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By Owen Pannell | KZA Sports Dorian Finney-Smith to Houston- A+ 4 years $53 million This is another great offseason addition for the Rockets that continues to make them more and more prepared for a deep playoff run next season. DFS is a proven veteran role player who can shoot and play defense, which is extremely valuable in todays NBA. Jake LaRavia to the Lakers- B 2 years $12 million LaRavia is a good shooter, which the Lakers need to surround Luka, and they did not give him a ton of money but this move isn’t great, it's just solid. De’Angelo Russell to the Mavericks- A 2 years $13 million Great signing for Dallas, they desperately need guards right now and Dlo is a good scorer and playmaker who can help them win some games and keep them afloat. Did not overpay, just got a solid player at a position of need for a fair price. Good signing. Ty Jerome to Memphis- B 3 years $28 million I’m not a massive fan of this, not because of the contract or the player, but they already have a lot of point guards, so unless they are about to make a trade this is sort of a mid signing. They did get a good player at a great price though, so it isn’t the worst. Bruce Brown to Denver- A 1 year  Brown was a key part of the 2023 Denver Nuggets championship team. Getting him back to add some much needed depth is a fantastic move. Kevon Looney to the Pelicans- A- 2 years $16 million The Pelicans have a very young center room, so bringing in a vet center is a good move. Looney will bring winning basketball to a team that desperately needs it, hopefully it can rub off on the young fellas. Luke Kornet to the Spurs- C 4 years $41 million People have been overrating Luke Kornet, he is not worth 10 million dollars per year. He will be a decent backup big, but not a great contract in my opinion. Clint Capela to the Rockets- B 3 years $21.5 million They already have 2 good centers with Sengun and Adams, but I like the idea of them having multiple double big combos. Capela, who is a good athlete and defender, can pair great with Sengun who is more of an offensive threat. Capela and Adams probably can't play together though, because neither of them have a jumpshot. Caris LeVert to Detroit- C 2 years $29 million This is an overpay for LeVert, and the Pistons didn’t really need another guard. They could have paid less and got a little worse of a player which would have been fine, so I don’t love this move. Brook Lopez to the Clippers- A- 2 years $18 million The Clips get a good backup center, while also beating out their rival to get him. Lopez is getting very old, but he can definitely still contribute to a good team trying to contend, and the Clippers are the perfect team for him to do that. Luka Garza to Boston- A 2 years $5.5 Garza has dominated the GLeague and college basketball, but he hasn’t got a real shot in the NBA. The Celtics give him a small contract to see if he can prove himself, and I love the move. NAW to Atlanta- A+ 4 years $62 million Gave up a future SRP (sign and trade) This is an elite signing by the Hawks front office. Alexander-Walker proved that he is an elite 3&D wing and the Hawks know they can compete in the East this year, so bringing in Nickeil Alexander-Walker on a pretty cheap deal is an A+ move. Tyus Jones to Orlando- A- 1 year $7 million Great signing for the Magic, they get one of the most steady point guards in the league for a cheap 1 year deal, he will be a perfect backup PG for a team trying to make some noise next year. Nigel Hayes-Davis to Phoenix-  A- 1 year I love the Suns taking a flyer on an elite overseas player, they need to get a bit lucky and maybe Hayes-Davis will turn into a stud. Luke Kennard to the Hawks- B 1 year $11 million The Hawks are being extremely active this offseason. They now get a good bench scorer in Kennard, they did overpay a little bit but it isn’t too bad, this is still a great move. Mason Plumlee to Charlotte- B- 1 year $3.6 million The Hornets get a vet backup center, this is one of the most boring signings of free agency so far, so there isn’t a lot to say. Trendon Watford to Philly- A 2 years $5.3 million This is a good contract for a solid bench player. Philly will try to compete next year, so getting someone who can get some buckets and play solid D off the bench for cheap is a win.  Guerschon Yabusele to the Knicks- A 2 years $12 million This is an amazing contract for someone who will be a great bench player for the Knicks. They desperately needed depth, and they have helped with that by adding Yabusele. Myles Turner to Milwaukee- C 4 years $107 million Released Dame to sign him I don’t understand releasing Dame, and making you’re franchise player even more mad, to sign Myles Turner. This move doesn’t make them contenders, and now it’s even more likely that Giannis wants to leave. I feel like they only did this to mess with their rivals, the Pacers. Dennis Schroder to Sacramento- A 3 years $45 million I love this for the Kings, they needed another PG and they got a great one in Schroder. They might have overpaid a little bit, but not too much and this improves their team a good amount in my eyes. Tim Hardaway Jr to Denver- B+ 1 year The Nuggets get more shooting, which is exactly what they need to surround Jokic with. Hardaway is similar to MPJ, they both are not afraid to shoot, so maybe this will be a good fit. The exact salary of the deal hasn’t came out, but if it’s somewhere near the vet minimum like expected this will be a win. Duncan Robinson to Detroit- C- 3 years $48 million Gave up Simone Fontecchio (sign and trade) The Pistons overpaid here, 16 million a year for Robinson is not great, he is a great shooter but that is the only thing he can do well. They needed shooting, but I would have taken another route to get that. Find Owen Pannell on X here. Shop the Official NBA Store here.

By Owen Pannell | KZA Sports Celtics- A Receive - Anfernee Simons, 2 Future Seconds This is a good trade for the Celtics. They get off Holiday’s contract and bring in talented young scorer in Anfernee Simons who definitely could be an All Star one day. With Tatum out all of next year, adding Simons will definitely help with the offense. Trail Blazers- C Receive - Jrue Holiday I don’t understand this at all for Portland. They give up future assets and their best player for a guard, which they have a plethora of, who is way past his prime. They aren’t a win now team in the West (they honestly might be if they were in the East) so this is not a good move for the Blazers. They will likely be fighting for a play-in spot next season, and everyone knows that’s a terrible spot to be in. The only positive is they didn’t give any future firsts. Pelicans- C+ Receive - Jordan Poole, Sadiq Bay, #40 pick (Micah Peavy) I don’t really see this trade for the Pelicans, they give up a vet PG with only 1 year left on his contract for a worse player, who is a massive shot chucker. We will see if Poole actually contributes next season as the Pelicans will try to make the playoffs. Wizards- A- Receive - CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk, Future Second I like this trade for Washington. They bring in a vet with an expiring deal who can definitely help mentor their young guards, and bring leadership to this young team. It’s not even crazy to say that this team could compete for a playoff spot next year. Celtics- C Receive - Georges Niang, Future Second Getting basically nothing as a return for Kristaps hurts, but they really had no choice. He was a big time contributor to their championship run, so it is less bad since they got a ring out of him. Hawks- A+ Receive - Kristaps Porzingis, Future Second Bringing in Kristaps for this cheap is an amazing move for Atlanta. This certainly makes them contenders in the East, he is a perfect pairing with Trae, and they didn’t hurt their future from this.  Nets- A+ Receive - Terance Mann, #22 pick (Drake Powell) Barely giving up anything for the 22nd pick is an obvious A+, and Drake Powell has potential to be an elite defender eventually. Bulls- B+ Receive - Isaac Okoro Once again the Bulls did not get any draft capital, but it is still a solid trade. Okoro is a solid 3&D wing at only 24 years old, and Ball did not match their timeline. Cavaliers- A Receive - Lonzo Ball With the potential of losing Garland, and it is almost certain they lose Jerome, this is a great addition for Cleveland. Lonzo will be a great backup PG if he can stay healthy, and they only gave up a low rotation wing. Thunder- C- Receive - Colby Jones (waived), 2029 Second OKC needed a roster spot, but trading a SRP to get rid of Jones after spending 5 2nds last year hurts. He was never going to get a real shot on the Thunder though. Wizards- A+ Receive - Dillon Jones, Future Second Taking a flyer on a first round pick from last year while giving up next to nothing is always smart when you’re a team like the Wizards. Jones could develop into a solid bench guy if they play their cards right. Jazz- F Receive - Jusuf Nurkic Utah really fumbled Sexton’s value. They couldn’t get anything of value in return, and even had to give up a pick to get rid of him. Absolute disaster. Hornets- A+ Receive - Collin Sexton, Future Second Trading an old, bad, center for a good, young bench scorer plus a pick is the definition of a steal. Perfect trade for Charlotte. Nuggets- A+ Receive - Cam Johnson This is an elite trade for Denver. Getting off that atrocious MPJ contract and adding a great 3&D player who is also a good playmaker and rebounder, while only having to throw in 1 first is insane. This definitely improves their team as they try and compete with OKC and the rest of the stacked West. Nets- C+ Receive - Michael Porter Jr, 2032 First Brooklyn should have gotten more for Johnson. The 2031 first should be valuable, but it is so far away and MPJ is not a good player to have on this team, especially when they have a ton of young players trying to get shots up and develop. The Nets did not capitalize on Cam’s value. Kings- C- Receive - Dario Saric I don’t know how the Kings couldn’t get a single 2nd round pick out of Valanciunis, big mistake. Nuggets- A+ Receive - Jonas Valanciunas Denver keeps cooking this offseason, getting a free upgrade at their backup C position. Jonas will come in and instantly be one of the better backup bigs in the league, and all they gave up was their current backup. Huge win for the Nuggets Bucks- C+ Receive - Vasilije Micic They gave up multiple 2nds to get off the Pat Connaughton contract, I’m not sure I like the move because this also got their roster worse. I see why they did it, but I’m not the biggest fan. Hornets- A+ Receive - Pat Connaughton, 2 Future Seconds Love this for Charlotte, getting 2 seconds for Micic is a great move. Simple A+. You can find Owen Pannell on X here. Shop the Official NBA Store here.

