duke during a breakout year, and the Timberwolves need leadership as well as two-way role players. Moore is a great fit for the Wolves’ rotation.
Josh Minott at 45 was well worth the flyer. Analytical models adore him because of his defensive playmaking, but he is very raw and doesn’t add much on offense right now. It’s a good development move to see if he turns into something special
Their second-round pick, landing at 50 after some moving around, went to Italian guard Matteo Spagnolo, a 19-year-old guard with elite size at 6’6″ and a 6’8″ wingspan. He is a creative passer but not a volume scorer. He has been successful wherever he has gone and whenever he comes over should have a chance at making the roster.
Grade: B
2022 NBA Draft Grades for the Western Conference: New Orleans Pelicans
Picks: Dyson Daniels, Guard, G League Ignite (8); E.J. Liddell, Big, Ohio State (41); Karlo Matkovic, Center, Mega (52)
The New Orleans Pelicans had a strong end to the season, crashing the playoffs out of the Play-In Tournament and giving the top-seeded Phoenix Suns a run for their money. They don’t have a glaring weakness on the roster, going two deep at every position, so they had the luxury of drafting the player they liked the most irrespective of position.
They went after a talented one in Dyson Daniels, an Australian guard who played for the G League Ignite last season. He is 6’7″ with a 7′ wingspan, and pairs the draft’s best backcourt defense with high-level playmaking.
Daniels needs to improve as a scorer and shooter, but the Pelicans could use another backcourt player and they have players in Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, and Brandon Ingram to deal with the on-ball creation. This was a luxury pick, and the Pelicans got an excellent prize in Daniels.
After seeing Daniels fall into place at 8, things worked out even more beautifully in the second. E.J. Liddell, 13th on my board and top-25 on nearly every public board, fell all the way to pick No. 41 and gifted the Pelicans with a versatile defender with incredible basketball IQ and a solid enough offensive game to be a really valuable role player. The Pelicans are going to be impossibly deep next season.
In light of that roster crunch, they used the 52nd pick on a major project center draft-and-stash in Karlo Matkovic, a player unlikely to ever see the light of the NBA. He has good athleticism as a bouncy big with a decent amount of touch, but he’s shaky on defense and doesn’t have much range. Perhaps he puts it together and makes his way over, but he is 21 and ranked outside the Top-70 on most draft boards.
Grade: A+
2022 NBA Draft Grades for the Western Conference: Oklahoma City Thunder
Picks: Chet Holmgren, Big, Gonzaga (2); Ousmane Dieng, Wing, Breakers (11); Jalen Williams, Wing, Santa Clara (12); Jaylin Williams, Big, Arkansas (34)
The Oklahoma City Thunder have pulled off a monumental rebuild, amassing a wild treasure trove of extra first-round picks, and those picks were a big part of their night. Things started off with their own pick, however, as they used the second overall pick on Gonzaga big man Chet Holmgren.
While many balked at his shockingly thin frame, Holmgren has proven himself a competitor and his size has never been an issue to this point in his career. As The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie loves to say, the Thunder want to put five players on the court who can all push the ball themselves in transition, and Holmgren gives them that ability.
He can shoot, he can handle, and he is an elite rim protector and rebounder. It’s a slam dunk pick that fits perfectly with how they are building their team moving forward, the best player available at a clear position of need.
Instead of just sitting at pick No. 12, the Oklahoma City Thunder leapt back in at 11, and without giving up 12 at all. Making back-to-back picks, the Thunder went with two of the draft’s late risers in Ousmane Dieng and Jalen Williams. Dieng is incredibly raw but came on late in the NBL and has a tantalizing combination of on-ball shot creation and playmaking if he can put it all together.
Williams was one of my personal favorites in the draft, a wing with point guard skills, the necessary size to defend multiple positions, and the ball-handling, passing, and shooting to excel in any role on offense. The Thunder make a high-upside, high-risk swing in Dieng but then get a solid, versatile wing.
Finally, the Oklahoma City Thunder decided to terrorize announcers and play-by-play guys across the nation by taking the other Jaylin Williams, a big man out of Arkansas. He lacks polish but was a transcendent charge-taker and does all of the dirty work.
The Thunder took multiple players I liked, all guys that fit their team-building vision. It was a very solid draft, although they certainly paid a lot to get pick 11 for Ousmane Dieng.
