Spherical 1 of the NBA Draft is within the books. Duke star Cooper Flagg was the apparent No. 1 alternative for the Dallas Mavericks, however an intriguing evening adopted.
Listed below are 5 takeaways from Wednesday evening’s first spherical.
The Jazz did not again down
Ace Bailey held the playing cards, and the Utah Jazz referred to as his bluff. The Rutgers star refused particular person exercises with a number of groups, together with Utah, and made it recognized he wished to play for an East Coast group. Some mock drafts had him falling all the way down to the seventh or eighth choose.
The Jazz took him at No. 5 anyway and now have probably the most gifted gamers within the draft. Will it work out? On the ESPN broadcast, Kendrick Perkins inspired Bailey to purchase in, citing the sturdy Jazz fan base and the love they are going to present him if he helps flip the franchise round.
Later within the evening, Utah traded to draft Walter Clayton Jr. at No. 18.