By Isaiah Magar | KZA Sports Following the Thunder's Finals victory, I had the privilege of interviewing one of Oklahoma City's biggest fans, Hayden Wheatley. Following the team from Utah, Hayden has been an OG supporter. Below are the questions I asked and the glorious responses he gave in return. You can follow Hayden on X here. 1) Okay, first things first… you live in Utah — how in the world did you become a Thunder fan? 2 words, 1 name. Russell Westbrook! I watch a basketball game in like 2010(?) maybe 2011 and loved how Russ was playing 1000% all gas no brakes all the time. 2) Was there like a moment that locked it in for you? Like a game, a player, something that just clicked? Not really… maybe when Russ went at KD all game after KD left. 3) Assuming you were a fan in the early days, were you more a KD or Russ truther (Pre July 4th)? Russ, Russ and Russ again. KD was nice but it’s always been Brodie. 4) And have you ever made the trip out to OKC for a game? Yes, been to so many games in Paycom. During the tank years I went to a lot, and I was also able to make it out to Game 5 of the FINALS! 5) So you’re out here in Utah — Jazz country — what’s that like? Ever get into it with Jazz fans? Everyone here is pretty respectful for the most part but I ran into a couple fans at the Delta Center during a game (when they had Mitchell and Gobert) and they said “I’m sorry you are a Thunder fan, I could never be a fan of a team that is losing on purpose.” 6) Do you ever feel like you’re repping the Thunder solo out there? Yes, I know I’m not the only Thunder fan here but it’s so rare to see on. Lol 7) Alright let’s talk current Thunder. Who’s your guy on the roster right now aside from SGA? Luguentz Dort! Love that man! Jumped on his bandwagon day 1 and couldn’t be more happy! 8) If you could take one Thunder role player from any previous year and add them to the 2025-26 squad, who would it be? Pooookkkuuuuu.  I love Poku, but for real someone that legitimately would help, I would take Dre. Let’s not allow teams to score 90. 9) Most underrated player on the squad? J Will for sure! I see so many people hating on him because he doesn’t have the “stats.” He’s the vibe guy that every team needs. 10)  I know you're a big Mountain Dew guy. How many Dews go down during a Thunder game? Regular season game 2 maybe 3. Game 6 and 7 of Finals, probably 8 or 9. 11) If you could pick one Thunder player — past or present — to star in a Mountain Dew commercial, who’s got the energy for it? (We all know it's Nick) That’s a very good question, I don’t know who I would choose.  let’s go with Alex Caruso or Dub they play with that energy!! 12) We all know the correct answer, But what’s more refreshing — a cold Mountain Dew or an NBA Championship? Both. A cold Mountain Dew during the NBA Championship. Alright, speed round. First thing that comes to mind. Westbrook or SGA? Russ. Love that guy! KD or Harden? KD. Blue jersey or orange jersey? Orange Best Thunder moment ever? I’d say winning the championship but that’s a given so…. When we traded for Paul George. One of my favorite all time non Thunder players, played for OKC. Thunder win 2026 championship… or unlimited Mountain Dew for life? BACK TO BACK CHAMPS!! Give me 2026 championship. Once again, shoutout to Hayden. He was great to work with and definitely worth a follow if you love Thunder Basketball. You can find Isaiah Magar on X here. Shop the Official NBA Store here.

By Owen Pannell | KZA Sports The 2025 NBA Draft has officially wrapped, and now it’s time to evaluate each team’s performance. From lowkey trades to major reaches, here’s how every franchise graded out. Atlanta Hawks – A+ The Hawks traded down and got an extremely valuable 2026 first, and brought in a great prospect. Elite draft for the Hawks. Pick 23. Asa Newell – A+ I had Asa as a top-10 player. Getting him at this pick while also trading down is an ELITE selection. Boston Celtics – C+ After essentially resetting, the C’s needed to nail these picks, and they didn’t. Pick 28. Hugo González – B There are multiple players I would’ve picked over González, and he would have been better as a draft-and-stash. It’s not an awful pick, but it could have been better. Pick 46. Amari Williams – C Not a great pick here. Traded back to this pick from #32, which was used to select Noah Penda. Amari Williams is a good athlete and rebounder, but not good at much else. Better players were available. Pick 57. Max Shulga – B A good shooter and playmaker, but poor defender and athlete. He has potential to be a solid role player in the NBA. Brooklyn Nets – B+ The Nets picked the most first-rounders in a single draft in history. They all have high ceilings with low floors. A couple of them have to be great, right? Pick 8. Egor Demin – A This is a good pick for Brooklyn. They need a franchise PG and Demin definitely has the potential to be that, and there was not an obvious player I would have taken over him. Pick 19. Nolan Traore – C+ This was a confusing pick. Traore has potential to be great, but he is extremely raw and they had just picked another raw PG in Demin. There were also multiple others who would have been great picks here, so not a great selection. Pick 22. Drake Powell – A Getting an essentially free first here, the Nets capitalized and got one of the best perimeter defenders in the draft. Great pick. Pick 26. Ben Saraf – C- This is not about the player they took—Saraf is a good prospect. But why on earth do they need three PGs who are all extremely hit or miss? They are just going to make it less likely that one of them hits, and there would have been multiple other good picks here. Pick 27. Danny Wolf – A Danny Wolf has potential to be elite, and getting him at pick 27 is a great pick. Like all of the prospects they selected though, he has a low floor. Charlotte Hornets – B The Hornets brought in a lot of solid role players, which is a great strategy. But they didn’t maximize the value they could have gotten, and they did not get any outstanding talents. Pick 4. Kon Knueppel – B- I am a lot lower on Knueppel than most. I would have taken multiple other prospects here. He will be a good role player for years to come, but likely never an All-Star. Pick 29. Liam McNeeley – B+ Similar to Knueppel, McNeeley will probably not be an All-Star, but he will be a good role player for a while. They got him with good value, but they just picked a very similar player, which is why this isn’t an A. Pick 33. Sion James – B- James is a great team player, willing to do the dirty work, and he will be able to help the team win. However, this may be a bit of a reach. Pick 34. Ryan Kalkbrenner – A I would have rather had Maxime Raynaud, but this is still an outstanding pick by Charlotte to fill a hole. Chicago Bulls – B+ Chicago made good picks for players that can blossom into championship-level players. Successful draft. Pick 12. Noa Essengue – B A solid pick. Essengue has a ton of potential, but he could have character issues and there were better prospects available in my opinion. Pick 55. Lachlan Olbrich – A- Olbrich is a relatively unknown prospect. He has the potential to be a good starting center in this league. Cleveland Cavaliers – B No firsts, but the Cavs made solid picks and did the best they could with what they had. Pick 49. Tyrese Proctor – A- Replacing Ty Jerome with Tyrese Proctor isn’t a bad idea. Proctor can be a good backup PG one day, and he can contribute now. Pick 58. Saliou Niang – B- A draft-and-stash pick here because Cleveland had no roster spots left. Niang can develop into a good defensive player, but he is very poor on offense. Dallas Mavericks – B You might be confused why the Mavs only got a B grade—well, it’s because picking Cooper Flagg #1 was the most obvious thing to do, and the whole reason they got that #1 pick was getting extremely lucky after one of the worst trades in sports history. Pick 1. Cooper Flagg – A+ The obvious pick. Getting an ELITE player that can contribute right away and has potential to be an all-time defender is a no-brainer. Denver Nuggets – N/A The Nuggets had no draft picks. Detroit Pistons – C+ With only one pick, Detroit had a quiet draft. It wasn’t a good pick, but not terrible. Pick 37. Chaz Lanier – C+ This is not a great pick in my opinion. Chaz can contribute right now, but is likely near the best he will ever be. He brings shooting to this team, but shooting guard is not the Pistons’ biggest need. Golden State Warriors – B Could've done better, but could've done worse. Both picks are solid and could provide some extra depth. Pick 52. Alex Toohey – A Toohey can definitely be an impactful player one day. He is a smart player and good defender. If he can develop his jumper, he will be nice. Pick 56. Will Richard – B- Richard is a good 3&D player, but the problem is there were other 3&D players available who are better. Houston Rockets – N/A The Rockets did not have a draft pick. Indiana Pacers – B The Pacers improved their roster with the Kam Jones pick, but the Taelon Peter pick was questionable. Solid draft for not having a first-rounder. Pick 38. Kam Jones – A This is a good pick for Indy. Getting a combo guard that can contribute right away to help replace Haliburton next season is a huge W. Pick 54. Taelon Peter – C- While he is a solid player—very efficient and can shoot—this is a massive reach as they could have gotten him as an UDFA. LA Clippers – C They got a backup center, but it was not a great selection. Not a good draft for the Clippers. Pick 30. Yanic Konan Niederhauser – C This was a reach. As an older prospect who already took a giant leap in his skill level, he likely will not get much better than he already is. Plus, there were multiple other centers better than him still available. LA Lakers – A The Lakers got someone who would have been a first-rounder in most drafts in the second round, so that is a win. Pick 36. Adou Thiero – A This is an amazing pick for the Lakers. They barely gave up anything to move up and grab Thiero, who is an elite athlete and good scorer and defender. I can definitely see him fitting in great with Luka and the Lakers in the future. Memphis Grizzlies – C+ They got solid players, but with a reach on one and not a good fit on another, this is a mid draft for the Grizzlies. Pick 11. Cedric Coward – B- Coward is a great player with a great work ethic, but this pick is overrated. He likely won’t improve that much more, and he only played six games last year. I love the fit, but this is just too high for Cedric Coward in my opinion. Pick 48. Javon Small – C Small is a solid player, but this is not a great fit for Memphis. He is an undersized PG who playmakes and plays defense—very similar to Scottie Pippen Jr., who they already have. There were better options on the board. Pick 59. Jamal Mashack – C+ It’s the last pick in the draft, and they got a great defensive player, but there were better players on the board. Miami Heat – A+ A perfect pick with their one selection of the draft. Couldn’t have gone better for the Heat. Pick 20. Kasparas Jakucionis – A+ I had Jakucionis as a top-10 player, and the Heat need a point guard just like him. Getting him at 20 is an absolute home run for Miami. This might very well be the best pick in the draft. Milwaukee Bucks – A- Milwaukee is in a very tough position right now, and with barely any draft picks they did the best with what they had. Pick 47. Bogoljub Markovic – A- I love this pick for the Bucks. They need to bring in young talent to start the rebuild, and Markovic definitely has an All-Star ceiling. Yes, he probably won’t get THAT good, but taking a flyer on a young “unicorn” at this pick is a great move. He will be a draft-and-stash, so hopefully he can keep developing overseas and come to Milwaukee in a couple years and be a real good player. Minnesota Timberwolves – D+ This was an extremely poor draft for Minnesota. Trying to win now and getting two project centers is not the right move. Pick 17. Joan Beringer – D+ I absolutely hate this pick. Drafting an extremely raw center who plays very similar to your current center (Rudy Gobert) does not make sense to me. He will need a couple years to develop, and the Wolves are trying to win now. I had a second-round grade on Beringer, unlike most draft analysts. Terrible pick. Pick 45. Rocco Zikarsky – D+ This pick is also terrible. Picking ANOTHER center that needs to develop is so weird, especially after trading down from Rasheer Flemming, who I had a top-15 grade on. He isn’t a terrible player to spend a second-round pick on—it’s just the circumstances that make this grade so low. New Orleans Pelicans – A- This was overall a good draft for the Pelicans. They brought in a lot of talent, which is always the goal. Pick 7. Jeremiah Fears – A+ Jeremiah Fears is the perfect addition for New Orleans. They need a franchise PG, and Fears is the second-best point guard in the draft. They get him at pick 7, which is a bargain, and he will be a cornerstone of their franchise for years to come. Pick 13. Derik Queen – B They paid a hefty price for Queen—an extremely valuable first-round