Hours before Cade Cunningham shook Adam Silver’s hand, the movement was already underway.
The Lakers and Wizards were discussing the framework of a blockbuster deal that would send Russell Westbrook to Los Angeles to create a new Big 3 with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
It was only the start of a wild day that would see several trades — the Knicks dealt both of their first-round selections at Nos. 19 and 21, before picking Houston guard Quentin Grimes at 25 — and even more stunning picks. Billed as one of the best drafts in years, possibly all the way back to 2003, it may instead be remembered for its unpredictability.
“It was like a roller coaster,” 7-footer Evan Mobley said.
After the expected first three picks of Oklahoma State’s Cunningham to the Pistons, shooting guard Jalen Green of the G-League to the Rockets and USC’s Mobley to the Cavaliers, all the mock drafts may as well have been ripped apart.
The surprises came fast and furious, first with the Raptors opting for Florida State one-and-done wing Scottie Barnes fourth overall instead of Gonzaga point guard Jalen Suggs. At six, the Thunder went against the experts by taking Australian import Joshua Giddey, a playmaking forward. Ziaire Williams went 10th to the Grizzlies, an unexpected pick considering the 6-9 Williams struggled in his one year at Stanford and was supposed to be on the board well beyond the lottery. Alabama shooting guard Joshua Primo, who wasn’t even a lock to go in the first round before his strong NBA combine showing, went several picks before his projection at No. 12 to the Spurs. The youngest player in the draft who started just 19 games for Alabama, Primo wasn’t even at Barclays Center.
There was one non-surprise: The Thunder traded one of their first-round picks, No. 16 overall, to the Rockets for future first-round choices. Houston used the selection on power forward Alperen Sengun, the 19-year-old MVP of the Turkish Super League. Nobody stockpiles draft picks quite like Sam Presti.
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Brooklyn native James Bouknight, taken 11th overall by the Hornets, was the lone local to go in the first round. He could form an exciting and potent backcourt for the next decade with LaMelo Ball in Charlotte. With two picks in the first round, the Warriors added two intriguing forwards: physical combo forward Jonathan Kuminga (seventh), who like Green took the G-League route, and 3-and-D wing Moses Moody of Aerkansas (14th).
While most of the draft was about youth, and the potential teams see in these far-from-finished products, two players longer in the tooth were taken in the first 13 picks. The Kings chose rugged Baylor point guard Davion Mitchell — who turns 23 in September — ninth while the Pacers picked 24-year-old wing Chris Duarte 13th.
“When I say I’m ready to play, that means offensively, defensively, on and off the court,” Duarte said.
The night began as expected, with the Pistons taking Cunningham, the 6-8 Oklahoma State star who has been pegged as the No. 1 pick for months. Cunningham led the Cowboys to their first NCAA Tournament in four years last March, but his job with the Pistons is even more challenging. Detroit last won a round in the playoffs 13 years ago.
“I don’t want to take a step back from the mentality that the team [has had in the past]. Detroit Pistons have been about grit and working for everything they have,” Cunningham said. “Look back at the Bad Boys teams, that’s what those teams had. I want to try and bring that mentality to the team.
“That’s my whole goal stepping into Detroit, to restore that [pride to the] city. They’ve already had championship teams. They’ve already witnessed greatness. I want to be able to bring that back to the city.”