NBA teams’ offseasons are usually judged by the big free agent or trade acquisitions they made, where we can clearly see what impact the move will have the following season. But in hindsight, it’s often additions made in the draft that have the most significant long-term impact.
In this article, I’ll look back at every team’s highest draft pick throughout the last five years and grade based on the impact they’ve had on that team. It should also be made clear that players who haven’t played in the league yet are excluded. With that being said, let’s start with grades for teams in the Atlantic Division.
Atlantic Division
Boston Celtics: D
#14. Romeo Langford
Coming into the draft, Langford was looked at as an intriguing guard with elite athleticism. He never found a consistent role with Boston though, partially due to his lack of a consistent jumper and also because of injuries. After two seasons with the Celtics, Langford was flipped to the San Antonio Spurs and has become a solid bench player for them, but he never had much of an impact in Boston.
Brooklyn Nets: B+
#27. Cam Thomas
Thomas has played two seasons with the Nets and so far has shown a lot of promise for a player taken late in the first round mid-way through the 2023 season, Thomas scored 40+ points in three consecutive games, flashing his potential as a high-volume scorer. He finished the year averaging 10 points per game on solid efficiency, while only playing 16 minutes a night. Expect him to take a jump next season in a larger role.
New York Knicks: C
#3. R.J. Barrett
Barrett has always been looked at as an extremely talented player but inconsistency has been a bigger issue than expected in the league, and it’s kept him from breaking out as an all-star. Take last year’s playoffs for example, where Barrett averaged 19 points per game on 43% shooting overall, but shot 1-10 in a must-win game against the Heat. This upcoming season, Barrett’s fifth as a pro, will likely determine whether or not he peaks as the player he is or evolves into a star.
Philadelphia 76ers: A
#21. Tyrese Maxey
Coming into the league, Maxey was seen as a potential sixth-man scorer, but in three seasons, he’s proven to be much more than that. Not only was Maxey the 76ers’ third-leading scorer in the regular season, averaging 20 points per game, but he’s backed it up in the postseason on multiple occasions with 20 point-per-game averages in the 2022 and 2023 playoffs. At 22 years old, Maxey has emerged as a young star and a potential franchise player for Philadelphia.
Toronto Raptors: A-
#4. Scottie Barnes
After winning Rookie of the Year in 2022, many expected Barnes to emerge as a star in his sophomore season. People were disappointed to see that he didn’t improve all that much, with similar averages of 15 points, six rebounds and four assists a game. Nonetheless, these are very good numbers for a 22-year-old, and expectations of him breaking out at such a young age were pretty unrealistic. This is still a great pick in hindsight, as Barnes has incredible upside.
NBA Central Division
Chicago Bulls: C
#4. Patrick Williams
Coming into the league, Williams was viewed as a three-and-d wing prospect with great size and length; however, nobody expected him to be taken as high as fourth overall. So far, Chicago’s investment hasn’t quite paid off, but it’s hard to blame them, as Williams missed the bulk of his sophomore season due to injury. Williams has been a solid player on the court, putting up nine points per game on good shooting, but he still has much more to prove as a top-five pick.
Cleveland Cavaliers: A
#3. Evan Mobley
In only two years, Evan Mobley has already had a tremendous impact on the Cavs. Many believed Mobley had DPOY potential as a draft prospect, and at 22 years years old, he’s made an all-defense team. His offense is still coming along, but for now, he’s scoring off looks created for him by Darius Garland and Donavan Mitchell. Mobley has established his floor as a borderline all-star. If his offense continues to progress, he’ll be in the best big men in the league conversation.
Detroit Pistons: C
#1. Cade Cunningham
Cunningham’s been in the league for two seasons but was sidelined after eight games in his sophomore year due to injury. Cunningham’s rookie season was very impressive, as he finished with averages of 17 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game, showing his capabilities as a playmaker and scorer. Still, we haven’t seen enough of him to give this pick a positive grade, especially considering Cunningham was taken first overall.
Indiana Pacers: A-
#6. Bennedict Mathurin
It didn’t take long for Mathurin to impress people with his elite scoring ability. He began his rookie season incredibly hot, and while his efficiency did decrease throughout the year, Mathurin still maintained a scoring average of 16 points per game. His ability to put the ball in the basket is a good foundation for his development and as his shot selection and decision-making improves, he’ll likely become a key piece for Indiana.