pick next year—and he might not be the best fit. He is great on the offensive end, but defensively is a little lackluster. However, I do think getting him at 13 was good value, so this is a solid pick, but I would not have traded up if I was the Pels. Pick 40. Micah Peavy – C+ This is a mid pick. They reached on this one for an older prospect who probably won’t be great in the NBA. He isn’t a great shooter, which is what the Pelicans need. New York Knicks – C+ They only had one second-rounder, so this was not an important draft for New York. Pick 51. Mohamed Diawara – C+ Diawara could have potential, but he is super raw right now. I wouldn’t have made this pick myself, but it isn’t absolutely terrible. Oklahoma City Thunder – A- A couple of quality picks, once again, as GM Sam Presti continues to draft people rather than simply players. Pick 15. Thomas Sorber – A This is another great pick by Sam Presti. Sorber will fit right into this Thunder team. He is the perfect player to take over Isaiah Hartenstein’s role when he leaves in a year or two, and he has potential to be a top-10 center in this league. Pick 44. Brooks Barnhizer – B Barnhizer has that DAWG mentality. He plays like Alex Caruso—good defender, elite hustler, and will do whatever it takes to win. There were other better players available, but he will be a perfect fit for this team and could develop into a solid role player. Orlando Magic – A The Magic improved their team a lot this draft without having a top pick. They made a great trade to move up in the second round, and it ended up being a very successful draft for Orlando. Pick 25. Jase Richardson – A+ Phenomenal pick by Orlando here. Jase Richardson is the perfect player for them. He provides good offense, which is by far their biggest need. He has All-Star potential, and getting that at pick 25 is elite. Pick 32. Noah Penda – B+ I really like this pick. Noah Penda is one of the better international prospects in this class, and they got him in the second round. He can definitely be a triple-double threat when he develops, which is always great to have on your squad. Philadelphia 76ers – B The 76ers got lucky with the draft lottery. They made the obvious pick but should have explored other paths. Pick 3. VJ Edgecombe – A- I love the pick. The only reason it’s not an A or A+ is because it would have been smarter to trade it, in my opinion. They have one more chance to make it work with Embiid, and as much as I like Edgecombe, he won’t get them there. Pick 35. Johni Broome – C I do not like this pick. Broome is a poor athlete whose game will probably not translate to the NBA. This was a reach. Phoenix Suns – A+ The Suns had one of the best drafts in the NBA. I still don’t understand why they made the Mark Williams trade, but I am not including that in this grading. Pick 10. Khaman Maluach – A This is a great pick. The Suns get their rebuild going by adding Maluach, who has potential to be elite in this league. Pick 31. Rasheer Flemming – A+ One of, if not the best, picks of the draft. I gave Rasheer a top-15 grade, and trading up to get him in the second round is an amazing move. Pick 41. Koby Brea – A Once again, an elite pick by the Suns. They added probably the best shooter in the draft in the second round, which is a MASSIVE success. Portland Trail Blazers – D The Blazers have a plethora of young talent, they randomly traded for Jrue Holiday, and they reached on Hansen Yang. This is an odd front office. Pick 16. Hansen Yang – D This was a very weird pick. A massive reach for a huge hit-or-miss prospect. If he hits, we could look back and say genius. However, I think it’s far more likely that it’s a miss. Sacramento Kings – A+ Getting two underrated players late in the draft who will definitely contribute to winning games now and in the future is the goal of every franchise. They barely gave up anything for this, and it turned out perfect in my opinion. Pick 24. Nique Clifford – A+ The Kings traded a not very valuable future first for this pick, and Nique Clifford is an amazing player to get here. He is very similar to Josh Hart and will be very valuable to winning basketball games. Pick 42. Maxime Raynaud – A+ In my opinion, the biggest sleeper in the draft. I had a top-15 grade on Raynaud, and Sacramento got him at 42. Not anything else you can do to make this a perfect pick. San Antonio Spurs – A- A great draft for the Spurs as they continue to grow into a contender in the West. Pick 2. Dylan Harper – A This was the obvious and right pick. It could have been crazy to package this in a Giannis trade, but this was the right move for the Spurs. They get an elite prospect at number 2, but we knew this would happen. Pick 14. Carter Bryant – B+ I am less high on Bryant than most. He is just so unproven, but getting him at 14 is great value, so this is a good pick. Toronto Raptors – B- The Raptors made a good pick with their first-rounder, but a very poor one with their second. Decent draft overall for Toronto. Pick 9. Collin Murray-Boyles – A- This is a good pick. They got one of the best defenders and rebounders in the class. However, I’m not sure how well he will fit in with this Raptors roster. But they got a great player, and that’s always a win. Pick 39. Alijah Martin – D+ I’m not a huge fan of this pick. They reached for an undersized guard who isn’t the best at passing or ball-handling. I do not really see the appeal here. Utah Jazz – B Utah had an odd draft. It could end up being really good, or it could end up being really bad. Pick 5. Ace Bailey – A- Ace Bailey is obviously an elite prospect, so you’d think getting him at 5 would be an automatic A+. However, he definitely has some character concerns and did not want to be a Jazz, so this pick isn’t perfect. Pick 18. Walter Clayton Jr. – C Folks overrated Walter Clayton Jr. He could be a good sixth man one day, but he is probably near his peak and picking him at 18 while trading up is too far of a reach. Pick 53. John Tonje – B+ They got a great college player very late in the draft. Similar to Clayton, he is a good scorer who is a below-average defender, but is likely at or near his peak already. Washington Wizards – A Phenomenal draft for the Wizards. They are on pace to finish the rebuild in a couple years with all the young talent they now have on the roster. Pick 6. Tre Johnson – A+ Tre Johnson is a perfect pick for Washington. They needed offense, and he is arguably the best scorer in the draft. He will be a staple on this team for the future, and is an underrated candidate for Rookie of the Year. Pick 21. Will Riley – A- Trading down to get Will Riley was a good move. He has potential to be a Brandon Ingram-like player, which would be amazing for the Wizards. Pick 43. Jamir Watkins – A Watkins will be a great role player in the NBA. A great defender with a solid jumpshot. They got great value for him at 43. Find Owen Pannell on X here. Shop the Official NBA Store here.

By Owen Pannell | KZA Sports Trade Details Rockets receive: Kevin Durant Suns receive: Jalen Green Dillon Brooks 10th overall pick Five second-round picks Rockets Grade: A- This is a really good trade for the Rockets. They didn’t sacrifice their future, and they brought in someone who definitely makes them contenders. Jalen Green wasn’t a franchise-caliber No. 1 option, and they didn’t need to draft another young player at No. 10. If they can get one or two strong years out of KD, that could be enough to put them in title contention during that stretch. My only knock is that Durant isn’t a long-term franchise cornerstone, so they’ll still need to find one eventually. I was hoping they could land someone like Giannis, but that may have been unrealistic. This trade gives an elite defensive team—who finished as the No. 2 seed in a loaded Western Conference—one of the greatest scorers of all time. I can definitely see this team being scary next season. It should also help with Amen Thompson’s development; playing next to an elite scorer like KD will open up the floor for him to operate. Even if this doesn’t work out and they fall short of contention, they didn’t mortgage their future to make this happen. Overall, it’s a win for Houston. Suns Grade: B+ This is honestly a great return for a 36-year-old from a team that had absolutely zero leverage. I do wish they could’ve landed a future first-round pick or two. And it’s undeniably a big L that they didn’t at least get back one of their own future firsts. Still, as I said, they had no leverage, and getting the 10th pick in a loaded draft class is a strong outcome. They also have the option to flip Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks for additional assets if they choose. However, if I were grading this trade based on what they gave up for KD versus what they got in return, boy, it wouldn’t look pretty. Now, the Suns need to trade Devin Booker, try to recoup their draft capital, and fully embrace the rebuild. It’s going to be a tough road ahead. Find Owen Pannell on X here. Shop the Official NBA Shop here.

By Owen Pannell | KZA Sports Listed below is a plethora of NBA Draft prospects and their capabilities along with their faults. Included, are player comparisons. This post features players whose names start with the letters I-M. Ian Schiefellin - 6’8” 240 lbs - Big - 22 y/o Strengths: Good rebounder Good hustle Solid shot blocker Good defender Developing jump shot Weaknesses: Undersized Jump shot is not good yet Not a great athlete Defense and offense likely will not translate NBA comp: Tristan Thompson Ceiling- Solid bench big man Floor- Non NBA Projection- G-League Right now: G-League Igor Milicic Jr - 6’10” 225 lbs - SF-C - Tennessee - 22 y/o Strengths: Can play multiple positions Good athlete Good defender Solid rebounder Good shooter Solid off ball Weaknesses: Could be a better playmaker Not a great scorer NBA comp: Dario Saric Ceiling- Great role playing starter Floor- In Europe Projection- Solid bench role player Right now: End rotation player Isaiah Evans - 6’6” 175 lbs - Wing - Duke - 19 y/o Strengths: Elite shooter, probably the best in the class Great off ball player Good athlete High defensive potential Weaknesses: Can’t do much offensively besides shoot 3s Very very thin, not good in the pain on either sides Defense is not there yet NBA comp: Buddy Hield Ceiling- Elite role player + 3p champ Floor- Bench shooter Projection- Great role player, good starter Right now: Bench shooter Izan Almansa - 6’10” 221 lbs - PF - Spain (playing in Australia) - 19 y/o Strengths: Good rebounder Good athlete Good defender Solid inside scorer Has played good competition Weaknesses: Not a good shooter Not great offensively overall Not great in the NBL, so why would he be good in the NBA Not a good playmaker NBA comp: Brandon Clarke Ceiling- Good role player Floor- G-League Projection- Deep bench Right now: G-League Jaden Bradley - 6’3” 200 lbs - PG - Arizona - 21 y/o Strengths: Good playmaker Good ball handler Solid rebounder Decent 3p shooter Good scorer Solid defender Good finisher Weaknesses: Has a bit of a turnover problem Not an amazing athlete Good struggle to score in the NBA because of his athleticism NBA comp: Tyus Jones Ceiling- Good starting PG Floor- Bench PG Projection- Solid backup PG Right now: Bench PG Jamir Watkins - 6’7” 210 lbs - Wing - Florida State - 23 y/o Strengths: Good 3 level scorer Good rebounder Good defender, can guard multiple positions Good athlete Solid shooter Weaknesses: Could be a better playmaker Not an amazing free throw shooter NBA comp: Mikal Bridges Ceiling- Good starter Floor- Solid bench player Projection- Good role player Right now: Solid rotational player Jaland Lowe - 6’3” 175 lbs - Guard - Pitt - 20 y/o Strengths: Good 3 level scorer Good playmaker Good perimeter defender Good athlete Good rebounder Form looks amazing Good free throw shooter Good shot creator Good ball handler Weaknesses: Poor efficiency (38% fg) Thin frame 3 point shot could be more consistent NBA comp: Jalen Brunson Ceiling- All Star Floor- Solid bench player Projection- Good starting PG Right now: Solid bench player Jase Richardson - 6’3” 185 lbs - Guard - Michigan State - 19 y/o Strengths: Very shifty Good athlete Great 3 level scorer Good efficiency, great for a freshman guard Good shooter Good finisher Low turnover rate Weaknesses: Not a great playmaker Not an elite defender NBA comp: Jalen Brunson Ceiling- All Star + Championship level PG Floor- Good backup PG Projection- Good starting PG Right now: Good bench guard Jaxson Robinson - 6’6” 192 lbs - Guard - Kentucky - 22 y/o Strengths: Good athlete Very quick Good 3 level scorer Low turnovers Good defender Efficient 3p shooter Weaknesses: Could be more efficient overall Thin frame, could lead to injuries Older prospect NBA comp: CJ McCollum Ceiling- Good starter or 6MOTY Floor- Solid bench player Projection- Good bench player Right now: Solid bench player Jeremiah Fears - 6’4” 182 lbs - Guard - Oklahoma - 18 y/o Strengths: Elite 3 level scorer Great defender Amazing finisher Good playmaker Good rebounder for a guard Good athlete Great shot creator Good ball