2020 NBA Draft Winners and Losers - Instant Analysis

November 19, 2020

Justin Carter looks at the winners and losers during the 2020 NBA Draft and at whether the players drafted will have an immediate impact on the league, as well as how current players will be impacted by the selections.

Last night's NBA Draft is the mid-point in a wild week of offseason action for the NBA.

In a draft without a clear first pick, the Minnesota Timberwolves chose to go with Georgia's Anthony Edwards. Golden State -- who may have lost Klay Thompson for the year with an Achilles injury on Wednesday -- took James Wiseman next, and then Charlotte rounded out the top three with LaMelo Ball.

So, let's take a look at the various winners and losers after this season's draft. Some of these will be fantasy takeaways. Some won't be, just to keep you on your toes, reader.

2020 NBA Draft Winners

Anthony Edwards (G, Minnesota Timberwolves)

Malik Beasley is currently slated to start at the two for the Wolves, which means there's a clear path for No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards to open his rookie campaign as an NBA starter. Edwards has a lot of room to grow his game still and has to figure out two key things -- shooting and defense -- but the physical talent is there, and the opportunities will be there for him right away. He'll open the year as my top ranked rookie for fantasy purposes.

James Wiseman (C, Golden State Warriors)

It's completely fine to think that Wiseman's not going to be an elite NBA big. He's too much of a classic, back-to-the-basket guy in a league where centers like him have become a relic of the past. Still, when it comes to fantasy basketball, this is a good situation for him. Unless the Warriors get weird and go with Draymond Green at center full-time -- they won't do that -- we'll likely see Wiseman on the floor immediately when this season starts. Marquese Chriss isn't keeping him off the floor. He'll contribute points, rebounds, and blocks right away.

Kira Lewis (G, New Orleans Pelicans)

Lewis is an exciting player who gets to join an incredibly exciting team. He's also got a clear path to minutes: he just has to outplay George Hill. Considering Lewis is a better fit for this team's fast-paced offensive attack, I don't think it'll take too long for him to show he needs those minutes over Hill. By the mid-point of the season, Lewis can be the third guard here and a solid streaming play for fantasy managers.

Aleksej Pokusevski (F, Oklahoma City Thunder)

POKU!

The Thunder traded up for the Serbian forward, who should get ample chances to succeed on a rebuilding OKC squad. An extremely interesting player who remains a bit of a mystery, Poku is a seven-footer with range who has the mobility of a forward. He'll have to bulk up some, but if he's able to play this season for the Thunder, his immense talent could provide a strong piece for the future of this team. Even if I don't love his fantasy value this season because of how raw he is, I think you could make a really strong argument he's a top five rookie in dynasty leagues.

The Brooklyn Nets

The Nets want to win now, so the fact that they were able to turn the 19th pick into Landry Shamet is a great move for Brooklyn. Shamet has shot 40.2 percent from three across his two NBA seasons and can be a nice secondary ball-handler for this team. Shamet's individual value in Brooklyn might take a slight dip if he plays fewer minutes, but he raises the floor and ceiling of this team.

Jaden McDaniels (F, Minnesota Timberwolves)

The Washington product fell to 28, where he gets to join a Timberwolves team that's in need of a reliable option at the four. Even though McDaniels is a bit of a project still, he looks like he can be a stretch four with steal and block upside. Don't be surprised if he winds up playing a lot of minutes as a rookie and providing top-10 fantasy production among the first-year players.

Tyrese Maxey (G, Philadelphia 76ers)

The Sixers needed point guard help. They get it with Maxey. You can usually tell if a pick is a good one because all of Draft Twitter goes wild over it, which is what happened when Philly made this choice. Maxey should get early run as the backup point guard and while his three had issues at Kentucky, he's a capable scorer and playmaker who should be able to provide some solid numbers for fantasy managers in deeper leagues.

2020 NBA Draft Losers

The Phoenix Suns

Another draft, another confusing Phoenix Suns pick. This time, it was Maryland big Jalen Smith, a three-and-D big whose lack of top-end athleticism had him projected by most to be taken outside of the lottery. But there he was at 10 for Phoenix, a move that seems like it's got more risk than it has reward.

Cedi Osman (F, Cleveland Cavaliers)

Cleveland used the fifth pick on Isaac Okoro, and while Okoro's issues on the perimeter mean he won't be someone I'm targeting in fantasy drafts this year, his presence does mean I'm no longer interested in Osman as a late-round sleeper, as a reduction in minutes will make it hard for him to compile enough numbers for fantasy relevance.

George Hill (G, New Orleans Pelicans)

As mentioned above in the Kira Lewis section, Hill's role as the third guard on this Pelicans team is now in jeopardy. I already had him really far down on my draft board. Now, I'm...not even sure the veteran point guard is on it at all?

Devin Vassell (F, San Antonio Spurs)

Maybe now that they aren't contenders, maybe the "Spurs don't play rookies" narrative will end, but for now, I'm assuming Vassell won't get the minutes he would have gotten elsewhere, which makes it tough to see a path to immediate fantasy value.

Ricky Rubio (G, Minnesota Timberwolves)

Rubio had just been traded to OKC, where he looked like he'd be the starting point guard. Now, he's been shipped to Minnesota, where he'll share the backcourt with D'Angelo Russell and No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards. Really hard to see Rubio posting the kind of numbers he did last year or even what he might have posted with the Thunder.

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