The NBA draft featured plenty of trades, a few big surprises and its usual array of entertaining suits.
The Post’s Zach Braziller was there to take it all in and he presents his grades for the festive evening:
Atlanta Hawks
No. 4: De’Andre Hunter, SF, Virginia
No. 10: Cam Reddish, SF, Duke
No. 34: Bruno Fernando, PF, Maryland
The Hawks gave up a lot — too much — for Hunter, just to move up six spots, giving up picks 8, 17 and 35. It’s hard to know what Reddish is, after he was overshadowed at Duke by Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett, and there are concerns about his desire and ability to be more than a spot-up shooter at the next level.
Grade: C
Boston Celtics
No. 14: Romeo Langford, SG, Indiana
No. 22: Grant Williams, SF, Tennessee
No. 33: Carsen Edwards, PG, Purdue
No. 51: Tremont Waters, PG, LSU
This would have the makings of a terrific college team. It’s uncertain if any these prospects, however, are rotation players in the NBA. Langford’s jumper is a major concern — he shot 27% from 3 — and Williams is undersized and may not have the athleticism to defend threes. Edwards and Waters are both small guards with ability that may or may not translate.
Grade: C-
Brooklyn Nets
No. 35: Nic Claxton, C, Georgia
No. 56: Jaylen Hands, PG, UCLA
This is an “A” if dealing the first-round pick enables the Nets to land two big free agents. Claxton is a strong pick at a position of need, a 6-foot-11 center some believed had first-round talent.
Grade: B
Charlotte Hornets
No. 12: PJ Washington, PF, Kentucky
No. 36: Cody Martin, SF, Nevada
No. 52: Jalen McDaniels, SF, San Diego State
Washington has the motor and athleticism to overcome the challenges as an undersized power forward. I didn’t love the Martin pick, though his versatility, playmaking skills and defensive ability should be enough for him to contribute.
Grade: B
Chicago Bulls
No. 7: Coby White, PG, North Carolina
No. 38: Daniel Gafford, PF, Arkansas
White falling to the Bulls is a dream scenario for Chicago, which was in desperate need of a point guard with Kris Dunn failing to live up to expectations. An inside-out duo of White and Lauri Markkanen is a start.
Grade: B+
Cleveland Cavaliers
No. 5: Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt
No. 26: Dylan Windler, SF, Belmont
No. 30: Kevin Porter Jr., SG, USC
This is a boom-or-bust draft if there ever was one. Garland is coming off knee surgery that limited him to five college games in his lone season at Vanderbilt and plays the same position as Collin Sexton, last year’s first round pick. Porter has top-10 talent, but dropped as the result of makeup and injury questions.
Grade: C+
Dallas Mavericks
No Picks
Grade: Incomplete
Denver Nuggets
No. 44: Bol Bol, C, Oregon
Without a pick, the Nuggets still managed to select a top-10-caliber talent, trading for the 7-foot-2 Bol. This was a smart gamble for a player, albeit with health and character concerns, that should’ve gone well before No. 44.
Grade: A
Detroit Pistons
No. 15: Sekou Doumbouya, SF, France
No. 37: Deividas Sirvydis, SF, Lithuania
No. 45: Isaiah Roby, PF, Nebraska
No. 57: Jordan Bone, PG, Tennessee
The first two picks will determine the Pistons’ draft, but it is unlikely we know about them for some time. Doumbouya is raw, but experts saw him as a top-10 talent. Sirvydis may not play in the league this year, needing time to develop before he’s ready.
Grade: B+
Golden State Warriors
No. 28: Jordan Poole, SG, Michigan
No. 39: Alen Smailagic, PF, Serbia
No. 41: Eric Paschall, SF, Villanova
Poole was a reach late in the first round, a one-dimensional player who, while he can shoot, will struggle in other areas. Smailagic is a familiar face, having spent time with the Warriors’ G-League team. Neither player is likely to contribute next year. Paschall, though, should as a backup at either forward spot, able to fit into the Warriors’ selfless, ball-moving system.
Grade: C
Houston Rockets
No Picks
Grade: Incomplete
Indiana Pacers
No. 18: Goga Bitadze, C, Serbia
This was about value, not need. Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis are in front of Bitadze, but the mobile 6-foot-11 Serbian could carve out a role off the bench if his development continues.
Grade: B
Los Angeles Clippers
No. 27: Mfiondu Kabengele, C, Florida State
No. 48: Terance Mann, SG, Florida State
Teams will look back at passing on the 6-foot-10 Kabengele with regret. A late-developing forward with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, the nephew of Dikembe Mutombo is only getting better. His college teammate Mann is a sneaky-good pick, too, a physical defender at either guard spot who will do enough offensively to stick.
Grade: A-
Los Angeles Lakers
No. 46: Talen Horton-Tucker, SG, Iowa State
The top-heavy Lakers need depth, and the sharpshooting 6-foot-4 Horton-Tucker should be able to provide some as a scorer off the bench.
Grade: B+
Memphis Grizzlies
No. 2: Ja Morant, PG, Murray State
No. 21: Brandon Clarke, PF, Gonzaga
Morant is now the face of the franchise, a jet-quick lead guard with Russell Westbrook-like explosiveness. The selection of Clarke is intriguing. He’s an elite-level athlete who projects to be a lockdown defender. His offense, or lack thereof, remains a concern.