Grade: B
2022 NBA Draft Grades for the Western Conference: Portland Trail Blazers
Picks: Shaedon Sharpe, Wing, Kentucky (7); Jabari Walker, Forward, Colorado (57)
The Portland Trail Blazers started things off a day early, sending a future Milwaukee first-round pick and some seconds to the Detroit Pistons for Jerami Grant. That’s not under the purview of these grades, but it dictated that the Blazers were more likely to go for a perimeter piece at No. 7.
While Dyson Daniels was a popular pairing in mock drafts, instead the Blazers swung for the moon with Shaedon Sharpe, the draft’s mystery man. One hot year of high school basketball is the entire basis for Sharpe being a lottery pick, as he was a late bloomer and didn’t play a minute at Kentucky. Yet Sharpe is an elite athlete with natural scoring instincts and a great frame; he seems like the kind of high-upside, high-floor player that should go high in the draft.
Credit to Portland for going after the best player available instead of trading the pick for a win-now move; they want to extend their window of competing around Lillard instead of forcing their way through a short window. Sharpe was the fourth-ranked player on my board because of his upside, so this was incredible value and bold roster management by the Blazers.
After a fair amount of moving around, the Trail Blazers finally made a pick in the second round by taking Jabari Walker at 57. He is a big, strong forward who is one of the better defenders in the draft but needs to figure the offense out. He is a great value pick at 57.
I had Sharpe as my fourth-ranked player and they got him at seven, and then they got my 38th-ranked player at 57, so excellent value all around.
Grade: B+
2022 NBA Draft Grades for the Western Conference: Sacramento Kings
Picks: Keegan Murray, Forward, Iowa (4)
In some sense, the draft began at pick No. 4. It was nearly a lock that the three bigs would go 1-2-3, which meant that the Sacramento Kings’ pick at four was something of a crossroads for the draft.
Would they go with Jaden Ivey, the consensus number four player in the draft, but one who fit poorly on the Kings’ point-guard-laden roster? Would they trade down for a team that was chasing Ivey?
Instead, they kept the pick and went for the best fit with their current team, taking Iowa’s Keegan Murray. He’s a do-it-all forward who can score, shoot, pass, rebound, and defend at a high level. As an older, late-blooming prospect there is some uncertainty as to his upside, but he is an excellent fit and there aren’t any true weaknesses to his profile.
The Kings otherwise traded all around the second round and ended up trading out entirely for a pair of future seconds. They will look to the bargains of free agency to fill out the rest of their roster as they try to make a run at the playoffs this season.
Grade: B+
Western Conference NBA Draft Grades: San Antonio Spurs
Picks: Jeremy Sochan, Forward, Baylor (9); Malaki Branham, Wing, Ohio State (20); Blake Wesley, Wing, Notre Dame (25)
The San Antonio Spurs entered the night with three first-round picks and plenty of uncertainty as to who they would draft. Dejounte Murray made the All-Star Game last season but was part of trade rumors for most of this week, meaning any position was in play for them to add.
Things were kicked off at No. 9 when they added Baylor forward Jeremy Sochan, a truly special defender who may actually be able to guard all five positions. He is 6’9″ with speed, strength, and instincts on defense and will help the Spurs establish an identity on that end. Offensively, his shot is a question mark, but that hasn’t bothered the Spurs before, and he can handle and pass well enough to glue things together.
After going for the high-upside defender, they watched a high-upside offensive player fall to them at 20 in Malaki Branham. A true gunner, Branham was a surprise as a freshman who bombed away from all over the court and played his way into leaving early. He has a lot of utility to his shot and can finish inside as well. He needs to grow more comfortable shooting three-pointers, but he may have landed on the one team that won’t push him outside.
The Spurs went back to the shooting guard well with pick No. 25, taking Blake Wesley out of Notre Dame. He was something of a hidden gem who was missed by scouts due to the pandemic but exploded as an on-ball scorer in the ACC. He is raw and will need patience, but he has length and passing ability that could pop. He could also flunk out of the league with a very low floor; it’s a high-risk, high-reward swing for the Spurs.
Grade: B
Western Conference NBA Draft Grades: Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns
The Utah Jazz sent away this year’s pick to the Memphis Grizzlies (22) as part of the Mike Conley deal. The Suns did the same when they added Chris Paul. What seemed like far-off, ephemeral things can still mean something now. These picks weren’t premium, but each represented players who could help these teams now.
The Jazz came into the draft sniffing around at an opportunity to trade in / trade up, but instead, they just watched it all happen. Similarly, the Suns opted out of the draft, but there was a much more involved series of team options.
Grade: C+
There you have it, all 15 grades for the Western Conference. From A+ to D, these grades are bestowed by imperfect editors using imperfect means. Hopefully, something about this job attacked energy around here.