With the league turning attention to free agency Sunday evening, it’s time to put a bow on the two-night NBA Draft and break down the winners and losers.
Before a single pick was made Wednesday night and mock drafts were thrown by the wayside, there was a clear winner at the start of the first round of the NBA Draft.
Just a day after pulling off a blockbuster deal to send a package of picks to the Nets for guard/forward Mikal Bridges, the Knicks were at it again as the draft was beginning, setting up a five-year, $212.5 million contract extension for swingman OG Anunoby.
The rest of the Eastern Conference took notice — and so did Las Vegas, which boosted the Knicks’ championship odds for next season to just behind those of the defending champion Celtics.
The Knicks, however, weren’t alone in having a good week. Plenty of NBA teams and players came out of the two days of the draft with a confident strut.
And some should be hanging their heads.WINNERS
LeBron James: The NBA’s all-time scoring leader and Klutch Sports Group did all they could to warn teams in the second round that James’ 19-year-old son, Bronny, was off-limits to them. Maybe that pressure worked, or maybe scouting departments didn’t see enough talent in the younger James to want to pick him.
Either way, LeBron’s storybook career is now in its final chapters. After the Lakers claimed Bronny with the 55th overall pick, LeBron will get the opportunity to play alongside his son before riding into the sunset.
The Lakers: They not only kept James happy but also gave new coach JJ Redick a new toy: sharpshooter Dalton Knecht, who was drafted at No.
