Which NBA teams could benefit from the draft?
The NBA Draft is an exciting event in which the best rookie prospects are snapped up by teams in the hope they can boost their roster and snag the next LeBron James in the making. We all know the top draft prospects this year, including Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, Jaden Ivey and Jabari Smith Jr. But which teams are looking to score big and benefit from the draft? We have listed our top six options below.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Aside from the Orlando Magic, the Oklahoma Thunder is one of the teams who can benefit the most from the NBA Draft. Once Orlando has made their choice, the Thunder are up next. You could use a PointsBet promo code to make a bet on who you think they will choose! Indeed, many sportsbooks are speculating on the players each team will pick.
Not only do the Thunder have the second pick, they also have the first round 12th pick, which could result in an underrated signing, or be used for trading on draft day.
Orlando Magic
It was a toss-up between Orlando and Oklahoma for the team who benefits the most. However, we placed the Magic second due to Oklahoma having two relatively high picks.
The Orlando Magic had a pretty dire 2021-2022 season. Their roster is okay, but it is still under development and has a long way to go before they can become a playoff contender. Players such as Cole Anthony, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs are still developing.
However, having the first pick in the NBA Draft cannot be ignored. This gives them the cream of the crop and the luxury to pick the one player who will complement their roster the most.
Houston Rockets
In the wake of the James Harden era, Houston has been in full rebuild mode. They have an interesting core of young players, including Jalen Green, Christian Wood, Alperen Sengun and Jae’Sean Tate. Don’t forget that they also still have John Wall on their books, which could be an excellent bargaining chip for them.
Houston has the third pick of the first round, which means they could get one of the top three new prospects in the draft rankings, including Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr and Paolo Banchero. Sure, you are simply adding another rookie player to a relatively young roster, but the future potential this team could have is fantastic.
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings have been a sub-par team for many years now and have not been a serious playoff contender since their days with Boogie. This season, they made some interesting moves, including the acquisition of Sabonis. They did have to give up Buddy Hield and Tyrese Haliburton in exchange, leading many people to question the usefulness of this trade.
As a result, the Kings do have a decent core to work with around Sabonis and Fox. There is no denying that this core needs fleshing out and building upon, however. This is why their fourth pick in the first round could be invaluable.
Detroit Pistons
Detroit is another team that is rebuilding and predominantly relying on a young core. This of course includes the fantastic rookie Cade Cunningham and starting forward Jerami Grant.
However, they lack depth, and lack a true superstar player to take them to the next level. Hopefully, Cunningham and Grant can both continue to improve their games and be relied on as the main one-two combo. Additionally, with the fifth pick in the first round, Detroit could snag another excellent rookie that could bolster their talent further.
New Orleans Pelicans
You may wonder at our inclusion of the Pelicans, however, we think their draft pick could be a huge benefit. They have a potentially lethal scoring roster with Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum. This season also allowed Herb Jones and Jose Alvarado to emerge as fantastic defenders.
However, their roster is not perfect and could use a boost. With the eighth pick of the first round, the Pelicans could look for another potential elite defender to provide support off the bench. Fleshing out their roster and having other players as backups for potential injuries also never goes amiss.
All these teams stand to gain substantial talent to their rosters for the 2022-2023 season. It’s now up to the GMs, scouts and staff to do their work and research and draft the players that would suit their needs the best. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic in particular stand to benefit greatly by building on their relatively young rosters.
