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The Danny Ainge System: Ranking every NBA shot-caller from worst to first (No. 1 is a shocker!)
We have reached the finale of The Danny Ainge System, our ranking of every NBA executive. We have already separately ranked every executive according to his history in the trade, draft and free-agency markets. It is probably best to catch up on those analyses before we dive into today's edition ... Part 1: Trade History Part 2: Draft History Part 3: Free Agency Using baseball's Sabermetrics, we categorized every trade, every draft pick and every free-agency signing as a strikeout, walk, single, double, triple or home run, creating a rating (or OPS) of each executive. If you want to get a feel for exactly how this works, go back and read Parts 1, 2 and 3. It will all make sense then. Here, we combined those scores to create an overall ranking of every NBA executive. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] A final reminder: Newcomers Jeff Peterson (Charlotte Hornets), Trajan Langdon (Detroit Pistons), Ben Tenzer (Denver Nuggets), Onsi Saleh (Atlanta Hawks), Scott Perry (Sacramento Kings), Brian Gregory (Phoenix Suns) and Bobby Webster (Toronto Raptors) do not have sample sizes big enough to evaluate. And again: If you take issue with a particular executive's ranking, go back through his history and tell me which decision was more of a walk than a strikeout or a triple instead of a double. If we agree, we'll adjust the System. But you can't just change the System because you didn't like the way a ranking turned out. Let us cease with the preamble and get to the actual rankings ... 23. Artūras Karnišovas, Chicago Bulls (2020-) Trades: .500 OBP • .000 SLG • .500 OPS Draft picks: .500 OBP • .600 SLG • 1.100 OPS Free agents: .625 OBP • .667 SLG • 1.292 OPS TOTALS: .545 OBP • .467 SLG • 1.017 OPS It should come as no surprise that Karnišovas' Bulls rank dead last. The once-proud franchise has been a mess ever since Michael Jordan left in 1998, save for a short-lived resurgence under Derrick Rose. They have made the playoffs once under Karnišovas, getting gentlemanly swept from the first round in 2022. Other than that, the Bulls have been an annual entrant into the Eastern Conference's play-in tournament, where they regularly have lost, staying stuck in the NBA's dreaded middle for the better part of a decade. 22. Joe Dumars, New Orleans Pelicans (2025-) Trades: .542 OBP • .526 SLG • 1.068 OPS Draft picks: .500 OBP • .565 SLG • 1.065 OPS Free agents: .484 OBP • .478 SLG • .962 TOTALS: .506 OBP • .523 SLG • 1.029 OPS Dumars built the 2004 champion Pistons, but his decision-making for another 10 years in Detroit came under heavy criticism, including the choice to select Darko Miličić over Carmelo Anthony in the 2003 draft. That history, apparently, led to his hiring in New Orleans, where he has come under fire once again, trading the Pelicans' unprotected first-round pick in 2026 in exchange for the right to draft Derik Queen. 21. Jon Horst, Milwaukee Bucks (2017-) Trades: .500 OBP • .636 SLG • 1.136 OPS Draft picks: .286 OBP • .167 SLG • .453 OPS Free agents: .524 OBP • .632 SLG • 1.156 OPS TOTALS: .476 OBP • .556 SLG • 1.032 OPS Likewise, Horst built the 2021 champion Bucks. Ever since, he has struggled to rebuild the roster, as age and injuries took their toll on the title core. This has led us to wonder if Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of the three best players in the league, could leave Milwaukee as a result. In a desperate attempt to satiate Antetokounmpo, Horst waived and stretched Damian Lillard in order to sign Myles Turner this summer, and his career — and the future of Antetokounmpo on the Bucks — will ultimately hinge on that choice. 