Happy Friday, everyone! Another week down.
Let's get right to it.
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Good morning to everyone but especially to...
PAOLO BANCHERO...
The Magic pulled off one of the all-time covert operations when it came to the No. 1 overall selection in last night's draft. After much speculation, Orlando selected Duke product Paolo Banchero with the first pick.
Our basketball reporter Gary Parrish gave Orlando an A in his draft grades.
Parrish: "Even though I would have taken Chet Holmgren, I can't say it's wrong to take Banchero. I think he's going to be the most impactful player right from the jump and the favorite to win Rookie of the Year. This is sensible, if surprising. He's a big, strong and skilled forward who could be an incredible building block in Orlando. Grade: A"Banchero has some lofty standards to live up to. Orlando's previous No. 1 picks: Dwight Howard (2004), Chris Webber (1993 -- traded), Shaquille O'Neal (1992).
Here's how the entire top ten played out, with analysis for each pick:
Here are grades for every pick.
... AND ALSO A GOOD MORNING TO THE DETROIT PISTONS
The biggest surprise of the draft was Banchero going first overall. The second-biggest was Jaden Ivey falling to the Pistons at fifth overall after the Kings took Keegan Murray fourth. Ivey was the No. 1 prospect on NBA Draft guru Kyle Boone's Big Board, and Detroit is an ideal landing spot.
The biggest question about Ivey was whether he could be a lead ball-handler, but he won't have to worry about that with 2021 No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham manning point guard duties. Then, the Pistons got Jalen Duren 13th overall as part of a trade with the Knicks. Detroit sent Milwaukee's 2025 first-round pick to New York, a pick that will likely be in the 20s considering how good Milwaukee is.
That makes Detroit a big winner, writes our NBA expert Sam Quinn. Here's the rest of our excellent draft coverage:
Honorable mentions
And not such a good morning for...
USATSITHE BROOKLYN NETS
In 2019, the Brooklyn Nets came together in the blink of an eye with the additions of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Now, they could be falling apart just as fast.
Irving has given the Nets a list of sign-and-trade options should the two sides not reach a contract extension, and that has left Durant pondering his own future with the franchise. To start, here's Irving's list:
It's important to note that Irving would need some help from the Nets here: He has a $36.9-million player option for next season. If he opts out, he'd be a free agent, and several of the teams above don't have the financial flexibility to add Irving via free agency. Instead, he'd need the Nets to acquiesce to a sign-and-trade; plus, the Nets would at least get something back for Irving.
So if Irving leaves, where could Durant end up? Our NBA expert Sam Quinn ranked all 29 possible destinations, and atop the list is...
Quinn: "1. Heat The end goal would be to pair Durant with Jimmy Butler. Hopefully Kyle Lowry would remain in place. The Heat would then use their mid-level exception or possibly another trade to add some size, and their remarkable track record of developing bench players in the G League would ensure robust depth. Add all of that up and you have a team that should not only appeal to Durant, but would be willing to give up what it would take to land him."