Milwaukee Bucks: B-
#17. Donte DiVincenzo
DiVincenzo came into the league as a proven three-and-d guard from his time at Villanova, and he played a very similar role for Milwaukee. For three years, DiVincenzo gave the Bucks solid minutes, but eventually, injuries affected his play and he was flipped to Sacramento. If Milwaukee had given DiVencenzo more time to recover, maybe he could’ve played a bigger role in their future, but they still got good value out of him when he was there.
Northwest Division
Denver Nuggets: A-
14. Michael Porter Jr.
While Porter Jr. may never reach the heights that many expected from him as a high school prospect, he’s still been a great value pick as the 14th selection. His injury issues caused him to fall in the 2018 draft, and while he has faced problems before in the NBA, overall, his talent has outweighed the injury concerns in five years with the Nuggets. He was Denver’s third-leading scorer this season, helping them to a 1st seed finish in the Western Conference and an NBA title.
Minnesota Timberwolves: A
1. Anthony Edwards
Edwards was taken first overall in 2020 and has been everything you would expect in three seasons with Minnesota. He still has room to grow as a decision-maker, but that makes it even scarier to imagine Edwards at his peak. He’s already an all-star at age 22, with averages of 24 points, five rebounds, and four assists on 45% shooting. Many consider him the future of the league, and that wouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
OKC Thunder: A-
6. Josh Giddey
Giddey is a very unique player, creating looks for himself and his teammates with a very methodical approach. Despite his lack of athleticism or amazing ball handling, he’s an elite floor general for OKC, with averages of 16 points, seven rebounds, and six assists per game. As his outside jumper improves, Giddey could very well be in the top-ten point-guards conversation a few years from now.
Portland Trail Blazers: B
7. Shaedon Sharpe
Coming into the league as an unknown, Sharpe had a pretty good rookie season considering his limited opportunities playing next to Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons. In 22 minutes a night, Sharpe averaged nine points per game on 47% shooting from the field and 36% from three. In 15 games as a starter, he upped his points per game while maintaining solid efficiency. Assuming Damian Lillard is moved, Sharpe should have more opportunities to prove himself next season.
Utah Jazz: D
21. Grayson Allen
After playing four years at Duke, Allen had established himself as an NBA-ready role player coming into the league. He would only play about ten minutes per game in his rookie season though, before being sent to Memphis in a trade for Mike Conley. While the Conley trade ultimately was worth it for Utah, that doesn’t change the fact that they selected Allen in the first round and he never made much of a difference for them.
NBA Pacific Division
Golden State Warriors: F
2. James Wiseman
While Wiseman was clearly the best positional fit for the Warriors at the time of the 2020 draft, clearly a then 19-year-old who had barely played in college wasn’t going to work out on a team looking to compete for a championship. After two seasons of both injuries and on-court struggles, Wiseman was flipped to the Detroit Pistons for Gary Payton ll. This pick could’ve helped the Warriors dynasty continue for several more years, but all it got them was a role player.
Los Angeles Clippers: F
13. Jerome Robinson
Robinson’s career has fizzled out due to injuries and his jumper not quite translating to the NBA level. He missed significant time, only playing 75 games with Los Angeles throughout two seasons. Even when he was on the court though, he struggled to score at an efficient rate both from within and beyond the arc. Eventually, he was moved to Washington, where he faced similar struggles, and he is now playing for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League.
Los Angeles Lakers: D
25. Moe Wagner
Wagner has blossomed into a solid role player for the Orlando Magic but never did much for the Lakers. He played ten minutes per game in his rookie year, before being sent to the Wizards as part of the Anthony Davis trade. Obviously, Los Angeles benefited from the trade, but the pick itself wasn’t great. Wagner on the other hand, has blossomed into a good rotation player for the Orlando Magic.
Phoenix Suns: B
1. Deandre Ayton
Coming into the league, Ayton was projected to be a future superstar and the Suns’ franchise player. Five years later, it seems he’s plateaued as an all-star caliber starting center, with career averages of 16 points and 10 rebounds per game. Still, that’s not a bad outcome, as he’s contributed to multiple playoff series wins and could be a key contributor in a potential finals run next season.
Sacramento Kings: F
2. Marvin Bagley lll
Bagley was viewed as the second-best player in the 2018 draft Ayton, as he dominated at the college level. In hindsight, the Kings should’ve been more aware that despite his success in College, Bagley’s game wouldn’t quite translate to the NBA. He wasn’t a good perimeter player on either end of the court and didn’t make up for it with elite paint protection. After four years with Sacramento, he was flipped to the Detroit Pistons for Donte DiVincenzo.