20. Rob Pelinka, Los Angeles Lakers (2019-) Trades: .364 OBP • .900 SLG • 1.264 OPS Draft picks: .833 OBP • .000 SLG • .833 OPS Free agents: .387 OBP • .516 SLG • .903 OPS TOTALS: .438 OBP • .595 SLG • 1.033 OPS Again: Pelinka is largely responsible for building a championship team in 2020 around LeBron James (though he did not sign James; Magic Johnson did). Pelinka has constantly tinkered with the roster in the years since the title, mostly to negative results, until this year's trade for Luka Dončić fell into his lap. Whether or not the Lakers should trust Pelinka to construct another contender is a separate question. 19. Jeff Weltman, Orlando Magic (2017-) Trades: .500 OBP • .667 SLG • 1.167 OPS Draft picks: .500 OBP • .929 SLG • 1.429 OPS Free agents: .250 OBP • .250 SLG • .500 OPS TOTALS: .406 OBP • .645 SLG • 1.051 OPS Imagine what the Magic would look like if they didn't win the lottery in 2022. Same as they always did: Average. Weltman owns that pick, and it was not easy, but Paolo Banchero was the right choice. Weltman has been more productive in recent years, turning what was a 22-win team in 2022 into what should be a 50-win team this season, and it would not be shocking to see him higher on this list in the years to come. 18. Nico Harrison, Dallas Mavericks (2021-) Trades: .500 OBP • 714 SLG • 1.214 OPS Draft picks: .667 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 1.667 OPS Free agents: .333 OBP • .375 SLG • .708 OPS TOTALS: .450 OBP • .611 SLG • 1.061 OPS Nico Harrison traded Luka Dončić at the age of 25. Where did you expect him to rank? 17. Mike Dunleavy, Golden State Warriors (2023-) Trades: 1.000 OBP • 2.000 SLG • 3.000 OPS Draft picks: 1.000 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 2.000 OPS Free agents: .200 OBP • .200 SLG • .400 OPS TOTALS: .600 OBP • .571 SLG • 1.171 OPS Dunleavy has not been on the job long, so his scores are a little bit of an outlier. Any decision this summer could send him skyrocketing up or tumbling down these rankings. He inherited the aging core of a dynasty from former Warriors executive Bob Myers and has done well to keep them in contention. 16. Tim Connelly, Minnesota Timberwolves (2022-) Trades: .545 OBP • .588 SLG • 1.133 OPS Draft picks: .652 OBP • 1.056 SLG • 1.708 OPS Free agents: .400 OBP • .400 SLG • .800 OPS TOTALS: .550 OBP • .700 SLG • 1.250 OPS Connelly is a good executive. This is a good score. We should be reminded of that, as we try to determine why such a good executive ranks so low in relation to his peers. Connelly mostly built the 2023 champion Nuggets, and he has guided the Wolves to consecutive Western Conference finals appearances. He also had the grandest home run of anyone on this list, selecting Nikola Jokić with the 41st pick in the 2014 draft. But it only counts as one home run, and in a long career you are bound to amass lots of strikeouts. 15. Daryl Morey, Philadelphia 76ers (2020-) Trades: .513 OBP • .750 SLG • 1.263 OPS Draft picks: .682 OBP • .952 SLG • 1.634 OPS Free agents: .500 OBP • .658 SLG • 1.158 OPS TOTALS: .545 OBP • .758 SLG • 1.303 OPS See: Connelly, Tim. Morey is a good executive. He pulled off the James Harden trade in 2012, swiping an in-his-prime future Hall of Famer from the Oklahoma City Thunder. This is a good score — a decision here or there away from the top 10, and there are a lot of smart executives. That list of 10 fills up awfully fast. That decision here or there might also be what has separated Morey from a championship. That is the knock against him. Then again, he has taken a ton of swings, and hit for a ton of power, all while making the right decision more often than not. Anyone should take his record over the course of two decades. 