Warriors, Kings both land among winners, losers of 2020 draft
After the longest delay in league history, the 2020 NBA Draft is finally in the books.Two rounds. 30 teams. 60 players. And it largely played out as predicted.Some teams filled major holes and added great value, while other selections raised eyebrows.Here are the biggest winners and losers from a busy night:
In James Wiseman, the Warriors landed the prospect who not only was the best fit for their current roster, but also arguably was the best player in the draft. At 7-foot-1 and 240 pounds, Wiseman is a physical beast who will step right into Golden State's starting lineup and immediately upgrade the team's athleticism and rim protection. His ceiling is off the charts, and in drafting him, the Warriors potentially added another star to their core. Getting Nico Mannion in the second round was a great snag, too.
Another win for the Dubs: the Minnesota Timberwolves' draft. By drafting Anthony Edwards and acquiring Ricky Rubio in a trade, the T-Wolves should be much more competitive, meaning the Warriors are that much more likely to receive their top-three protected 2021 first-round pick.
It should have been a night of celebration for the Warriors, but it was anything but. Mere hours before they selected Wiseman, they learned Klay Thompson had sustained a lower leg injury, and that dark cloud hovered above their entire draft. The Warriors reportedly fear Thompson sustained a "significant" Achilles injury, and if that turns out to be true, it's a disaster for Golden State. Not only would Thompson likely be in danger of missing the entirety of the season for the second year in a row due to injury, but it also obviously would throw a humongous wrench into the Warriors' plans to contend for a championship anytime soon. It's awful on so many levels. 2020 can go to hell.
Come again? The Kings as a draft winner? Could it be?
Indeed. After countless selections over the last several years that were questionable at best, the Kings ended up with one of the safest players and best values in the draft in Tyrese Haliburton. Expected to go much earlier in the lottery, the Kings surely were jumping for joy when he was still around at the No. 12 pick. Haliburton will contribute immediately, providing Sacramento with another ball-handler who can play both behind and alongside De'Aaron Fox. New Kings general manager Monte McNair hit an absolute home run with his first-ever selection.
The Kings can thank Phoenix for allowing Halliburton to fall into their laps. Halliburton seemed like an ideal third guard for the Suns to play behind Chris Paul and Devin Booker, but they opted to pass on him and instead chose a stretch big in Jalen Smith who was projected to go about 10-12 picks later. Smith fills a need, but the Suns likely could have traded back and still gotten him. Basically, a repeat of last year.
The NBA did a great job carrying out the draft during the COVID-19 pandemic, but nonetheless, it was not the experience any of the draftees grew up dreaming it would be. No giant crowds cheering their selection. No shaking the commissioner's hand. No posing for that first-ever -- and sometimes historically awkward -- photo in their new team threads. The gravity of the moment was evident in the numerous emotional reactions we saw in prospects' living rooms, and understandably so. After all, it was a dream come true. But due to elements far outside of their control, they didn't get the same experience as their predecessors.