handler Elite work ethic Weaknesses: Struggles with turnovers Field goal percentage is not amazing 3p shot could be more consistent NBA comp: Donovan Mitchell Ceiling- All NBA + Championship level PG Floor- Good backup PG Projection- Low All NBA + Championship #2 Right now: Developmental starter or good backup PG Joan Beringer - 6’10” 200 lbs - Big - France - 18 y/o Strengths: Good athlete Great interior defender Good rebounder Great hustle Decent in the paint on offense mainly as a lob threat, though nothing special Weaknesses: Not good offensively Thin frame Cannot shoot Next to no experience NBA comp: Rudy Gobert Ceiling- All Defensive C Floor- Out of the league Projection- Low rotation big Right now: G-League Johnell Davis - 6’4” 210 lbs - Guard - Arkansas - 22 y/o Strengths: Good 3 level scorer Physical guard Good defender Weaknesses: Poor efficiency Not a good playmaker Did much worse when moving up to the next level (FAU-Arkansas) NBA comp: Malcolm Brogden Ceiling- Solid starter Floor- Europe Projection- G-League Right now: G-League Johni Broome - 6’10” 240 lbs - Big - Auburn - 22 y/o Strengths: Great rebounder Great interior scorer Good interior defender Shot is developing nicely Weaknesses: Really bad athlete Not a good playmaker Game will be hard to translate as well NBA comp: Jakob Poeltl Ceiling- Great role playing starter Floor- Solid backup big Projection- Good bench player Right now: Solid rotational player Jonas Aidoo - 6’11” 240 lbs - Big - Arkansas - 22 y/o Strengths: Good rim protector Solid rebounder Decent in the paint offensively Weaknesses: Bad shooter Not great college production Bad playmaker NBA comp: Mitchell Robinson Ceiling- Decent backup big Floor- Not in NBA Projection- G-League Right now: Summer League Johann Grunloh - 6’10” 228 lbs - Big - Germany - 19 y/o Strengths: GREAT shooter for a big man Great rim protector Solid scorer in the paint Good off the ball Not the worst playmaker, but definitely room for improvement Weaknesses: Not a great athlete Not a switchable defender right now Would like to see more production as a pro in Germany NBA comp: Kristaps Porzingis Ceiling- ELITE role playing starter Floor- Solid bench player Project- Great backup C Right now: Solid bench player/Developmental player Kadary Richmond - 6’6” 205 lbs - Guard - St John’s - 22 y/o Strengths: Great rebounder for a guard Great playmaker Solid defender Solid scorer overall Good size Solid athlete Weaknesses: Not a great 3p shooter Could be a better scorer Not a good shot creator for himself NBA comp: Spencer Dinwiddie Ceiling- Solid starting PG or Good backup Floor- Out of league Projection- 3rd string guard Right now: End of bench PG Kam Jones - 6’5” 200 lbs - Guard - Marquette - 22 y/o Strengths: Elite 3 level scorer Great playmaker, has potential to be a PG in the NBA Great off the ball as well Good shooter Solid rebounder Great physicality Weaknesses: Not insanely athletic, although it got the job done in college Bad free throw shooter for someone of his play style Defense needs to level up in the NBA Not sure scoring will translate to the NBA NBA comp: Desmond Bane Ceiling- Good starting guard Floor- Bench scorer Projection- Solid bench player Right now: Decent bench scorer Karter Knox - 6’6” 220 lbs - Wing - Arkansas - 19 y/o Strengths: Great athlete Good 3 level scorer Good shooter Good physicality Great in transition Can play off the ball or create for himself Weaknesses: Bad playmaker Not a good defender Low volume in college NBA comp: Paul George (offense) Ceiling- All Star Floor- G-League Projection- Good backup wing Right now: Developmental rotational player/G-League Kasparas Jakuncionis - 6’6” 200 lbs - PG - Illinois - 19 y/o Strengths: Great playmaker Good 3 level scorer Great rebounder for a guard Triple-Double threat Good free throw shooter Potential to be a real good shooter Elite size for a PG Weaknesses: Bit of a turnover problem Not a great athlete Shot could be more consistent Defense isn’t great NBA comp: Luka Doncic (lite) Ceiling- All NBA Floor- Great backup PG Projection- All Star + Great PG Right now: Solid/Developmental starter Khaman Maluach - 7’2” 250 lbs - C - Duke - 19 y/o Strengths: Elite interior defender Great athlete Great interior finisher (amazing lob threat) Not the worst free throw shooter Solid rebounder Very slight potential for a developing jumpshot Weaknesses: Not good offensively outside of the paint Very very very raw College production could’ve been better Not a threat as a playmaker Not a good scorer  NBA comp: Rudy Gobert Ceiling- DPOY Floor- Good backup C Projection- Good starting C Right now: Developmental starter/player Kobe Johnson - 6’6” 200 lbs - Wing - UCLA - 22 y/o Strengths: Great defender Good rebounder Good athlete Good shooter Decent shot creator (in college) Weaknesses: Won’t be an good scorer in the NBA Mid playmaker Not a great free throw shooter NBA comp: Matisse Thybulle Ceiling- Good rotational defender Floor- Bench defender Projection- End of rotation defender Right now: End of rotation defender Koby Brea - 6’7” 205 lbs - Wing - Kentucky - 22 y/o Strengths: Elite shooter (top 3 in class) Great off ball mover High IQ Weaknesses: Below average defender Mid athlete Not a great playmaker Not a good shot creator NBA comp: Duncan Robinson Ceiling- Good role player Floor- Europe Projection- End of rotation shooter Right now: Bench shooter Kon Knueppel - 6’7” 217 lbs - Wing - Duke - 19 y/o Strengths: Elite shooter Good frame Can score on all 3 levels Elite free throw shooter Shows flashes of being a good playmaker High IQ especially for a freshman Good college production Great off ball player Weaknesses: Pretty bad defender (can’t guard quick guys) Below average athlete Bad rebounder Probably won’t be a good shot creator in the NBA NBA comp: Klay Thompson Ceiling- Elite role playing starter Floor- Shooter off the bench Projection- Great role player Right now: Good bench role player KJ Evans - 6’9” 220 lbs - PF - Oregon - 20 y/o Strengths: Good athlete Solid post player Great in the pick & roll Shows potential as a shooter Great in transition Good finisher Solid rebounder Switchable defender Weaknesses: Shooting isn’t good yet Not a good shot creator Not an elite defender, but not terrible Bad playmaker NBA comp: Obi Toppin Ceiling- Great role playing starter Floor- G-League Projection- Mid rotational player Right now: Developmental player Kylan Boswell - 6’2” 200 lbs - Guard - Illinois - 21 y/o Strengths: Good playmaker Solid defender Strong Good finisher Jumpshot is there Good rebounder Weaknesses: Not a great athlete Jumpshot is inconsistent Struggles when guarding quick guards, which is all of them in the NBA NBA comp: Malcolm Brogden Ceiling- Good backup PG Floor- Out of League Projection- G-League Right now: G-League Labaron Philon - 6’4” 177 lbs - Guard - Alabama - 19 y/o Strengths: Good shooter Good finisher Good shot creator 3 level scorer Decent free throw shooter Good athlete Good defender with high defensive potential Weaknesses: Very very thin Not as good of a ball handler as he should be Defense still needs to improve Shot is inconsistent at times NBA comp: Terry Rozier Ceiling- All Star Floor- Solid bench player Projection- Elite bench player (6MOY) Right now: Developmental player Lachlan Olbrich - 6’10” 236 lbs - Big - Australia - 21 y/o Strengths: Good scorer inside the 3p line Good rebounder Solid playmaker for his size Good ball handler for a big Won NBL MVP Has 3p potential Weaknesses: Not a consistent 3p shooter yet Struggles with turnovers for a big man Below average defender Lots of ?s NBA comp: Kelly Olynyk Ceiling- All Star Floor- Back in Australia Projection- Alright bench big Right now: Developmental bench player/G-League Liam McNeeley - 6’7” 210 lbs - Wing - UConn - 19 y/o Strengths: Potential to be an elite shooter Elite IQ, uses this to make up for his weaknesses Good rebounder Can play 2-4 Good scorer in college Decent playmaker Weaknesses: Shot is inconsistent sometimes Not a good athlete Below average defender Scoring might not translate to NBA NBA comp: Gordon Hayward Ceiling- Elite role player Floor- Solid bench player Projection- Great role player Right now: Solid bench player Mack Mgbako - 6’9” 22 lbs - Wing - Indiana - 20 y/o Strengths: Good athlete Good size Shows potential to be a good 3 level scorer in the NBA Jumpshot coming along Good free throw shooter Good finisher Has defensive tools Weaknesses: Inconsistent on all levels Not a good defender right now Needs to improve ball handling to be a good shot creator Not an amazing character Poor playmaker Below average rebounder Not a good shot creator right now NBA comp: Harrison Barnes Ceiling- Great starter (elite 4th option) Floor- Out of NBA Projection- Decent bench player Right now: G-League Malique Lewis - 6’8” 195 lbs - Wing - Australia - 20 y/o Strengths: Good finisher Solid catch and shoot 3 Good defender Solid rebounder Good athlete Not horrible in the G-League Been a pro since he was 16 Weaknesses: Low production throughout his whole career Not a great shot creator Poor playmaker Not a consistent scorer Lots of ?s Even with being a pro for 4 years, he has not “broken out” NBA comp: Jerami Grant Ceiling- Solid starter Floor- Out of NBA Projection- End of bench player Right now: G-League/Summer League Mark Sears - 6’1” 190 lbs - PG - Alabama - 22 y/o Strengths: Elite 3 level scorer Good playmaker Great ball handler Elite shooter Strong despite his small frame Weaknesses: Small for an NBA player Won’t be a good defender Not good efficiency Regressed from last season NBA comp: Fred VanVleet Ceiling- 6MOY Floor- G-League star Projection- Decent bench player Right now: End of rotation player Matthew Cleveland - 6’7” 210 lbs - Wing - Miami - 22 y/o Strengths: Great 3 level scorer Great athlete Efficient scorer Good shooter Good defender Great off ball player Amazing lob threat for his size Weaknesses: Not an amazing rebounder for his size an athleticism Not a great playmaker Not a great ball handler NBA comp: Derrick Jones Jr Ceiling- Great role playing starter Floor- End of rotation player Projection- Great role player Right now: Solid bench player Mathew Murrell - 6’4” 205 lbs - Guard - Ole Miss - 22 y/o Strengths: Good scorer on all 3 levels Good defender Good size Weaknesses: Inefficient Poor playmaker Below average rebounder Not an amazing athlete NBA comp: Gary Trent Jr Ceiling- Good bench player Floor- Not in league Projection- Europe Right now: Summer League Maxime Raynaud - 7’1” 250 lbs - C - Stanford - 22 y/o Strengths: Elite rebounder Great scorer from all 3 levels Great rim protector Can shoot amazingly for his size Great athlete for his size Shows flashes of playmaking ability Great in the pick and roll Weaknesses: Not an amazing ball handler Struggles with turnovers for a C Does not average a lot of assists NBA comp: Domantas Sabonis  Ceiling- Fringe All NBA Floor- Good backup Projection- Great starting C Right now: Good backup C or decent starter Michael Ajayi - 6’7” 228 lbs - Guard - Gonzaga - 22 y/o Strengths: Great rebounder Showed ability to be a good scorer Used to be a solid shooter Solid defender Good athlete Very strong Weaknesses: Bad playmaker Poor shooter at Gonzaga Was not nearly as good at Gonzaga than he was at Pepperdine NBA comp: Josh Hart (without playmaking) Ceiling- Good role player Floor- Out of NBA Projection- Decent end of bench player Right now: G-League Michael Ruzic - 6’10” 220 lbs - Big - Croatia - 18 y/o Strengths: Good shooter Good off the ball Very smart player for such a young age Can score on all 3 levels Plays in a very high level league already 3 level scorer Good rebounder Weaknesses: Not a good defender Not a great athlete, although he looks smooth Will be out-physicaled in the NBA NBA comp: Alex Poku Ceiling- All star Floor- G-League Projection: Good bench player Right now: Developmental bench player Milan Momcilovic - 6’8” 225 lbs - Forward - Iowa State - 20 y/o Strengths: Great shooter Can score at all 3 levels, but may not in the NBA Weaknesses: Not a great athlete Not a good playmaker Not a good rebounder Not efficient inside the 3p line Not a good defender NBA comp: Joe Ingles Ceiling- Good starter Floor- Europe Projection- Solid bench shooter Right now: G-League Miles Byrd - 6’7” 190 lbs - Wing - San Diego State - 20 y/o Strengths: Great defender Fluid, good athlete Solid shooter Good off ball Good free throw shooter Weaknesses: Not very efficient Mid playmaker Probably won’t be a great scorer in the NBA NBA comp: Dorian Finney-Smith Ceiling- Great role player Floor- Bench defender Projection- Good bench defender Right now: Bench defender Mouhamed Faye - 6’10” 250 lbs - Big - Senegal - 20 y/o Strengths: Good rim protector Good rebounder Good athlete Good paint finisher Weaknesses:  Cannot shoot any sort of jumpshots Not a good playmaker Lots of ?s NBA comp: Rudy Gobert Ceiling- Good starting C Floor- Out of NBA Projection- End of bench C Right now: G-League For NBA Draft Prospect Preview list A-H, click here. For NBA Draft Prospect Preview list N-Z, click here. Find Owen Pannell on X here. Shop the Official NBA Store here.