14. Sean Marks, Brooklyn Nets (2016-) Trades: .600 OBP • .682 SLG • 1.282 OPS Draft picks: .636 OBP • .875 SLG • 1.511 OPS Free agents: .607 OBP • .560 SLG • 1.167 OPS TOTALS: .569 OBP • .735 SLG • 1.304 OPS The process was there, even if the results were not. Marks positioned the Nets — a moribund organization — to recruit Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to Brooklyn in the summer of 2019. He then traded for Harden, creating an instant contender. Its shelf-life also lasted an instant, as they combined for a single playoff series victory. It may have been more if not for injury, controversy and apathy. 13. Pat Riley, Miami Heat (1995-) Trades: .679 OBP • 1.211 SLG • 1.890 OPS Draft picks: .438 OBP • .774 SLG • 1.212 OPS Free agents: .524 OBP • .790 SLG • 1.314 TOTALS: .537 OBP • .860 SLG • 1.397 OPS Another great executive. This must be where your OPS settles when you've had a long and accomplished career, because who could ask for more from Riley? He drafted Dwyane Wade, traded for Shaquille O'Neal and signed LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Jimmy Butler, delivering three titles and seven NBA Finals appearances. The System is the System, and his score is his score, but who could ask for more. 12. Joe Cronin, Portland Trail Blazers (2021-) Trades: .667 OBP • .667 SLG • 1.333 OPS Draft picks: 1.000 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 2.000 OPS Free agents: 1.000 OBP • .000 SLG • 1.000 OPS TOTALS: .733 OBP • .700 SLG • 1.433 OPS Not a lot of at-bats. But Portland fans have to like the direction of this team. From Cronin's decisions, head coach Chauncey Billups fielded a competitive roster in the second half of last season, and they are positioned to keep that momentum going into this coming season. How the Blazers emerge from this rebuild will ultimately dictate where Cronin deserves to be in these standings, but he has done good work to this point. Let's just hope the decision to trade for Jrue Holiday doesn't come back to bite him. 11. Koby Altman, Cleveland Cavaliers (2017-) Trades: .750 OPS • .941 SLG • 1.691 OPS Draft picks: .444 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 1.444 OPS Free agents: .462 OBP • .583 SLG • 1.045 OPS TOTALS: .595 OBP • .838 SLG • 1.433 OPS Altman took over Cleveland's front office from David Griffin at the tail end of the LeBron James era, and he has stewarded them deftly through a rebuild, constructing a team that won 64 games last season and expects to compete for a championship again this season. The current roster, boasting All-Stars Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, speaks to Altman's success as a general manager. 10. Lawrence Frank, Los Angeles Clippers (2017-) Trades: .842 OBP • .923 SLG • 1.765 OPS Draft picks: .333 OBP • .625 SLG • .958 OPS Free agents: .600 OBP • .786 SLG • 1.386 OPS TOTALS: .651 OBP • .800 SLG • 1.451 OPS See: Marks, Sean. It is hard to fault Frank for acquiring both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in one summer, even if it cost them Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, among other assets. The Clippers were a contender, though they never delivered a championship. Frank put the pieces on the floor. Injuries prevented him from being more successful. He is still trying to patch things together around Leonard, and having some success, building a 50-win team that could be even more dangerous this season. 9. Zach Kleiman, Memphis Grizzlies (2019-) Trades: .682 OBP • .647 SLG • 1.329 OPS Draft picks: .692 OBP • 1.154 SLG • 1.846 OPS Free agents: .500 OBP • .625 SLG • 1.125 OPS TOTALS: .651 OBP • .816 SLG • 1.467 OPS It is hard to operate out of Memphis, the NBA's smallest media market. Yet, Kleiman hit a home run with his only top-five pick, selecting Ja Morant, who — when healthy and fully engaged — transforms the Grizzlies into a fringe contender. They have also managed to perform well in Morant's absence, mostly because Kleiman has found a handful of diamonds in the rough who became reliable NBA contributors. 