New Orleans Pelicans
Grade: A
Analysis: The Pelicans did everything they could with the picks they had. Desperately in need of some defenders and some shooting, New Orleans got a bit of both with its two picks. Murphy is one of the top 3-and-D prospects in this class and his draft stock skyrocketted following the NBA Combine. He s a knockdown shooter, which will space the floor for Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, but he s also a smart cutter, which bodes well for when the defence focuses too much on those two stars. His long arms, IQ and great anticipation make him a sound defender.
2021 NBA draft: Winners, losers, surprises and bold predictions
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Cunningham nearly speechless after being picked No. 1 by Pistons (2:11)
The Pistons select Cade Cunningham with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, and Cunningham goes through all kinds of emotions afterward. (2:11)
The first three picks of the 2021 NBA draft went as planned: Cade Cunningham to the Detroit Pistons, Jalen Green to the Houston Rockets and Evan Mobley to the Cleveland Cavaliers. But then, starting with the fourth pick, chaos ensued, with intriguing selections and draft-night trades taking over the spotlight.
The Toronto Raptors surprised many by selecting Florida State s Scottie Barnes with the No. 4 pick, and the Oklahoma City Thunder used their high lottery pick, No. 6, to make the first international selection of the draft, selecting Australia s Josh Giddey.
The New York Knicks ended up with guard Quentin Grimes with the No. 25 pick in the NBA draft after dealing two picks that were higher.
The swap of their No. 21 pick for No. 25 left them with Grimes, a third-team All-American from Houston who came with a pick that belonged to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Knicks also acquired a future second-round pick in that deal, with the Clippers getting the draft rights to forward Keon Johnson.
Grimes was the player of the year in the America Athletic Conference after averaging 17.8 points. He shot 40.2% from 3-point range to lead the conference, making 3.3 3-pointers per game.
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