Winners Without Losers and Giannis in Florida: The Wildest NBA Summer Has Begun

This NBA draft, however, was quite different from others. Usually, once the first round concludes, I'd dive into various analyses to see what the experts thought. Reviewing the "winners and losers" of the draft is something I particularly enjoy with my morning coffee the day after, comparing my notes with theirs and highlighting any discrepancies.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I read this morning that everyone was a winner. Kevin O'Connor, in his "report card" on Yahoo Sports, handed out twenty-four A's, three B's, and three C's – an average of 4.70, almost unprecedented in recent league history. NBC Sports didn't give anyone a C. Other reports were similarly positive; it seemed every general manager in the league received a pat on the back and got exactly what they wanted.

How is this possible? Well, the answer this time is quite simple – for a year now, we've been hearing how this is the strongest draft class since the legendary one in 2003, and how there would be something for everyone. It's too early to make definitive judgments or risky predictions, but initial reports confirm this – after the two-day event, almost no one left Brooklyn's Barclays Center dissatisfied with their haul.

Now, as we said, the seasons ahead will provide the final answers. But since we don't have a year to wait, here are some initial thoughts on this period of the NBA season. Just in time for the start of free agency and the carnival known as the "summer league."

Perhaps the clearest winner of draft night was Washington. The Wizards had already made two promising moves last season – trading for Trae Young and acquiring Anthony Davis, which alone guaranteed a significant leap forward. When the lottery awarded them the first pick, they used it to select Brigham Young University star, A.J. Dibantsa.

Dibantsa is a versatile offensive player with immense athletic capabilities, stepping into a situation where he'll immediately get minutes, support, and the chance to play winning basketball from the start. Adding young power forward Alex Sar, who made significant strides last season, to the aforementioned trio, it seems the capital might finally enjoy good basketball after many years.

Another capital city has reason to celebrate. Sacramento, the seat of California's state government – the long-suffering Kings, by many accounts, did exceptionally well with their selections of Darius Akaf Jr. (seventh pick) and Alex Karaban (29th). Akaf, an explosive point guard from the University of Arkansas, will be tasked with erasing memories of De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton – stylistically, the closest comparison would be Jalen Brunson, though Brunson is now a common benchmark for almost any undersized guard.

Karaban, for whom the Kings sacrificed their 34th pick this season and a future second-rounder, comes from UConn with a reputation as a player with limited athletic potential but who shines with his basketball IQ and strong fundamentals. This wing player, who turned pro at 24, is expected to contribute with outside shooting and secondary playmaking.

The rest of the league's lower-tier teams also garnered praise for their selections. Utah, as expected, took Kansas combo guard Darin Peterson with the second pick – although there were indications Peterson might go to Washington and Dibantsa stay in Utah, the opposite happened – he shouldn't take long to integrate into the talented young squad assembled by veteran executive Danny Ainge. Memphis, from the third spot, drafted Duke's Cam Boozer, son of former NBA All-Star Carlos. Cameron, like his father, is a wing player, though a more modern type with better shooting percentages.

Caleb Wilson (4th) is headed to Chicago – his transition to the pros will be eased by new coach Tiago Splitter, a man who received significant praise for his short tenure in Portland, thanks to the blossoming of Deni Avdija and improved play from Scoot Henderson. The Nets, with the sixth pick, selected Michael Brown Jr., a dynamic young guard from Louisville. Dallas first hired Michigan's championship-winning coach Dusty May, and then in the draft, "picked up" his former player Morez Johnson (9th), an "old-school" power forward who battles under the basket and plays strong defense.

In fact, if we thoroughly examine the lottery picks, it's hard to say anyone fared poorly. Well, perhaps only...

During the trade for Ivica Zubac, Indiana surrendered their pick to the Clippers, which carried an unusual protection – from first to fourth, and from tenth to thirtieth. The reasoning was: we'll be bad enough to finish in the top four, because after that, the players are weaker anyway.

That reasoning backfired when the lottery balls aligned to give the Pacers the cursed fifth spot. The pick was, of course, immediately forwarded to the California team, who used it to select Keaton Wagler from Illinois, leaving the only team from the "Hoosier State" without a first-round pick in this generation's strongest draft. President Kevin Pritchard even addressed fans on social media after this failed maneuver, taking the blame – for consolation, they have the fact that a recovered Haliburton, along with the Pascal Siakam-Zubac duo, should guarantee a return to the playoffs.

The Oklahoma City Thunder shouldn't have been anywhere near the NBA lottery for a couple of years now – yet, thanks to some shrewd moves by General Manager Sam Presti, they find a way to sneak into the top fifteen every season.

This year, the Thunder picked 12th and selected Spanish center Aday Mara. Mara, who stands 7'3", spent two rather unremarkable seasons at UCLA before becoming one of the more intriguing centers in college basketball playing for Dusty May at Michigan. Oklahoma's idea here is quite clear – we need someone who, in the coming years, can challenge Victor Wembanyama, at least to the extent of matching him under the basket. Well, that problem is solved.