8. Kevin Pritchard, Indiana Pacers (2017-) Trades: .900 OBP • 1.357 SLG • 2.257 OPS Draft picks: .476 OBP • .471 SLG • .947 OPS Free agents: .600 OBP • .800 SLG • 1.400 OPS TOTALS: .661 OBP • .848 SLG • 1.509 OPS It isn't easy to operate out of Indiana, either. Pritchard is tasked by ownership to field a competitive team every season, and for the most part he has done that, regularly connecting in the draft (Andrew Nembhard), via trade (Pascal Siakam) and even through free agency (T.J. McConnell). His work across every aspect of his job shone through this past season, when the Pacers reached Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Most impressive: Inheriting an unhappy Paul George, who wanted instead to play in Los Angeles, Pritchard managed to turn the face of the franchise into All-Stars Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, and then turned Sabonis into Tyrese Haliburton. Pritchard is perpetually spinning forward a challenger. 7. Michael Winger, Washington Wizards (2023-) Trades: .800 OBP • .667 SLG • 1.467 OPS Draft picks: 1.000 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 2.000 OPS Free agents: .500 OBP • .500 SLG • 1.000 OBP TOTALS: .824 OBP • .700 SLG • 1.524 OPS A bit of a surprise so high in the standings. Then again, Winger hasn't had to make many decisions, but the ones he has made have helped the Washington Wizards climb out of a hell of a hole. Washington was saddled with Bradley Beal's contract and had no path to relevancy. Winger did well to get out of that business, all the while stockpiling young assets, draft picks and salary cap space. The Wizards are well-positioned to make some noise in the coming years, all thanks to the quick and smart work of Winger. 6. Rafael Stone, Houston Rockets (2020-) Trades: .667 OBP • .667 SLG • 1.333 (OPS) Draft picks: .700 OBP • 1.222 SLG • 1.922 OPS Free agents: .625 OBP • .714 SLG • 1.339 OPS TOTALS: .667 OBP • .857 SLG • 1.524 OPS Stone inherited the tail end of the James Harden era in Houston. The Rockets had already begun to dismantle a contender, and they were going nowhere fast. In a few short years, which included a string of top-five picks, including Amen Thompson, Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr., Stone built a 50-win roster. Now, he has taken the biggest swing of his career, trading Green in a package for Kevin Durant, who will mean the difference between whether or not Stone's work produces a championship in the short-term. 5. Leon Rose, New York Knicks (2020-) Trades: .643 OBP • .846 SLG • 1.489 OPS Draft picks: .667 OBP • .667 SLG • 1.333 OPS Free agents: .600 OBP • 1.111 SLG • 1.711 OPS TOTALS: .636 OBP • .893 SLG • 1.529 OPS The Knicks were a doormat. They were who everybody walks over in order to get into contention. They are run by an inept owner who has served as an impediment to the success of his team's top shot-callers. Yet, Rose has navigated that difficult road better anyone else in New York this century, turning a 21-win team into a playoff mainstay. The roster that reached the Eastern Conference finals this past season was built almost entirely by Rose, mostly through trades and free agency, and they expect to contend again. 4. Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics (2021-) Trades: .800 OBP • 1.286 SLG • 2.086 OPS Draft picks: .333 OBP • .000 SLG • .333 OPS Free agents: .727 OBP • .571 SLG • 1.298 OPS TOTALS: .724 OBP • .813 SLG • 1.537 OPS Stevens coached the Celtics under Ainge to three Eastern Conference finals in four years. He took over the front office for a team that was about to lose two of its best players to free agency. The Celtics still boasted Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and Stevens was tasked with taking them to the next level. That he did. Stevens reacquired Al Horford and traded for Derrick White, Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday, all of whom helped Tatum and Brown capture the 2024 NBA championship. Stevens was looking at a couple of whiffs this summer, having to dump the contracts of Porziņģis and Holiday, and he did OK to get out relatively unscathed. Now, he is tasked with reconfiguring a contender for the 2026-27 season. 