Biggest Winners and Losers of the NBA Draft

The 10 teams and players who came out of Thursday night looking the best — and worst

The 2023 NBA Draft had many of the elements we expect on draft night — trade rumors and actual trades, surprise lottery picks and a handful of players leaving Brooklyn with bruised egos after they tumbled far below predraft projections.

None of the top-five picks changed hands on draft night — but that doesn’t mean none of them will be traded this offseason. In Portland and elsewhere, the draft will continue to resonate for the final week of June and into July.

The first four picks were exactly who I expected — Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller, Scoot Henderson and Amen Thompson. The first surprise came at No. 5, when the Detroit Pistons selected Ausar Thompson, making Amen and Ausar the first set of twins selected in the top five on the same night.

Here are my 10 biggest winners, losers, surprises and disappointments, including a number of draft steals plus players and teams to watch going forward.