Sam Presti also, after this pick, "jumped" to the 16th spot via a trade with Memphis and selected Bennett Stirtz, an experienced point guard from Iowa. Does this mean Nikola Topic has suddenly become a "trade chip" in potential future transactions? Time will tell.

Speaking of Mara, the first round of this class wasn't exactly overflowing with international selections – by which I mean players drafted outside the NCAA system. So neither Mara nor Germany's Hannes Steinbach (14th, Charlotte Hornets) and other "exchange students" qualify to be mentioned in this context.

The only true "internationals" within the top thirty are therefore Mexican Karim Lopez, a young man from Sonora who made his way to New Zealand via Joventut and earned his draft spot from there (21st pick, Memphis via Detroit), and Spanish international Sergio de Larea (25th pick, Dallas via Knicks and Lakers). De Larea impressed basketball fans at the last EuroBasket, playing "like a veteran" at just under twenty years old – his competitive season in Valencia was marred by injuries, but scouts saw enough for a first-round selection.

Even the second round, which traditionally saw a plethora of overseas talent drafted to "marinate" before import, wasn't rich in international selections. Young German Jack Cahill, a Mega player who spent last season with Alba, went 39th. At the very end of the draft, we heard Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum call out the names of Vsevolod Ishchenko (56th, Chicago), Narcisse Ngoy (57th, Atlanta), and Malik Lewis (60th, Washington). And that was it.

Some noted the absence of "Yugoslavs" in this draft and interpreted it as a potential problem for the future. I'm not prone to this form of fatalism – it happens to us, just like Americans, that we simply don't have enough quality in a particular class. This time, scouts weren't intrigued by Balkan talents, but that doesn't mean we're suddenly disappearing from the map. On the contrary, expect a return next year, and we shouldn't overlook the huge number of players who go to the NCAA every year and try to reach the world's top league that way.

Just one day before the draft, a long-brewing trade was finalized. Giannis Antetokounmpo, after a decade of service in Wisconsin, was traded to Miami, becoming the newest member of the Heat. In return, the Bucks received Tyler Herro, Kelele Ware, Jaime Jaquez, and Kasparas Jakučionis, along with three picks (two in the relatively distant future) and a second-round pick, and Bobby Portis also headed to Florida with Giannis.

What do the Bucks get? Well, a couple of years of rebuilding is the only certainty in this whole story. With this year's pick from the aforementioned trade, they selected Nate Ament, a Tennessee wing with a fluctuating college career but excellent projected potential, at the thirteenth spot. Three picks before him, at tenth overall, they took Braden Barris, a guard from Arizona – these two rookies will have plenty of room to develop, though it's expected that Herro will take most of the shots.

Miami got their superstar, but there are still plenty of question marks. With Bam Adebayo and Giannis in the paint, Erik Spoelstra will have perhaps the most defensively potent big man duo in the league. Defense, therefore, isn't the issue – what will be is roster depth, as well as the scoring capabilities of both the starting five and the bench. At this moment, without additional transactions, the starters at positions 1-2-3 are Davion Mitchell, Norman Powell, and Andrew Wiggins. The bench, however, is almost non-existent – our Nikola Jović, alongside Portis, is probably all they can currently offer.

In short, Miami is one serious Giannis injury away from the lottery. But let's wait for the summer to end; perhaps Pat Riley can still work some magic and fill the roster gaps.

The draft may be over, but the real excitement is just beginning. As Deputy Commissioner Tatum read the last name, the usual insiders were already buzzing about impending trades and free-agent signings.

First and foremost, of course, is Jaylen Brown, whom Boston unsuccessfully tried to send to Milwaukee for Giannis. Insiders say those negotiations fell through because the Celtics were unwilling to part with promising Spaniard Hugo Gonzalez at any cost. Now, Gonzalez is probably happy to stay in Massachusetts, but what about Brown, who had to hear for months that he was on the verge of being shipped out? It seems that relationship has soured, so we'll see where the brilliant wing player continues his career. Staying would be a surprise.

Also on the market are a couple of young point guards, specifically Ja Morant and LaMelo Ball. The former has long since played his last game in Memphis – his toxic mix of disagreements with management and incident-prone behavior alienated him from the franchise that gave him his opportunity and where he became an All-Star. The price for his departure will be low, but the question is who would be interested in a player with so much "baggage" on his resume.

LaMelo, on the other hand, surprisingly found himself in trade rumors. He's had health issues, that's true, but it's likely the Hornets are slowly turning to their wings Brandon Miller and Kon Knipel as the new leaders of the project, and that it would be better for Ball to seek greener pastures. Just as I typed this, it happened – Charlotte sent Ball to Minnesota for Naz Reid and a handful of picks. An interesting trade, especially if we try to understand the dynamic between Ball and Ant Edwards, two strong-willed players. And it's also interesting that Charlotte received a relatively small return.

In any case, the NBA summer has now officially begun. And what it all brings, we will find out very, very soon. Teams will be allowed to enter negotiations with free agents exactly at midnight on July 1st, our time – set your clocks, and we'll talk then.

VIDEO Antetokounmpo Traded!