3. Sam Presti, Oklahoma City Thunder (2007-) Trades: .660 OBP • .737 SLG • 1.397 OPS Draft picks: .514 OBP • 1.033 SLG • 1.547 OPS Free agents: .417 OBP • .583 SLG • 1.000 OPS TOTALS: .620 OBP • .920 SLG • 1.540 I think we're all surprised that Presti wasn't No. 1 on these rankings. He has built two separate powerhouses in small-market Oklahoma City, the latest of which won the 2025 NBA championship. The Thunder — with a ton of young talent, a perfectly constructed roster and enough draft picks to restock the cupboard — are as capable of becoming a dynasty as any other champion since Golden State. Over a long career, though, you are bound to strike out. A lot. Still, to hit this consistently well, with this much power, for this long, is a wonder. A reminder: Four MVPs — four (Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) have come through Oklahoma City due to Presti's brilliance. 2. Danny Ainge, Celtics (2003-21) • Jazz (2021-) Trades: .787 OBP • 1.125 SLG • 1.912 Draft picks: .674 OBP • .1.147 SLG • 1.821 OPS Free agents: .471 OBP • .517 SLG • .988 OPS TOTALS: .661 OBP • .947 SLG • 1.608 OPS In Boston, Ainge built the 2008 NBA champions, trading for both Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in a single summer. He also drafted Tatum and Brown, the foundation of the 2024 NBA champions. In between, Ainge constructed a roster that regularly repped the Eastern Conference finals. He forged a powerhouse. In Utah, Ainge will have a harder time building in a small market. Much of his work hangs in the balance, as we await a determination for a number of his draft picks, including this year's selections, Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton. The Jazz are positioned to improve over the next few years. How much they actually do will depend on how well Ainge performed in the draft. If history tells us anything, Utah will be fine. 1. Brian Wright, San Antonio Spurs (2019-) Trades: .818 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 1.818 OPS Draft picks: .636 OBP • .1.250 SLG • 1.886 OPS Free agents: .800 OBP • .667 SLG • 1.467 OPS TOTALS: .741 OBP • 1.056 SLG • 1.797 OPS A shocker at No. 1! Nobody figured Wright, who has been on the job for a few years, to be this high on the list. Some of that has to do with a generous stroke of luck, as his Spurs won the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes in 2023, but a lot of it has to do with what he's done to build around a 7-foot-5 Frenchman. What roster, other than the Thunder, would you prefer to have over the next 10 years? The Spurs feature an All-Star point guard (De'Aaron Fox), an All-Star center (Wembanyama), a ton of young talent, some veteran depth and a cache of draft picks that could help make one final move. Trust Wright to make it.
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2 days ago
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- Yahoo
The Danny Ainge System: Which NBA lead execs have proven their mettle in free agency?