By Owen Pannell | KZA Sports Listed below is a plethora of NBA Draft prospects and their capabilities along with their faults. Included, are player comparisons. This post features players whose names start with the letters A-H. Aaron Scott - 6’7” 200 lbs - Wing - St Johns - 22 y/o Strengths: Versatile and good defender, can guard 2-4 Shown the ability to knock down the 3 Great hustle Solid FT shooter Pretty athletic, good lateral quickness Weaknesses: Not a reliable scorer, cannot create for himself Bad playmaker Strength is questionable, could struggle when guarding stronger players Shot is shaky at times NBA comp: Peyton Watson Ceiling- Good role player Floor- Non NBA player Projection- End of rotation role player Right now: End of bench/G-League Ace Bailey - 6’10” 200 lbs - Wing - Rutgers - 19 y/o Strengths: Great athleticism Great scorer on all 3 levels Good defender, can guard multiple positions Good rebounder Good shooting mechanics, shot will translate Can handle the ball well for someone with his size Makes tough shots look easy Good catch and shoot ability Weaknesses: Bad playmaker Assist to turnover ratio is bad Bad shot selection at times Won’t be able to guard strong 4s/5s Not a winner NBA comp: Kevin Durant Ceiling- Elite #1 scorer (Championship #1) Floor- Good starter/great bench scorer Projection- All NBA caliber scorer Right now: Developmental starter Adou Thiero - 6’8” 220 lbs - Forward - Arkansas - 21 y/o Strengths: Real good athlete Good finisher Good, versatile defender, can guard 2-4 Good dunker Decent 3 point shooter Can create his own shot at times Weaknesses: Below average playmaker Shot is inconsistent Not the best ball handler Inconsistent offense Below average rebounder for someone with his size and athleticism NBA comp: Keldon Johnson Ceiling- Great role playing starter Floor- Good G-Leaguer Projection- Good role player Right now: End of rotation Alex Karaban - 6’7” 219 lbs - Wing - UConn - 21 y/o Strengths: One of the better shooters in this draft He is a good scorer in college, not sure how it will translate though Very smart basketball player Knows how to play his role Gives a lot of hustle Weaknesses: Not a good athlete Scoring likely will not translate to the NBA Can’t hang with quicker defenders, can’t guard stronger defenders. Will be a below average defender at the next level NBA comp: Georges Niang Ceiling- Good role player Floor- Overseas Projection- Out of NBA within 4 years Right now: Bottom rotation shooter Alex Toohey - 6’7” 205 lbs - Forward - Australia - 20 y/o Strengths:  Switchable defender Smart player Good non-primary playmaker Good finisher and driver Good off-ball defender Weaknesses: Not that athletic Not the best shooter, however it is developing Not a great shot creator NBA comp: Keegan Murray Ceiling- Good rotational player Floor- G-League Projection- End of bench player Right now: Deep bench/G-League Andrej Stojakovic - 6’7” 205 lbs - Wing - California - 20 y/o Strengths: Good shooter, great mechanics Good scoring on all 3 levels Good ball handler Great off ball movement Solid playmaker High IQ Weaknesses: Not a good athlete Not a great defender Can’t be a primary scorer or primary playmaker NBA comp: Kevin Huerter Ceiling- Good starter Floor- Low rotational player Projection- Good bench player Right now: End of rotation Asa Newell - 6’11” 220 lbs - PF - Georgia - 19 y/o Strengths: Very athletic for his size Great defender Great lob threat Shot is developing nicely Can score from all 3 levels Great finisher Weaknesses: 3 point shot is not great yet Rebounding could be better NBA comp: Jaren Jackson Jr Ceiling- All Star + DPOY Floor- Good role player Projection- All Defensive level defender + Good offensive player Right now: Solid starter/Good role player Augustus Marciulionis - 6’4” 200 lbs - PG - Saint Mary’s - 22 y/o Strengths:  Good playmaker Good ball handler Good defender Triple-Double threat Solid 3 point shooter Excellent game manager Weaknesses: Not the best athlete Shot is inconsistent Not sure if he will be able to score at the next level NBA comp: Tyus Jones Ceiling- Solid starter or Great backup Floor- Bench PG Projection- Good backup PG Right now: Decent backup PG Baye Ndongo - 6’9” 240 lbs - Big - Georgia Tech - 22 y/o Strengths: Elite athleticism for his size Good finisher Great lob threat Shows flashes of a good jumper Massive defensive potential Good rebounder Weaknesses: Extremely raw Can’t really create for himself at all Jumper is not good yet Not a good playmaker or ball handler NBA comp: Jalen Duren Ceiling- All Star Floor- Out of league Projection- Great starter Right now: Developmental rotational player/G-League  Ben Humrichous - 6’9” 220 lbs - Forward - Illinois - 22 y/o Strengths: Great shooter Solid scorer Weaknesses: Mid athlete Not a good rebounder Mid defender NBA comp: Joe Ingles Ceiling- Rotational player Floor- Out of league Projection- Out of league Right now: Summer League Ben Saraf - 6’6” 200 lbs - Guard - Israel - 19 y/o Strengths: Good playmaker Good 3 level scorer Good ball handler Great size for a PG Weaknesses: Mid athlete Not an amazing 3 point shooter Inconsistent on defense NBA comp: Josh Giddey Ceiling- All Star Floor- Backup PG Projection- Good starting PG Right now: Developmental rotational player Bogoljub Markovic - 6’11” 195 lbs - PF - Serbia - 19 y/o Strengths:  Phenomenal shooter Agile for someone with his size Good in pick and roll and pick and pop Good athlete Can finish Solid post game Weaknesses: Very thin Defense needs work Not a good playmaker right now NBA comp: Alexej Pokusevki Ceiling- All Star Floor- Bench warmer Projection- Good role playing starter Right now: Developmental rotational player Boogie Fland - 6’2” 175 lbs - PG - Arkansas - 19 y/o Strengths:  Good scorer on all 3 levels Good playmaker Has an excellent knack for steals Good perimeter defense Good athlete Weaknesses: Very wiry frame, can’t hang with stronger guards His shot can be inconsistent, only shot 39% from the field in college Missed a good portion of the year with injury, so he is sort of questionable NBA comp: Darius Garland Ceiling- All NBA Floor- Good backup PG Projection- Fringe All Star Right now: Bench PG/Developmental rotational player Brandon Garrison - 6’10” 250 lbs - Big - Kentucky - 20 y/o Strengths:  Good defender Shot is developing nicely Solid playmaker Weaknesses: Below average rebounder Below average physical tools Not much college production NBA comp: Thomas Bryant Ceiling- Rotational player Floor- Out of league Projection- G-League Right now: G-League/Summer League Caleb Love - 6’4” 205 lbs - PG - Arizona - 22 y/o Strengths:  Great 3 level scorer Lots of experience Scoring will translate Good athlete, very fast and quick Solid defender Weaknesses: Bad shot selection at times Below average playmaker for a PG NBA comp: Malik Monk Ceiling- Solid starting PG Floor- Solid bench PG/Good bench scorer Projection- Good backup PG Right now: Solid bench PG Carter Bryant - 6’8” 220 lbs - Forward - Arizona - 19 y/o Strengths: Versatile player on offense and defense Very good 3p shooter Good frame Great athlete for his size Weaknesses: Not consistent Little college production Game is not polished enough yet NBA comp: Tobias Harris Ceiling- Great role playing starter Floor- G-League Projection- Good role playing starter Right now: Developmental rotational player or G-League Clifford Omoruyi - 6’11” 250 lbs - C - Alabama - 22 y/o Strengths: Elite interior defender Good shot blocker Great athlete Great lob threat Good rebounder Solid post game Weaknesses: Cannot shoot Bad offensive game outside of the paint Bad playmaker NBA comp: Jalen Duren Ceiling- Solid starter Floor- End of rotation C Projection- Good backup C Right now: Bench/G-League Coleman Hawkins - 6’10” 215 lbs - PF - Kansas State - 22 y/o Strengths: Good defender, can guard multiple positions Great 3p shooter Good rebounder Good playmaker Weaknesses: Weak for his position Injury concerns Likely won’t be a great scorer in the NBA NBA comp: PJ Washington Ceiling- Good starter Floor- Low rotational player Projection- Good role player Right now: Low rotational player Collin Murray-Boyles - 6’7” 245 lbs - PF - South Carolina - 20 y/o Strengths: Great rebounder Great defender at multiple positions Great finisher Flashes of a jumpshot High efficiency that will likely translate Not the worst playmaker Solid free throw shooter, gives hope his 3 ball will come along Weaknesses: Jumpshot is not there yet Smaller for his position NBA comp: Julius Randle Ceiling- All Star + All Defensive Team Floor- Good rotational player Projection- Great starter Right now: Solid rotational player/Developmental starter Cooper Flagg - 6’9” 205 lbs - Wing - Duke - 19 y/o Strengths: ELITE defender at multiple positions Excellent shot blocker Elite 3 level scorer Great rebounder Good playmaker Extreme competitiveness and drive Game will translate immediately High IQ Good shot creator Weaknesses: Could be stronger Not an elite ball handler yet NBA comp: Jayson Tatum + Kevin Garnett Ceiling- MVP + DPOY + Championship #1 Floor- Great starter + All Defensive Team Projection- All NBA 1st Team + Championship #1 Right now: Good starter Dailyn Swain - 6’8” 220 lbs - Wing - Xavier - 20 y/o Strengths: Good defender at multiple positions Solid rebounder Solid playmaker Decent scorer Good finisher Solid off ball Solid athleticism Weaknesses: Bad shooter Not a great shot creator Not the best ball handler Needs to be more aggressive  NBA comp: Worse Herb Jones Ceiling- Solid starter Floor- Deep bench Projection- End of rotational play Right now: Deep bench/G-League Danny Wolf - 7’ 255 lbs - Big - Michigan - 21 y/o Strengths: Good playmaker Good shooter Good rebounder Very quick and agile for his size Solid scorer Weaknesses: Bad defender Struggles with turnovers at time Offense is inconsistent Doubt his game will translate well NBA comp: Nikola Jovic Ceiling- All-NBA Floor- G-League MVP Projection- Low rotational player Right now: End of rotation Darrion Williams - 6’6” 225 lbs - Wing - Texas Tech - 21 y/o Strengths: Good 3 point shooter Above average rebounder Good on ball defender Strong Good playmaker Weaknesses: Not a good shot creator Not an explosive athlete Not amazing efficiency NBA comp: Dorian Finney-Smith Ceiling- Good starter Floor- Deep rotation role player Projection- Good role player Right now: Decent rotational player Derik Queen - 6’10” 246 lbs - Big - Maryland - 19 y/o Strengths: Great scorer Good mid range shooter, his 3 point shot should come Decent playmaker Good free throw shooter Great rebounder Good athlete Shows defensive potential Weaknesses: 3 point shot is not there YET Defense needs to be improved NBA comp: Joel Embiid Ceiling- All NBA Floor- Backup C Projection- Low All NBA Right now: Developmental starter/Good backup C Derrion Reid - 6’8” 220 lbs - Forward - Alabama - 19 y/o Strengths: Has offensive potential Shows flashes of a good jumpshot Good build Has defensive potential Good athleticism Weaknesses: Not good college production Not a good shooter  Not a good shot creator NBA comp: Patrick Williams Ceiling- Good starter Floor- Out of league Projection- G-League Right now: G-League Dink Pate - 6’8” 210 lbs - Guard - G-League - 18 y/o Strengths: Great size for a PG Good finisher Has a 3p shot Good defender, can guard 1-3 Good athlete 3 level