NBA Draft 2022: The winners and losers following the annual event
The NBA Draft 2022 began with a significant surprise, but most of the pyrotechnics occurred from the choices themselves, as the trade market froze. On a special night, here’s who came out on top and who came out on the bottom.
Winner: Detroit Pistons
One of the highlights of the latter half of the previous NBA season was seeing Cade Cunningham never allow any defense to slow him down. So, how did the Pistons fare in the NBA Draft 2022? Take a guy who can’t be stopped. Cade will ultimately win several postseason games for Detroit. However, Javey will fill some seats and propel the Pistons up any League Pass rankings.

Since 2008, Detroit has finished no higher than ninth in the Eastern Conference. Who knows when they’ll be back in conference contention, but we’re betting that the NBA Draft is bound to play a big role.
Cade Cunningham
Jaden Ivey
Saddiq Bey
Jalen Duren
Killian Hayes
Isaiah Stewart
Isaiah LiversThe Detroit Pistons have themselves a legitimate young core. Give them this next season to grow together and add to it next offseason.
Detroit is coming.
— Ku (@KuKhahil) June 24, 2022
Loser: Kevin Durant

Durant departed an empire in Golden State three years ago to join forces with Kyrie Irving, with aspirations to deliver numerous titles to Brooklyn. That agreement, however, has been gradually undermined during the last seven months. Irving’s unwillingness to be immunized kept him out of over two-thirds of the Nets’ games last season, forcing James Harden to leave town. Irving’s absence irritated the Nets front office, particularly general manager Sean Marks, who previously expressed doubts about Irving being the “appropriate fit” for the team.
Winner: Jalen Brunson
The Knicks’ interest in Brunson has remained widely publicized and totally anticipated, with their most recent overtures falling just short of subtle. Among such gestures was the addition of Brunson’s NBA journeyman dad, Rick, to Tom Thibodeau’s coaching team earlier this month. Brunson had previously worked on Thibodeau’s staff and has a long-standing connection with Knicks president Leon Rose, so this isn’t nearly on the level of a college team skirting a recruiting violation.

Loser: G League Ignite
The G League Ignite had two players selected in the first round (Dyson Daniels and MarJon Beauchamp), however, the greater news for the NBA’s player development program was that Jaden Hardy was not selected. Hardy was really the No. 2 prospect in the Class of 2021 but was widely expected to be a top-five choice before the season, but he was the final player in the backstage area.
Winner: New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans’ selection at No. 8 in the draught felt like icing on the cake for a club that ended up going 36-46, finished ninth in the West, and then slid under the solid steel sliding playoff door like a secret agent—NOLA didn’t need more, especially with the potential (hypothetical/speculative/possible) return of Zion Williamson on the horizon. Nonetheless, it ended up with a perfect match in Dyson Daniels.
Loser: Deandre Ayton

Follow the offseason via the perspective of Deandre Ayton’s accountant if you want to suffer the effects of whiplash. After the Pistons traded Jerami Grant to the Trail Blazers early Wednesday, The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III wrote that the Pistons were likely to approach Ayton with the $43 million they had available.
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