One of the things I enjoy most about the NBA is how it keeps the momentum going after the Finals. Unlike the NFL, which makes fans wait months between the Super Bowl and the draft, the NBA holds its draft just days after a champion is crowned. The excitement of the Finals carries right into draft night, making it one of the most entertaining weeks on the basketball calendar.
This year’s draft certainly lived up to the hype. Between franchise-changing prospects, blockbuster trades and teams reshaping their futures, the NBA once again proved why its offseason can be just as exciting as the regular season.
The biggest storyline leading up to the draft wasn’t even about the incoming rookies. It was where former Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo would end up. For weeks, rumors linked him to several contenders, including my beloved Boston Celtics. As a Celtics fan, I was hoping to see Giannis in green.
Instead, Milwaukee struck a blockbuster deal with Miami, sending Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to South Beach. The Heat parted with All-Star guard Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jamie Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round draft picks (2026, 2031 and 2033), a future pick swap and a 2033 second-round selection.
Boston’s reported package centered around All-Star Jaylen Brown, who could still find himself on the trade market this summer. With Jayson Tatum out during this year’s regular season after suffering a torn ACL during last year’s playoffs, Brown carried the C’s and quietly put together an MVP-caliber season. Myself, I understand Boston needs to revamp their roster but with Brown still under contract for the next three years I would try and mirror the championship team a few years ago and build around the two superstars and Derrick White.
As for the draft itself, there was plenty of debate over who would become the No. 1 overall pick. Most NBA analysts believed the Washington Wizards would choose between BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Kansas standout Darryn Peterson or Duke forward Cameron Boozer.
Washington ultimately selected Dybantsa, who averaged 25.5 points per game during his lone season at BYU. I really like what the Wizards have done over the past two years. They’ve surrounded their young core with proven veterans by adding Trae Young and Anthony Davis while continuing to develop Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George, Bub Carrington and Tre Johnson. Washington suddenly looks like a team on the rise.
Utah may have impressed me even more.
General Manager Danny Ainge continues to build one of the NBA’s brightest young rosters. The Jazz selected Peterson with the second overall pick to pair with last year’s No. 5 selection Ace Bailey, rising point guard Keyonte George, All-Star Lauri Markkanen and defensive anchor Walker Kessler. Add former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr., Kyle Filipowski, Isaiah Collier, Cody Williams and Jusuf Nurkic, and Utah suddenly has one of the deepest collections of young talent in the Western Conference.
Memphis also came away as one of the biggest winners of the draft by selecting Cameron Boozer with the third overall pick. Pairing Boozer with Zach Edey, who enjoyed an outstanding rookie campaign, gives the Grizzlies one of the league’s most intriguing young frontcourts. Cedric Coward also showed flashes of becoming a future star during his rookie season. The biggest question now is whether Memphis plans to keep Ja Morant as the face of the franchise.
Another team that quietly had an outstanding draft was Sacramento.
The Kings selected Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr., the SEC leader in scoring and assists, with the seventh overall pick to provide another offensive weapon in the backcourt. They followed that by taking two-time NCAA champion Alex Karaban from Connecticut late in the first round before adding Houston guard Emanuel Sharp in the second round after his impressive NCAA Tournament run.
I also loved what Chicago accomplished.
The Bulls landed North Carolina freshman Caleb Wilson, who many analysts projected as a top-four selection because of his length, versatility and playmaking ability. They followed that by drafting Texas standout Dailyn Swain before pulling off one of the steals of the draft by acquiring Purdue point guard Braden Smith, the NCAA’s all-time assists leader.
The draft wasn’t the only thing making headlines.
Shortly afterward, Charlotte traded All-Star guard LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to Minnesota for Naz Reid, an unprotected first-round pick, three future first-round pick swaps and three second-round selections. If Ball can stay healthy, pairing him with Anthony Edwards could give the Timberwolves one of the NBA’s most explosive backcourts.
Minnesota also moved on from Julius Randle, sending the veteran forward to Brooklyn for an early second-round selection in this year’s draft.
Now comes one of my favorite parts of the NBA calendar—the Summer League.
For many fans, Summer League is simply exhibition basketball. For basketball junkies like me, it’s the first real look at the future of the league. Every year, lottery picks make their NBA debuts, second-year players try to prove they’re ready for bigger roles, and undrafted players battle for roster spots. More often than not, a few unknown names emerge in July before becoming key contributors during the regular season.
This year’s Summer League begins with the California Classic from July 3-6 in San Francisco and Sacramento. The Salt Lake City Summer League follows July 4, 6 and 7 before all 30 NBA teams converge in Las Vegas from July 9-19 for the league’s premier offseason showcase.
If this rookie class is anywhere near as talented as many scouts believe, basketball fans are about to get their first glimpse of the NBA’s next generation of stars.
As for me, I’ll be watching every chance I get.