scorer Weaknesses: Isn’t an amazing playmaker yet Pretty inefficient All around consistency Poor decision making at times Struggled in the rising stars games vs real NBA players NBA comp: Nobody Ceiling- All Star Floor- Overseas Projection- Decent bench player Right now: Developmental bench player/G-League Donnie Freeman - 6’9” 205 lbs - Forward - Syracuse - 19 y/o Strengths: Good 3 level scorer Great defender (Elite defensive potential) Solid 3 point shot Good athlete Good ball handler for his position Good rebounder Good efficiency overall Good free throw shooter Weaknesses: Jumpshot is not consistent Thin frame Decision making NBA comp: Jaden McDaniels Ceiling- All Star + All Defensive Team Floor- Solid rotational player Projection- Great starter Right now: Solid rotational player/Developmental player Drake Powell - 6’6” 195 lbs - Wing - UNC - 19 y/o Strengths: Elite perimeter defender (Lock down 1-3) Good 3p shooter Great athlete (Elite quickness) Great off ball scorer Weaknesses: Not a good scorer Not a good free throw shooter Not a good playmaker Can’t create his own shot NBA comp: Herb Jones Ceiling- Great role playing starter + All Defensive team Floor- Low rotational defender Projection- Team’s best defender Right now: Low rotation defender Dylan Harper - 6’6” 215 lbs - Guard - Rutgers - 19 y/o Strengths: Great finisher Great ball handler Great shot creator Elite 3 level scorer Good athlete Good rebounder Good playmaker Lots of defensive potential Great size Good jump shot Weaknesses: Not an explosive athlete, although he is still a good one NBA comp: Jalen Brunson with size Ceiling- All NBA 1st Team + Championship #1 Floor- Good starting PG Projection- All NBA + Championship #1.5 Right now: Solid starting PG/Developmental starter Egor Demin - 6’9” 190 lbs - PG - BYU - 19 y/o Strengths: Elite playmaker Amazing size Good 3 level scorer Solid athlete Great ball handler Has a jump shot developing Weaknesses: Jumper is not there yet Efficiency could be better Below average defender Thin frame NBA comp: Tyrese Haliburton Ceiling- All NBA Floor- Good backup PG Projection- Great starting PG + Fringe All Star Right now: Solid backup PG/Developmental player Grant Nelson - 6’11” 230 lbs - Big - Alabama - 22 y/o Strengths: Good athlete for his size Switchable defender Good shot creator Solid rebounder Decent 3p shooter Efficient scorer Weaknesses: Not great at anything Game won’t translate very well at the next level Likely already at or near his peak NBA comp: Christian Wood Ceiling- Solid rotational player Floor- Out of the NBA Projection- Mid G-League Right now: Deep bench player/G-League Hansen Yang - 7’1” 250 lbs - C - China - 19 y/o Strengths: Rebounding Rim protection Inside scoring Playmaking potential Good in the mid range Weaknesses: Slow footed Not a switchable defender Not playing amazing comp in China No 3 point jump shot NBA comp: Zach Edey Ceiling- Good starting C Floor- Back in China Projection- G-League Right now: G-League Hugo Gonzalez - 6’6” 205 lbs - Wing - Spain - 18 y/o Strengths: Has a solid jumper Good defender Good ball handler for his position Solid driver Good athlete Has playmaking potential Weaknesses: Lots of ? Not played a lot or against great comp NBA comp: Josh Hart Ceiling- Good starter Floor- Low end rotational player Projection- Decent rotational player Right now: Developmental player/G-League Hunter Sallis - 6’5” 185 lbs - Guard - Wake Forest - 22 y/o Strengths: Great 3 level scorer Good ball handler Good defender Good athlete Solid rebounder Weaknesses: Not a great playmaker Not the most efficient Jump shot is sort of inconsistent NBA comp: Malik Monk Ceiling- 6MOTY or solid starter Floor- Solid bench player Projection- Good backup guard Right now: End of rotation player For NBA Draft Prospect Preview list I-M, click here. For NBA Draft Prospect Preview list N-Z, click here. Find Owen Pannell on X here. Shop the Official NBA Store here.

By Owen Pannell | KZA Sports Listed below is a plethora of NBA Draft prospects and their capabilities along with their faults. Included, are player comparisons. This post features players whose names start with the letters N-Z. Nique Clifford - 6’6” 200 lbs - Guard - Colorado State - 22 y/o Strengths: Elite rebounder Great 3 level scorer in college Good playmaker Good athlete Good defender on multiple positions Triple double threat Weaknesses: Was not good on a power 4 team NBA comp: Josh Hart Ceiling- Elite role playing starter Floor- Solid bench player Projection- Great role player Right now: Solid rotational player Noa Essengue - 6’8” 194 lbs - Wing - France - 18 y/o Strengths: Really good athlete Shows flashes of being a good playmaker Good defender Good ball handler and shot creator for his size 3p shot is developing Great in transition Very efficient scorer Weaknesses: Very thin Needs to get his 3p shot more consistent NBA comp: Pascal Siakam Ceiling- All NBA Floor- End of bench player Projection: All Star Right now: Developmental starter Noah Penda - 6’8” 225 lbs - Wing - France - 19 y/o Strengths: Great playmaker for a wing Good defender Good off ball 3p shot is developing Weaknesses: Not a great scorer Not a great athlete Jumpshot isn’t there yet NBA comp: Josh Green Ceiling- Great role player Floor- Out of NBA Projection- Decent bench player Right now: G-League Nolan Traore - 6’4” 185 lbs - PG - France - 18 y/o Strengths: Good athlete, very shifty Great ball handler Good 3 level scorer Good playmaker Weaknesses: Not the best defender Inefficient on all levels Thin frame NBA comp: Tyrese Maxey Ceiling- All Star Floor- Solid backup PG Projection- Good starting PG Right now: Developmental player Payton Sandfort - 6’8” 215 lbs - Wing - Iowa - 22 y/o Strengths: Great shooter Great off ball player Good rebounder Great free throw shooter Solid passer High IQ Weaknesses: Not a good shot creator Not an efficient scorer inside the 3p line Not a good defender Not a good athlete NBA comp: Duncan Robinson Ceiling- Great bench shooter Floor- Decent bench shooter Projection- Good bench shooter Right now: Decent bench shooter Draft grade: Late 2nd round Rasheer Fleming - 6’9” 240 lbs - PF - Saint Joseph’s - 21 y/o Strengths: Good rebounder Great athlete for his size Very strong Really good shooter Good defender 3 level scorer Very efficient Weaknesses: Not a good playmaker Struggles a bit when guarding quicker guys Played lower comp NBA comp: Paul Millsap Ceiling- Great role playing starter Floor- Solid bench player Projection- Great role player Right now: Solid bench player Rocco Zikarsky - 7’2” 220 lbs - C - Australia - 19 y/o Strengths: Good rim protector Good finisher Good rebounder Good in pick&roll Weaknesses: Not a good shooter Not a switchable defender Needs to be stronger Offensive game likely won’t translate well NBA comp: Walker Kessler Ceiling- Good starting C Floor- G-League Projection- Good backup C Right now: Developmental player  Ryan Kalkbrenner - 7’1” 270 lbs - C - Creighton - 23 y/o Strengths: Great defender Elite efficiency Good rebounder Jumpshot developing High IQ Great scorer Weaknesses: Not an amazing athlete Jumpshot isn’t there yet Not a great playmaker Defense will take a probably dip in the NBA Not a switchable defender NBA comp: Mitchell Robinson Ceiling- Good starting C Floor- Decent backup C Projection- Great backup C Right now: Decent backup C Saint Thomas - 6’7” 235 lbs - Wing - USC - 22 y/o Strengths: Great playmaker Good rebounder Was an elite scorer at Northern Colorado Showed potential as a good shooter Weaknesses: Mid shooter right now Mid defender Not a great scorer at a higher level NBA comp: Jae Crowder Ceiling- Good bench player Floor- Out of league Projection- G-League Right now: G-League Samson Johnson - 6’10” 225 lbs - Big - UConn - 22 y/o Strengths: Good rim protector Good rebounder Efficient scorer Good finisher Weaknesses: Very low production Terrible shooter Did not play much Bad playmaker NBA comp: Bismack Biyombo Ceiling- Decent backup C Floor- Out of league Projection- Summer League Right now: G-League/Summer League Sion James - 6’6” 220 lbs - Wing - Duke - 22 y/o Strengths: Good shooter Efficient scorer on 3 levels Solid playmaker Decent rebounder Weaknesses: Not a great defender Doesn’t excel at anything Low college production NBA comp: Terence Davis Ceiling- Solid role player Floor- Out of league Projection- G-League Right now: G-League Tahaad Pettiford - 6’1” 175 lbs - PG - Auburn - 20 y/o Strengths:  Good 3 level scorer Very quick and shifty Great perimeter defender Shows flashes of being a good playmaker Good looking jumpshot, good shooter Weaknesses: Efficiency isn’t great Doesn’t get a lot of assists for a PG Not a good rebounder Really small NBA comp: Jamal Murray Ceiling- Great starting PG + Fringe All Star Floor- Decent backup Projection- Good starting PG Right now: Developmental player Thomas Sorber - 6’10” 255 lbs - Big - Georgetown - 19 y/o Strengths: Great interior scorer Good athlete Very strong Good rebounder Great interior defender Potential to be a decent switchable defender Solid passer Weaknesses: Not a good shooter Struggles with turnovers for a big man Injury prone NBA comp: Rudy Gobert Ceiling- All Defensive Team + Great starting C Floor- Decent backup C Projection- Good starter + Fringe All Defense Right now: Developmental player + Decent backup C Tre Johnson - 6’6” 190 lbs - Guard - Texas - 19 y/o Strengths: Amazing athlete Elite 3 level scorer Amazing finisher Great 3p shooter Great free throw shooter Great size Potential to be a great defender Good ball handler Weaknesses: Sometimes inconsistent Not a good playmaker Not a good rebounder for his size and athleticism Defense isn’t great right now Not a winner in college NBA comp: Jalen Green Ceiling- All NBA + Elite #1 scorer Floor- Good bench scorer Projection- Elite scorer, 30+ ppg Right now: Developmental starter Tyon Grant-Foster - 6’7” 220 lbs - Wing - Grand Canyon - 24 y/o Strengths: Good 3 level scorer Great defender Great athlete Good rebounder Weaknesses: 3p shot is inconsistent Pretty inefficient overall Averages more turnovers than assists NBA comp: Mikal Bridges Ceiling- Good role player Floor- G-League Projection- Decent role player Right now: Decent low rotational role player Tyrese Proctor - 6’6” 183 lbs - PG - Duke - 21 y/o Strengths: Great playmaker High IQ Great shooter Very low turnovers for a PG Great game manager Solid scorer from all 3 levels Solid defender Weaknesses: Not a great athlete Won’t be a great scorer in the NBA Might be a poor defender in the NBA NBA comp: Lonzo Ball Ceiling- Solid starting PG Floor- Solid 3rd string PG Projection- Good backup PG Right now: G-League VJ Edgecombe - 6’5” 180 lbs - Guard - Baylor - 19 y/o Strengths: Elite athlete Good 3 level scorer Really good playmaker Good rebounder Great defender Good shooter Weaknesses: Could be a better shot creator Ball handling could be a little better NBA comp: Jaden Ivey Ceiling- All NBA + All Defensive Team Floor- Great bench player Projection- All Star + All Defensive Team Right now: Developmental starter + Great defender Walter Clayton Jr - 6’3” 195 lbs - Guard - Florida - 22 y/o Strengths: Great 3 level scorer in college Great shooter Great playmaker for a primarily SG Winner Good leader Weaknesses: Mid defender Not an amazing athlete Smaller for a 2 Not as efficient as I would like NBA comp: Kemba Walker Ceiling- 6MOY Floor- G-League star Projection- Solid bench scorer Right now: Solid bench scorer Will Riley - 6’8” 180 lbs - Wing - Illinois - 19 y/o Strengths: Good 3 level scorer Good athlete Good shooter Has the tools to be a good defender Great scoring instincts Weaknesses: Shot creating could be better Defense needs to improve Thin build Inconsistent NBA comp: Michael Porter Jr Ceiling- All Star Floor- Low rotational player Projection- Good bench player Right now: Developmental player/G-League For NBA Draft Prospect Preview list A-H, click here. For NBA Draft Prospect Preview list I-M, click here. Find Owen Pannell on X here. Shop the Official NBA Store here.