Grade: B+
Miami Heat
No. 13: Tyler Herro, SG, Kentucky
No. 32: KZ Okpala, SF, Stanford
Herro doesn’t have great size for a shooting guard at 6-foot-5 and isn’t exactly a marksman, having shot 35% from deep in his one year at Kentucky. Okpala, a 6-foot-9 athlete with a variety of skills, was far better value. Then, rather than accept the gift that Bol Bol was at 44, they traded him to the Nuggets for a future second-round pick.
Grade: D
Milwaukee Bucks
No Picks
Grade: Incomplete
Minnesota Timberwolves
No. 6: Jarrett Culver, SF, Texas Tech
No. 43: Jaylen Nowell, SG, Washington
Culver is a good fit, a two-way wing who should contribute immediately for the defensively absent Timberwolves. At 43, Nowell is an accomplished college prospect, the PAC-12 Player of the Year.
Grade: B
New Orleans Pelicans
No. 1: Zion Williamson, PF, Duke
No. 8: Jaxson Hayes, C, Texas
No. 17: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG, Virginia Tech
No. 35: Marcos Louzada Silva, SG, Brazil
The Pelicans received an “A” the moment they won the lottery, being able to draft Williamson, who some consider the best prospect since LeBron James. But they did even better by moving down from the fourth pick and getting three quality players, led by Hayes, a mobile rim protector who will complement Williamson well.
Grade: A
New York Knicks
No. 3: RJ Barrett, SG, Duke
No. 47: Ignas Brazdeikis, SF, Michigan
Barrett was a no-brainer, the third pick in a three-player draft who wanted to be a Knick and should be able to score at a high level immediately. Brazdeikis was a surprising pick, a player many projected not to get selected, and not at a position of need.
Grade: B+
Oklahoma City Thunder
No. 23: Darius Bazley, SF, No College
An unknown after spending the last year idle rather than attending college or going overseas, he has good size at 6-foot-8 for a wing. There is precedent for this. Knicks center Mitchell Robinson didn’t play at all in a year off between high school and the NBA, and he wasn’t hindered by the time away.
Grade: C
Orlando Magic
No. 16: Chuma Okeke, PF, Auburn
A torn ACL will likely cost him next year, so be patient, Magic fans. It should be worth the wait. Okeke can play either forward position, at 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, already has a professional body, and is a versatile defender made for the current game.
Grade: B
Phoenix Suns
No. 11: Cameron Johnson, SF, North Carolina
No. 24: Ty Jerome, PG, Virginia
Johnson was the reach of all reaches, a 23-year-old sharpshooter projected to be taken as late as the second round. Jerome, however, was a quality selection, a heady floor general with a winning DNA, which is much-needed in Phoenix.
Grade: B
Philadelphia 76ers
No. 20: Matisse Thybulle, SF, Washington
No. 54: Marial Shayok, SF, Iowa State
The Sixers entered the night with five picks and wound up with two players, after a series of trades. Thybulle could help immediately as a defender off the bench, but for a roster that needs plenty of help in terms of its depth, it was odd to see Philadelphia pass on so many potential contributors.
Grade: C
Portland Trail Blazers
No. 25: Nassir Little, SF, North Carolina
The Trail Blazers may have the steal of the draft, landing the 6-foot-7 Little, who was considered a top-five talent entering the college season, but saw his stock drop after a turbulent freshman season at North Carolina. His talent didn’t disappear in a few months; he just didn’t have the opportunity that he needed.
Grade: A
Sacramento Kings
No. 40: Justin James, SG, Wyoming
No. 55: Kyle Guy, SG, Virginia
No. 60: Vanja Marinkovic, SG, Serbia
The Kings went heavy on shooters, hoping one of them sticks on their young roster.
Grade: C
San Antonio Spurs
No. 19: Luka Samanic, PF, Croatia
No. 29: Keldon Johnson, SF, Kentucky
No. 49: Quinndary Weatherspoon, SG, Mississippi State
Samanic went earlier than expected, but who are we to question the Spurs when it comes to international prospects? Johnson’s freshman year at Kentucky left something to be desired. There seemed more there than he produced. We’re willing to bet Gregg Popovich can get it out of him.
Grade: B
Toronto Raptors
No. 59: Dewan Hernandez, PF, Miami
They’re still partying in Toronto after ending the Warriors’ reign, so forgive Raptors fans if they weren’t paying attention to this pick.
Grade: C
Utah Jazz
No. 50: Jarrell Brantley, PF, College of Charleston
No. 53: Justin Wright-Foreman, PG, Hofstra
No. 58: Miye Oni, G, Yale
This draft will be remembered for the trade of veteran point guard Mike Conley, not the three mid-major prospects the Jazz took late fliers on.
Grade: B
Washington Wizards
No. 9: Rui Hachimura, PF, Gonzaga
No. 42: Admiral Schofield, SF, Tennessee
Washington fans should take a look at the Knicks draft last year, where their second-round pick was better than their lottery selection. I can see history repeating itself here. Hachimura will struggle to score in the paint at the next level, and he’s not yet much of a threat from the perimeter. Schofield, meanwhile, can play multiple positions and shoots it well. In a few years, we’ll be wondering how he fell out of the first round.
Grade: B-