NBA Draft 2021 Results: Winners and Losers
With the 2021 NBA Draft ending on Thursday, fans around the world are excited to see the new faces in the NBA. The young prospects sat patiently at the Barclays Center, waiting to hear their names from Commissioner Adam Silver as teams selected their future rookies.
The first overall pick this year was Cade Cunningham of the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who was picked up by the Detroit Pistons. He joins an elite list of players who have been selected first overall in the NBA, and there will be serious expectations from the 19-year-old.
Who were the biggest winners and losers in the 2021 NBA Draft?
Just like every year, there are clear winners and losers on draft night 2021. Many teams pass up on elite talent and regret that later such as the famous 2009 NBA Draft debacle by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Timberwolves drafted three point guards in that draft and still passed on Stephen Curry twice. They will forever regret that decision, and analysts use their screw up as a 'what not to do' example to this day.
Moreover, not every prospect entering the league works out as expected. Several first overall picks have turned out to be busts over the years, such as Anthony Bennett and Kwame Brown. On that note, here's a look at the winners and losers from the 2021 NBA Draft:
Winner - Orlando Magic
![Jalen Suggs gets selected 5th overall by the Orlando Magic [Source: Star Tribune]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/07/3ff9b-16276348990531-800.jpg)
The Orlando Magic lucked out when Jalen Suggs, a star in the NCAA tournament, fell in their lap as the 5th overall pick. He is best known for his game-winning three-pointer from 30 feet out against UCLA in the Final Four game, which sent his Gonzaga Bulldogs to their second-ever championship Finals game.
The Magic are a rebuilding team that got an All-Star caliber player without giving up any assets. Jalen Suggs has an incredibly high upside, and many scouts believe he is NBA-ready and has the potential to make the NBA All-Star team soon.
Moreover, the Magic drafted Franz Wagner 8th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, a player who is considered a great pick-up by the team. That's because he solves a need for the Magic, giving them shooting. He is the brother of Moritz Wagner, so the two should complement each other well on the Magic roster.
The Orlando Magic now have a potential lineup of Cole Anthony, Gary Harris, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner, Mo Bamba, Dwayne Bacon, James Ennis III, Terrance Ross, RJ Hampton and Wendell Carter Jr. They have a decent roster for their new campaign.
Loser - OKC Thunder
For all the picks the OKC Thunder have collected, one expected them to make major moves on 2021 NBA Draft night. They had a plethora of picks in this year's draft, but made a few questionable choices.
They selected the 6th, 16th, 18th, 34th, 36th and 55th picks in the 2021 NBA Draft, but drafted only guards. They selected talented big man Alperen Sengun from the Turkish League as the 16th overall pick, but traded him to Houston Rockets for two future first-round picks.
The Thunder selected Josh Giddey of the Australian league as the 6th overall pick and Tre Mann of the Florida Gators as the 18th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
They had six guards before the draft, but GM Sam Presti went ahead and drafted three more guards in Tre Mann, Josh Giddey and Aaron Wiggins (55th pick). Moreover, even their 34th and 36th picks were both point guards - Miles McBride and Rokas Jokubaitis.
The expectation from the Thunder fanbase was that they'd select either Alperen Sengun or Kai Jones. Surprisingly, both were available for the OKC Thunder at the 16th and 18th spots in the 2021 NBA Draft, but the front office picked neither.
Now the front office has set up the franchise for another lottery campaign next season, and their stars, Kemba Walker and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, might not be too happy about that.