By Owen Pannell | KZA Sports The Oklahoma City Thunder are your 2025 NBA Champions, whether you like it or not. What comes next? Here's a look ahead for each NBA team and what they need in order to improve upon this NBA season. Atlanta Hawks Team Needs: Backup PF Backup PG The Hawks have a very underrated young team. Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson, and Dyson Daniels are all elite young assets. However, they must decide if Trae Young is their franchise guy. Coming off a strong season, averaging 24 points and nearly 12 assists per game, now is the time to trade him if they plan to. If not, they should stay the course, add another good young player with the 13th pick, and see if this roster can bring Atlanta back to the playoffs next year. Boston Celtics Team Needs: Depth Replacements Boston faces a tough situation after Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles and will likely miss most of next season. With their cap already over the dreaded second apron, they must trade one or two star players—painful, but necessary. The Celtics need to decide whether to remain competitive or punt next season and aim for a full return in 2026-27 when Tatum is healthy. Either way, this will be a rough offseason and a challenging 2025-26 season for Celtics fans. Brooklyn Nets Team Needs: Everything Young Core Players After a disastrous year, the Nets landed the 8th overall pick in a strong draft class. They can find real talent—Jeremiah Fears, Kasparas Jakucionis, or Derik Queen are all options. They also need to trade vets like Cam Johnson, Nic Claxton, D’Angelo Russell, and maybe even Cam Thomas. The goal: bottom out next season and aim for the loaded 2026 draft. Charlotte Hornets Team Needs: Starting SG Bench Depth LaMelo Ball is a great player when healthy, but that’s been rare—he hasn’t played over 50 games in the past three seasons. Charlotte can’t rely on him as their franchise guy. With a solid young core, adding VJ Edgecombe (a better fit than Ace Bailey) could brighten their future. If LaMelo can’t stay healthy next season, it’s time to move on. For now, they should stay the course and add young talent. Chicago Bulls Team Needs: Starting C Wings The Bulls were one loss away from the No. 1 pick but now sit with a mid-tier roster and no franchise cornerstone. They need to tank while preserving assets. A big decision looms with Josh Giddey—if he costs less than $30 million per year, that’s a win. Otherwise, let him walk. Trading vets like Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball would also help. Avoiding the play-in and aiming for lottery luck is the smartest play. Cleveland Cavaliers Team Needs: Bench Replacements (Maybe) Starting PG After an elite regular season, the Cavs fell short in Round 2 of the playoffs. Limited cap space means losing key role players, which hurts their depth. Darius Garland is reportedly on the trade block. Moving him would create cap flexibility and bring back assets—but he’s a crucial part of their team. Either way, expect a slight drop-off, though the East remains wide open. Dallas Mavericks Team Needs: Starting Guards Depth Trading Luka Doncic was seen as a disaster, but the Mavs lucked into the No. 1 pick. Ideally, they’d trade it for Giannis to maximize the AD and Kyrie window, but that’s unlikely. The other option is rebuilding around Cooper Flagg—but that too seems improbable. Most likely, they’ll draft Flagg and stunt his growth by trying to contend without truly being contenders. Denver Nuggets Team Needs: Bench Depth Shooting With a top-3 player in Nikola Jokic, Denver must capitalize. They lost in the second round to OKC but fought hard. The key decision: Michael Porter Jr. His $40M contract clogs the books. They already lost Russell Westbrook, a key bench piece. Denver will still be contenders, but smart moves this offseason are crucial to keeping pace with OKC. Detroit Pistons Team Needs: Backup Big Player Development After a horrific 14-win season in 2023-24, the Pistons rebounded to win 44 games and return to the playoffs. With Cade Cunningham emerging as a top-10 player and young talent across the roster, they’re set. Their main focus: development and bringing back shooter Malik Beasley. The East is wide open, so they can make noise. Golden State Warriors Team Needs: Center Perimeter Defender Steph Curry is 37, and the Warriors have one last shot at a 5th ring. After adding Jimmy Butler at the deadline, they surged. An upgrade at center (Daniel Gafford, Walker Kessler, or Vucevic) is needed. If they can turn young assets and picks into vets, they’ll have a real title shot. Houston Rockets Team Needs: Star Wing Scorer The Kevin Durant trade made the Rockets contenders. They need Amen Thompson to make the expected leap, but the roster is in place. No need for major moves—just development and internal growth. Indiana Pacers Team Needs: Center Rebounding Losing in 7 games to OKC in the Finals stings, but it was a huge win for the franchise. With their star out for next season, 2025-26 could be a gap year. They should retain Myles Turner and hope Haliburton returns to form. Another deep run is possible, but unlikely next year. Los Angeles Clippers Team Needs: Backup PG Shooting The Clippers exceeded expectations, pushing Denver to 7 games. James Harden is likely back, keeping their core intact. If they use the 30th pick on a win-now rookie and the MLE on a solid vet, they can contend— if  they stay healthy. Los Angeles Lakers Team Needs: Center Rebounding After landing Luka Doncic, the Lakers have their guy for the next decade. If LeBron stays, they’re still contenders, but smart moves are vital. The vetoed Mark Williams trade showed the right mindset. Players like Kessler, Capela, Poeltl, or Vucevic could help. Will they go all in with LeBron or build around Luka? Memphis Grizzlies Team Needs: Third Star Big Trading Desmond Bane brought in four firsts and some players. Now they must choose: rebuild or reload. The smarter path may be trading for a stretch big like Sabonis or Porzingis, allowing JJJ to shift to PF and giving Ja Morant more room. Both would make Memphis dangerous again. Miami Heat Team Needs: Point Guard Clear No. 1 Option After missing out on KD, the Heat are stuck—too good to tank, not good enough to contend. They should  trade Bam and retool, but they likely won’t. Expect another play-in run while they wait for the next star to become available. Milwaukee Bucks Team Needs: Young Players Center Giannis is likely gone. The Bucks must get a historic haul for him and then shop Dame and other vets. It's the end of an era, but they won a title—and now get to rebuild with a jump start. Minnesota Timberwolves Team Needs: Point Guard Backup SG Back-to-back WCF appearances show the Wolves are close. But cap limitations mean they can’t keep all three key free agents (Randle, Naz Reid, NAW). With Conley aging and Dillingham not yet ready, PG is a major need. They’ll likely run it back, but this roster may not be enough in the loaded West. New Orleans Pelicans Team Needs: Direction PG A brutal, injury-ridden season left the Pelicans with just 21 wins. With Ingram already traded, it’s time to decide on Zion. They aren’t contenders, so the smart move is to blow it up and rebuild. If they don’t, they’ll likely remain a low-ceiling team. New York Knicks Team Needs: Depth Coach The Knicks were Finals-capable this year. They need bench help and a better coach, but the core is strong. Brunson is a playoff star, and if he and KAT build chemistry and they improve the bench, they’ll be a real threat in the East. Oklahoma City Thunder Team Needs: Shooting Rebounding Fresh off a dominant championship run, the Thunder return all their core players. They need reliable 3-point shooting and better rebounding. Trading Isaiah Joe and Ousmane Dieng for someone like Cam Johnson would be a win. Drafting Isaiah Evans at #24 could also help. Regardless, they’re the team to beat next season. Orlando Magic Team Needs: Offense Rebounding Trading for Desmond Bane showed the Magic are ready to compete. The East is wide open, and their defense is already elite. Bane provides scoring, and adding rebounding help would round out a strong roster. Philadelphia 76ers Team Needs: Depth Trade PG The Sixers had a nightmare season at 24-58. Injuries and Paul George’s poor play doomed them. Their window with Embiid is closing. A trade of PG for someone like Lauri Markkanen would help. They lucked into the No. 3 pick, which could be packaged with PG and a young player to make a big move. With the East wide open, a smart offseason could lead to a title push. Phoenix Suns Team Needs: Rebuild Picks The KD trade was decent, but the Suns need more. They must trade Devin Booker and recoup assets. Trading Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and possibly Bradley Beal could help. Still, the future is bleak in Phoenix. Portland Trail Blazers Team Needs: Bigs Wings Portland has good young players, but no clear franchise guy. A play-in spot is possible, but unlikely in the West. They should shop Jerami Grant, Robert Williams, Deandre Ayton, and Anfernee Simons to collect assets. Sacramento Kings Team Needs: PG Direction After trading De’Aaron Fox, the Kings are stuck. The smart play is a full rebuild—Sabonis, LaVine, and DeRozan all have trade value. It would hurt to start over, but it’s likely the best option. San Antonio Spurs Team Needs: Shooting PF With a top-tier future and Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs are in a great spot. They’ll likely draft Dylan Harper at No. 2, unless they trade the pick (possibly in a Giannis deal). Adding shooting around Wemby is key. Even without a big trade, they could win a playoff series next year. Toronto Raptors Team Needs: Young Pieces Shooting Bringing in Brandon Ingram was a bold move. It looked questionable at the time, but it might pay off. If Scottie Barnes and company take a leap, Toronto could be a playoff team. Rumors of KD interest suggest they’re still aiming high. Utah Jazz Team Needs: Young Players Wings The Jazz were the league’s worst team but only landed the No. 5 pick. They should trade Lauri Markkanen—possibly for the No. 3 pick—and focus on acquiring young talent and draft capital. It’ll be a long road, but the future isn’t hopeless. Washington Wizards Team Needs: Offense PG Unlike most, I actually like the Wizards’ roster. Drafting Jeremiah Fears at No. 6 would be a home run. They have good young talent and just need to make smart picks and trade some vets. They’re only a couple of years from finishing the rebuild. Find Owen Pannell on X here. Shop the Official NBA Store here.