NBA Southeast Division
Atlanta Hawks: A-
#5. Trae Young
Since his rookie season in 2018, Young has been Atlanta’s franchise centerpiece. He’s developed into an all-star caliber player and despite the team’s recent disappointment, don’t forget that he led Atlanta to the Eastern Conference finals without a second star. The only thing that keeps this pick from a perfect grade is the infamous Luka-for-Trae swap, which saw the Hawks pass on a generational talent in Doncic. Nonetheless, this is a great pick for Atlanta.
Charlotte Hornets: A
#3. Lamelo Ball
Anyone who had seen Lamelo Ball’s talent coming into the league and didn’t recognize him as a future star has been proven wrong. It only took Ball until his sophomore season to make an all-star appearance, with averages of 20 points, six rebounds, and seven assists per game. While Charlotte has failed to build a winner around Lamelo in his three seasons with the team, the $260 million investment the Hornets made in him likely indicates they believe they can.
Miami Heat: A
#14. Tyler Herro
Tyler Herro has always been known for his scoring prowess, but not many expected it to translate as well as it did to the NBA level. Herro immediately put up double-digit scoring numbers and has become a 20-point-per-game scorer over the past couple of seasons, winning Sixth Man of the Year in 2022. Rumors state Herro could be on the move with the Heat looking to bring in Damian Lillard. Regardless, Herro will have been a great pick for Miami at 14th overall.
Orlando Magic: A
#1. Paolo Banchero
Not many knew Paolo Banchero would be taken first overall in 2022, but after a season, Banchero has cemented himself as the best player in this draft class. Not only did he maintain a 20-point scoring average as a rookie throughout the season, but his buckets translated to success for Orlando. As the season went on, the Magic got better, finishing the year 23-19. Moving forward, Banchero should lead Orlando to much more success, while becoming a superstar in the process.
Wizards: D+
#9. Rui Hachimura
Hachimura never reached the potential that he obviously had with the Wizards. While he was a solid role player when taking the court for Washington, he never played more than 57 games in four seasons with the team because of injuries. He never quite fit in in Washington either without much playmaking or defensive help around him, and was eventually flipped to the Lakers where he has been given more opportunities to shine.
NBA Southwest Division
Dallas Mavericks: A
#3. Luka Doncic
While the infamous Luka-for-Trae swap got the Hawks a young all-star, Dallas landed a generational talent with Doncic. In five years with the Mavericks, Doncic has averaged 27 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists per game, and he’s only 24 years old. However, to truly maximize such a talented player, Dallas has to build a contender around Luka, a task they’ve repeatedly failed at. If that doesn’t change, the international superstar could start looking for a new franchise.
Houston Rockets: C
#2. Jalen Green
Green is clearly a talented player but hasn’t made much growth since entering the league two seasons ago. From year one to year two, Green’s shot-chucking and lazy defensive habits haven’t improved much, and neither has the Rockets’ success. With the addition of defense-first coach Ime Udoka and veterans like Fred Vanvleet and Dillion Brooks, expect Green’s effort to get better next season. For now, though, we haven’t seen enough to give this pick a positive grade.
Memphis Grizzlies: A
2. Ja Morant
While Ja Morant certainly hasn’t made things easy for Memphis as of late, his positive impact on the team cannot be overstated. After being selected 2nd overall in the 2019 draft, Morant immediately helped the Grizzlies make a playoff push, and In the following years, he led Memphis to multiple postseason appearances. Aside from the off-court trouble he’s facing, Morant was a great pick for the Grizzlies helping them to build a winning culture.
New Orleans Pelicans: C-
1. Zion Williamson
Despite injury issues that have kept Williamson off the court for the majority of his four seasons with the Pelicans, he remains one of the most exciting young players in the NBA. It’s no coincidence that New Orleans ranked at the top of the Western Conference at the beginning of 2023 when Williamson was still healthy. Still, it’s hard to give this pick a positive grade as it’s hard for Zion to contribute at an all-star level when he’s mostly watching from the sidelines.
San Antonio Spurs: B+
9. Jeremy Sochan
The Spurs are known for drafting unproven but high-upside, hard-working players and fleshing out their skillsets later on, so it was no surprise to see them select Jeremy Sochan in 2022. Already, Sochan has shown massive growth as an offensive player, becoming a much better free-throw shooter and scorer off the dribble. The defensive tandem of him and Victor Wembenyana should be an intimidating one for opponents for years to come.