The 2018 NBA draft lived up to expectations in terms of drama and surprising selections.
After the Phoenix Suns selected Deandre Ayton with the No. 1 overall pick, a few unexpected moves shifted the direction of the first round.
The Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks executed the biggest move of Thursday's selection process at Barclays Center, as the Hawks selected Luka Doncic at No. 3 and traded him to the Mavericks in exchange for Trae Young, whom Dallas took at No. 5.
Duke and Kentucky continued to pump out lottery talent; the Blue Devils produced the No. 2 and No. 7 picks, while John Calipari saw two of his former Wildcats go at No. 9 and No. 11.
The biggest surprise of the night was Michael Porter Jr.'s drop outside of the top 10, as teams passed on the Missouri one-and-done star because of concerns about his back injury. Porter was drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the final pick in the lottery at No. 14.
The other shock was delivered by the Philadelphia 76ers, who selected Mikal Bridges at No. 10 before trading him to Phoenix for Zhaire Smith and a 2021 first-round selection.
While we won't know how each player translates to the NBA for a few years, we assigned grades based on how each prospect fits with his new employer.
Full Results
Grades
Atlanta: B
Boston: B+
Brooklyn: C-
Charlotte: B-
Chicago: A-
Cleveland: B
Dallas: A+
Denver: A+
Detroit: B-
Golden State: B+
Houston: B
Indiana: B
Los Angeles Clippers: C
Los Angeles Lakers: A-
Memphis: B+
Miami: N/A
Milwaukee: B-
Minnesota: B-
New Orleans: B-
New York: B+
Oklahoma City: B
Orlando: A+
Philadelphia: B+
Phoenix: A
Portland: B
Sacramento: A-
San Antonio: B-
Toronto: N/A
Utah: B+
Washington: B
Dallas Is Clear Winner of Trade with Atlanta
Dallas fleeced Atlanta in the deal that sent Doncic to the Mavericks and Young to the Hawks.
At points in the draft process, Doncic was considered the best player in the talent pool, and he could well be the biggest star of the group.
The Mavericks have the perfect system in place for Doncic to succeed right away, as he will be working under head coach Rick Carlisle and learning from Dirk Nowitzki.
Carlisle already appears to have a wealth of confidence in Doncic, as he alluded to the Slovenian's play-making ability, per Damon R. Marx of the Dallas Morning News:
Damon R. Marx @DamonMarxDMNCarlisle says he's not sure what position Luka Doncic is -- his position is on the floor, making plays.
Dallas also sent a protected 2019 first-round pick to the Hawks in the deal.
The Mavericks could greatly improve next season, as they are going to have one of the most talented backcourts in the Western Conference for a long time with Doncic and Dennis Smith Jr. in the starting lineup.
Dallas aren't a complete team just because Doncic is in the fold, but they took a step in the right direction by bringing in the Slovenian.
When it comes to the Hawks, their direction isn't as clear, as Young joins a roster that already includes Dennis Schroder.
Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk came from Golden State, and he's enamored with Young, who has drawn comparisons to Stephen Curry.
Although Young is known for his shooting, Schlenk is in love with most aspects of his game, per Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Michael Cunningham @MCunninghamAJCHawks GM Schlenk on Young: “We love his ability to pass the ball, to make other players better with his court vision. Obviously he gets a lot of notoriety for his long-range shooting but I think his ability to pass the ball is that we really liked about him.”
Young could turn out to be a star in the NBA, but the Mavericks received a piece that could make them a contender for a playoff spot next season, while the Hawks still have holes to fill at other positions.
Denver Gets a Steal in Porter
The Nuggets won't finish ninth in the Western Conference for the third straight season.
After careful consideration, the Nuggets took Porter with the final pick of the lottery despite growing concerns about the back injury that forced him out of most of his freshman season at Missouri.
Unlike the Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers in front of them, the Nuggets felt comfortable taking a risk on Porter as they try to get over the hump and qualify for the postseason.
Porter rounds out a nice core in Denver that includes Nikola Jokic, Gary Harris and Jamal Murray that could land anywhere from fifth to eighth in the West if the team reaches its full potential.
If he lives up to the hype created by his high school and AAU career, Porter could be an All-Star for decades. ESPN's Marc J. Spears went as far to say Porter could have a presence similar to Carmelo Anthony:
Marc J. Spears @MarcJSpearsESPNIf Michael Porter gets back to being Michael Porter, he will be the best player to come to Denver since Carmelo Anthony arrived 15 years ago.
The freshman out of Missouri could provide a similar impact that Donovan Mitchell had on the Utah Jazz in his rookie year.
Although the two players carry different skill sets, Porter could give the Nuggets a boost and help them make the playoffs and become a scary team in the first round of the postseason against one of the established contenders in the West.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
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