By Owen Pannell | KZA Sports OKLAHOMA CITY —  The Oklahoma City Thunder are NBA champions. As a lifelong Thunder fan, this just feels unbelievable, man. We’ve been through so, so, so  many ups and downs as a franchise, but now—it’s all worth it. I, along with many other fans, was in tears when we finally brought it home. This is the most special sports moment of my life—and I know it is for many of y’all too. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is undoubtedly our franchise GOAT, and he’s not done yet. He has a real chance to become the NBA’s all-time GOAT. The Thunder were the best team all year long, and finishing it off with a championship is the perfect ending. Shai was great all year. Dub was phenomenal and took a massive step forward. Lu Dort was arguably the best perimeter defender in the sport. Chet Holmgren missed most of the year due to injury, but when he played, he was special.  And the depth? It was just INSANE.  We had an unlimited number of guys to throw at you who could contribute to winning basketball. Whether it was Aaron Wiggins dropping 40 bombs, Kenrich Williams going all-out with hustle, Alex Caruso being the best role player in the NBA, or Jaylin Williams constantly hyping up and motivating the team—everyone mattered. After all Thunder fans have been through, we deserve  this team. It’s such a special group, and it’s going to be hard to replicate. The good news? We can bring most of them back. But it’ll probably never feel exactly the same as it does right now. I’ll have deeper thoughts about the Thunder being champions another time—but for now, I’m just going to enjoy being a fan sitting on top of the NBA. Postgame Report – OKC None of this really matters—we won the final game of the season and are officially champions—but if you want to read the breakdown, here you go. Let’s start with SGA. He looked incredible tonight, getting the shots he wanted and being an elite  playmaker. He took 12 threes—which is almost unbelievable—and only hit two. His efficiency wasn’t great, but he got the job done. As a team, the Thunder attempted 40 threes, which is exactly what they needed to do to take down the Pacers. Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace were great off the bench tonight. They knocked down some threes, which was exactly what OKC needed. But the defense was the key to victory. The Thunder held Indiana to just 91 points (yes, I know Tyrese Haliburton didn’t really play), forced 21 turnovers, and never let the Pacers offense get into rhythm. They couldn’t stop TJ McConnell or Bennedict Mathurin—but it all worked out in the end. THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER ARE NBA CHAMPIONS!!!! Postgame Report – Indiana The Pacers had a phenomenal season. I’m just heartbroken over what happened to Tyrese Haliburton. This team was special. They never stopped fighting and always believed they could win. They had one of the most magical playoff runs in NBA history. Without their star, they had a low chance to win tonight—so I don’t blame them for the loss. But they did not  give up. TJ McConnell was absolutely insane in the third quarter, and Mathurin was electric in the fourth. OKC was the better team, though. And in my opinion, they deserved to win. Sure, maybe it could have turned out differently if Haliburton didn’t get injured. But that doesn’t take away from how incredible this Pacers run truly was. There’s not much else to say about the gameplay itself—OKC just outmatched them. A Moment Years in the Making For Thunder fans, this is more than a title—it’s validation. After Kevin Durant’s departure. After the Russell Westbrook era ended. After rebuilding year after rebuilding year. After missing out on lottery picks and playing the long game—it all paid off. “This is a special group,” the fan added. “It’ll be hard to replicate. The good news is we can bring most of them back, but it’ll never be exactly like this again.” For now, though, Oklahoma City isn’t thinking about tomorrow. They’re just basking in the moment. NBA champions. At last. Find Owen Pannell here. Shop OKC Thunder Finals gear here.

After nine years without a Game 7 in the NBA Finals, fans are finally getting the moment they've dreamed about. By Owen Pannell OKLAHOMA CITY  — The two best words in sports: Game Seven. After a thrilling NBA Finals series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers, it all comes down to one night. For the first time in nearly a decade, the Finals will be decided in a winner-take-all showdown—and it’s shaping up to be an instant classic. It’s been nine years since the NBA witnessed a Game 7 in the Finals. After six hard-fought, wildly entertaining games, Sunday night’s battle in OKC will decide it all. Will the Thunder finish off one of the best seasons of the decade with a title on their home floor? Or will the Pacers defy the odds and shock the world with their first-ever NBA championship? Keys to Victory: Oklahoma City Thunder 1. Shooting Must Improve Three-point shooting has been the Thunder’s lifeblood all postseason. In Game 6, however, their role players struggled—Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Cason Wallace, and Alex Caruso combined to shoot just 2-for-14 from beyond the arc. That can’t happen again. While playing at home gives them an edge, there are no guarantees. Role players tend to perform better on their own court, and if Isaiah Joe and Jaylin Williams (both 2-for-3 from three in Game 6) can contribute, that could be the boost OKC needs. 2. Control the Glass The Thunder gave up 11 offensive rebounds in Game 6—a number that could prove fatal in Game 7. Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein must dominate the glass and prevent second-chance opportunities for Indiana. Pascal Siakam alone grabbed five offensive boards in the last game. If he’s not boxed out consistently, the Thunder will be in trouble. 3. Share the Basketball The Thunder’s starters recorded just four total assists in Game 6—an alarming stat for a team trying to win a title. Relying too heavily on isolation plays from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams has led to stagnant stretches offensively. To unlock their full potential, OKC must move the ball, generate open shots, and involve all five players on the floor. 4. Use the Crowd The Thunder fought all season for home-court advantage, and this is exactly why. Game 7, in Oklahoma City. The Paycom Center needs to be deafening. Free throws should feel like half-court shots for Indiana. Communication between Pacers coaches and players should be nearly impossible. The atmosphere alone must tilt the scales—even by just 1%—in OKC’s favor. Keys to Victory: Indiana Pacers 1. Role Players Must Shoot with Confidence Indiana’s shooting has been a revelation during this playoff run. In Game 6, Obi Toppin and Andrew Nembhard combined to go 7-for-12 from three. They’ll need a repeat performance—plus help from Bennedict Mathurin, Aaron Nesmith, and Ben Sheppard. Shooting on the road is tougher, and all eyes will be on whether Indiana can maintain its rhythm in a hostile environment. 2. Stars Need to Shine Depth has carried Indiana all year—but Game 7s are won by stars. Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam are excellent, but they’re facing a top-tier duo in SGA and Jalen Williams. Haliburton and Siakam will have to deliver the games of their lives. Anything less, and the Pacers may find themselves watching the confetti fall on someone else’s celebration. 3. Stop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on a mission—and odds are, he’ll play his best game yet on Sunday. If Indiana can’t limit him, the rest won’t matter. Nembhard needs to be glued to SGA from baseline to baseline. Expect double-teams, traps, and every possible look to try to throw the MVP runner-up off rhythm. 4. TJ McConnell’s Energy Is a Must Few players have swung momentum in this series like T.J. McConnell. The veteran guard has carved up defenders and brought crucial bench production. In what promises to be an intense, emotionally charged environment, McConnell’s composure and aggression could once again be the X-factor for Indiana. Prediction: Thunder Ride the Wave at Home This has all the makings of a classic. Two young, hungry teams. A city on edge. History on the line. In the end, it’s hard to bet against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at home. Expect a legendary performance from the Thunder star, and expect Oklahoma City to pull away in the fourth quarter to secure the franchise’s first-ever NBA Championship. Find Owen Pannell on X here. Shop the Official NBA Store here.

IND - 108 | OKC - 91 Postgame Report – OKC The Thunder’s biggest issue tonight was shooting. Hitting just one three-pointer in the first half and only eight total (with four coming in garbage time from the end of the bench) is not how you win an NBA Finals game. Game 4 was an anomaly. That said, the guys who played in the fourth did a fantastic job. I definitely feel like Jaylin Williams should get some minutes in Game 7. OKC allowed the Pacers to grab too many offensive boards, leading to a bunch of second-chance points and swinging all the momentum Indy’s way. The Thunder have dominated the turnover battle all season, but tonight was atrocious in that department—losing it 21–10. That is unacceptable. Outside of JWill in the fourth, the Thunder had absolutely zero offense—it was painful to watch. There isn’t much to say from an OKC standpoint other than they played like total garbage and didn’t deserve to win this game at all. There’s one more game. Game 7. Winner takes all. Must play better. Postgame Report – Indy The Pacers were elite all game—knocking down threes, forcing turnovers, and attacking the basket. Whenever OKC tried to make a run, the Pacers had an answer and got the crowd going wild, erasing any hope the Thunder had. Tyrese Haliburton didn’t even need to be great; the rest of the team just outperformed the Thunder and played incredible team basketball. Obi Toppin was outstanding. TJ McConnell was absolutely everywhere—as usual—and I’m being so for real when I say he has a legit case for Finals MVP if the Pacers win this. There’s not much else to say: the Pacers were simply the far better basketball team tonight. The Indiana Pacers absolutely put the belt to OKC in this one. After the first quarter, it was not a contest. As an OKC fan who dropped a lot of money on this game, it was tough to watch. But it's time to prepare for Game 7. It will be the best atmosphere in basketball history. Find Owen Pannell on X here. Shop the Official NBA Store here.