Grades for every NBA Draft pick; why Brendan Sorsby cannot play in NFL this season
Plus all the fallout from the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade
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🧙♂️ Five things to know Wednesday
🔠 Do not miss this: NBA Draft first-round grades
It would have been hard to mess things up if you picked in the top four of this year's draft, as that tier of prospects was so clearly defined that nobody in their right mind would have passed on any of them. In fact, the only A+ pick of the entire first round came from that group, as our Adam Finkelstein handed out the highest possible mark to the Jazz for their selection of Darryn Peterson at No. 2 overall.
There were no egregious reaches this year, but still, we are not entirely sold on a few picks. Finkelstein handed out three C+ grades to the most controversial selections.
We're also delivering live team grades throughout the draft, so let's take a look at a couple of the franchises that made multiple picks on Night 1. The Bulls were among those who picked up a C+ individual pick grade, but their first selection of the night, Caleb Wilson, did a lot of heavy lifting in making it a great night to be a Chicago fan.
🔥 Giannis Antetokounmpo trade fallout
Anytime a superstar gets traded, the shockwaves ripple throughout the league. The Heat acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Bucks, of course, has major implications on both of those teams' futures. But it also has a major impact on a few other teams and could significantly reshape the trade market for the rest of the offseason.
First off, it is hard to like where the Bucks stand in all of this. It's too early to determine whether they won or lost the trade, but this is clear: Milwaukee waited too long to get this deal done, and it might have been better off doing business with the Celtics instead of the Heat. Our Brad Botkin explains:
The deal is also somewhat double-sided for Miami. On one hand, it landed one of the NBA's biggest stars and saw its championship odds skyrocket as a result. On the other hand, it parted ways with a whole host of assets, including four players, and suddenly has to replace a massive portion of its rotation. Pat Riley has his work cut out for him in rebuilding the supporting cast around Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
Going back to that offer the Celtics made for Antetokounmpo, losing out on the sweepstakes for the two-time MVP means Boston has to figure out what to do with Brown. They have a few options and could still bring him back for another season, but with his value at an all-time high after his career year, the expectation is that other teams will start a bidding war to acquire his talents.
In that case, where will Brown land? Here are three of the six most likely landing spots, according to our Sam Qunn:
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
📺 What we're watching Wednesday
⚾ Rangers at Marlins, 12:10 p.m. on MLB Network
⚽ World Cup: Switzerland vs. Canada, 3 p.m. on Fox
⚽ World Cup: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Qatar, 3 p.m. on FS1
⚾ Red Sox at Rockies, 3:10 p.m. on MLB Network
⚽ World Cup: Scotland vs. Brazil, 6 p.m. on Fox
⚽ World Cup: Morocco vs. Haiti, 6 p.m. on FS1
⚾ Royals at Rays, 6:40 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚾ Cubs at Mets or Brewers at Reds, 7:10 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Mercury at Fever, 7:30 p.m. on USA Network
⚾ Dodgers at Twins, 7:40 p.m. on Peacock
🏀 NBA Draft, second round, 8 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ World Cup: Czechia vs. Mexico, 9 p.m. on Fox
⚽ World Cup: South Africa vs. South Korea, 9 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Dream at Valkyries, 10 p.m. on USA Network
⚾ Athletics at Giants, 10 p.m. on MLB Network
NBA Draft first-round grades; Brendan Sorsby cannot join NFL in 2026
Carter Bahns 8 min readNBA Draft first-round grades; Brendan Sorsby cannot join NFL in 2026
