The NBA Draft came and went in a flash as the next wave of potential NBA All-Stars made their way to their new teams. Some teams were more successful than others, but who came away as the big winners and losers of the draft.
Winner:
Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cavaliers made the right move with Andrew Wiggins and now have to put together a pitch to land LeBron James. Wiggins will come in right away and work through some growing pains on his way to becoming a potential All-Star for the Cavaliers. Wiggins was called the next LeBron by many when he committed to Kansas and now he has a chance to help Cleveland forget about the their former savior. The Cavaliers made the right selection in Wiggins and got solid value with Joe Harris in the second round.
Miami Heat: The Heat did everything they could to lure LeBron James back into town when they traded for Shabazz Napier. It is well known that James loves Napier’s game and wanted to play with the former UConn star, so by doing everything they could to land him, the Heat look better in LeBron's eyes. The Heat didn't lock up LeBron Thursday night, but they did the most they could do with the assets they had and for that they are a winner.
Houston Rockets: The Rockets' performance was average when it came to their selections, Clint Capela and Nick Johnson, but the Rockets are winners for moves they made before the draft. The Rockets are collecting assets while shedding cap space to pursue a max contract player. Trading Omer Asik was just the first move for the Rockets and Jeremy Lin should soon follow soon. The Rockets may not end up getting any of the big name free agents, but they are making solid moves that put them in a good place regardless.
Losers:
Philadelphia 76ers: The 76ers drafted Nerlens Noel last year with the expectation that he would be ready for 2014 and now Philadelphia drafted Joel Embiid with the expectation he will play in 2015. The 76ers continue their rebuild, but it seems too dependent on if these players can come back from injury. In theory Philadelphia will have a great set of bigs for a very long time, but until they step on the court this team is stuck in limbo.
Kevin Love: Love wants out of Minnesota and the NBA Draft was probably his best chance to get out before the season started. Minnesota will very likely lose Love to free agency come 2015, but in the meantime it looks as if they will brave the new season with him on the roster or look to trade him come midseason. Either way, Love cannot be happy this morning.
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