Congratulations on reaching Day 3 of The Danny Ainge System, where we rate every NBA executive's every decision, using baseball's Sabermetrics to determine a ranking of the league's best shot-callers. We have already determined our rankings of every executive based on their trade and draft histories. Today we are tackling every executive's history in free agency, categorizing each signing as a strikeout, walk, single, double, triple or home run. As we tally up each individual move, we can calculate an exec's rating (or OPS). The higher the OPS, the better the score. It will make more sense as we go. I promise. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] As was the case with trade and draft histories, there were several outliers in this portion of the System. None of them had made more than a handful of free-agent signings. They would have accounted for the three worst scores and a top-two score. It didn't feel right to include them, but we listed them here, as their limited production will still be included when we roll out the overall executive rankings on Friday. Joe Cronin, Portland Trail Blazers (2021-) Free agents: .000 OBP • .000 SLG • .000 OPS K: Gary Payton II (2022) Mike Dunleavy, Golden State Warriors (2023-) Free agents: .200 OBP • .200 SLG • .400 OPS 1B: Buddy Hield (2024) K: Cory Joseph (2023) • Dario Saric (2023) • De'Anthony Melton (2024) • Kyle Anderson (2024) Michael Winger, Washington Wizards (2023-) Free agents: .500 OBP • .000 SLG • .500 OPS BB: Jonas Valančiūnas (2024) K: Saddiq Bey (2024) Brian Wright, San Antonio Spurs (2019-) Free agents: .800 OBP • .667 SLG • 1.467 OPS 1B: Doug McDermott (2021) • Chris Paul (2024) BB: Bryn Forbes (2021) • Jock Landale (2021) K: Zach Collins (2021) That should give you a good feel for what you're looking at when it comes to The Danny Ainge System. It is a fun way to evaluate the recent history of the league and determine executive rankings in the process. We weeded out most inconsequential non-guaranteed contracts, including training camp invites, as well as most buyout signings, unless, of course, they hit, in which case the executive gets credit for the move. Another reminder: Newcomers Jeff Peterson (Charlotte Hornets), Trajan Langdon (Detroit Pistons), Ben Tenzer (Denver Nuggets), Onsi Saleh (Atlanta Hawks), Scott Perry (Sacramento Kings), Brian Gregory (Phoenix Suns) and Bobby Webster (Toronto Raptors) do not have sample sizes big enough to evaluate. And FYI: 2025 signings are not included, as we do not yet know their impact. OK, I think we're ready to dive into the free-agent history of every executive. Strap in for a wild ride ... 19. Jeff Weltman, Orlando Magic (2017-) Free agents: .250 OBP • .250 SLG • .500 OPS 1B: Khem Birch (2017) • Moritz Wagner (2021) • Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (2024) K: Shelvin Mack (2017) • Jonathon Simmons (2017) • Arron Afflalo (2017) • Marreese Speights (2017) • Al-Farouq Aminu (2019) • Michael Carter-Williams (2019) • Dwayne Bacon (2020) • Robin Lopez (2021) • Joe Ingles (2023) I'm not sure Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was a single. Weltman signed him to a three-year, $66 million deal, he underperformed, and he was traded inside of a year, though the Magic moved him as part of the trade for Desmond Bane, who could transform them into a more serious title contender. So we gifted Weltman a single. It's not great, though, when one of your other best signings is the brother of one of your players. 18. Nico Harrison, Dallas Mavericks (2021-) Free agents: .333 OBP • .375 SLG • .708 OPS 2B: Derrick Jones Jr. (2023) 1B: Reggie Bullock (2021) BB: Seth Curry (2023) K: Sterling Brown (2021) • Frank Ntilikina (2021) • JaVale McGee (2022) • Grant Williams (2023) • Naji Marshall (2024) • Spencer Dinwiddie (2024) Harrison hasn't been on the job long enough for a rich free-agent history, but signing Derrick Jones Jr. helped his team to an NBA Finals, and that warrants a double. Signing Grant Williams, on the other hand, cost the Mavericks a first-round pick to get him and another first-rounder to get rid of him. Not good. 17. Tim Connelly, Minnesota Timberwolves (2022-) Free agents: .400 OBP • .400 SLG • .800 OPS 1B: Randy Foye (2013) • Paul Millsap (2017) • Torrey Craig (2017) • Facu Campazzo (2020) • Jeff Green (2021) • Kyle Anderson (2022) K: J.J. Hickson (2013) • Nate Robinson (2013) • Isaiah Thomas (2018) • JaMychal Green (2020) • Austin Rivers (2022) • Bryn Forbes (2022) • Shake Milton (2023) • Troy Brown Jr. (2023) • Joe Ingles (2024) (Connelly served as general manager of the Denver Nuggets from 2013-22.) We should note: There is an inherent advantage to working out of a destination market. Pat Riley, for example, has an easier time recruiting players to Miami than, say, Zach Kleiman does getting guys to Memphis. Connelly has worked in both Denver and Minnesota, neither much of a destination market. Maybe Connelly deserved a double for signing Paul Millsap to a three-year, $90 million contract in 2017. Millsap had made four consecutive All-Star teams at the time. He never reached those heights in Denver, and by the time his tenure on the Nuggets was done, he was a bit part. I'm not sure he ever lived up to his end of that deal, so I gave him a single. We can argue these things all day, which is what makes it fun, but either way, Connelly has not had as much success in free agency as he has in the draft and trade markets. 16. Rob Pelinka, Los Angeles Lakers (2019-) Free agents: .387 OBP • .516 SLG • .903 OPS 3B: Austin Reaves (2021) 2B: Alex Caruso (2019) • Rajon Rondo (2019) 1B: Danny Green (2019) • Dwight Howard (2019) • Markieff Morris (2020) • Malik Monk (2021) • Lonnie Walker IV (2022) • Dennis Schroder (2022) • Thomas Bryant (2022) • Taurean Prince (2023) • Jordan Goodwin (2024) K: Avery Bradley (2019) • Quinn Cook (2019) • Jared Dudley (2019) • Wesley Matthews (2020) • Marc Gasol (2020) • Montrezl Harrell (2020) • Kendrick Nunn (2021) • Wayne Ellington (2021) • Carmelo Anthony (2021) • Rajon Rondo (2021) • Dwight Howard (2021) • Kent Bazemore (2021) • Damian Jones (2022) • Troy Brown Jr. (2022) • Juan Toscano-Anderson (2022) • Gabe Vincent (2023) • Christian Wood (2023) • Jaxson Hayes (2023) • Cam Reddish (2023) Remember: Pelinka should have an easier time recruiting players to L.A., but his best move was an undrafted free agent, Austin Reaves, who is bordering on stardom in Los Angeles. Pelinka has taken a ton of swings in his attempts to build around LeBron James, even constructing a championship rotation in 2020, but he does not get credit for landing James, whose signing fell under Magic Johnson's purview. 15. Joe Dumars, New Orleans Pelicans (2025-) Free agents: .484 OBP • .478 SLG • .962 OPS HR: Chauncey Billups (2002) 2B: Antonio McDyess (2004) 1B: Lindsey Hunter (2004) • Nazr Mohammed (2006) • Will Bynum (2008) • Charlie Villanueva (2009) • Chris Wilcox (2009) BB: Elden Campbell (2003) • Darvin Ham (2003) • Maurice Evans (2005) • Jarvis Hayes (2007) • Ben Wallace (2009) • Viacheslav Kravtsov (2012) • Gigi Datome (2013) • Chauncey Billups (2013) K: Joe Smith (2000) • Ratko Varda (2001) • Victor Alexander (2001) • Damon Jones (2001) • Pepe Sanchez (2002) • Danny Manning (2002) • Ronald Dupree (2004) • Dale Davis (2005) • Ronald Murray (2006) • Kwame Brown (2008) • Ben Gordon (2009) • Chucky Atkins (2009) • Tracy McGrady (2010) • Damien Wilkins (2011) • Josh Smith (2013) • Josh Harrellson (2013) Dumars signed Chauncey Billups, a Finals MVP for the 2004 champion Detroit Pistons, and he has been dining off it ever since. Good luck to him as he improbably tries to replicate that feat in New Orleans. 14. Danny Ainge, Boston (2003-21) • Utah Jazz (2021-) Free agents: .471 OBP • .517 SLG • .988 OPS HR: Al Horford (2016) 2B: James Posey (2007) 1B: Eddie House (2007) • P.J. Brown (2008) • Sam Cassell (2008) • Evan Turner (2014) • Gerald Green (2016) • Aron Baynes (2017) • Daniel Theis (2017) • Brad Wanamaker (2019) • Collin Sexton (2022) BB: Marquis Daniels (2009) • Shaquille O'Neal (2010) • Jason Collins (2012) • Leandro Barbosa (2012) • Patty Mills (2024) K: Tom Gugliotta (2004) • Brian Scalabrine (2005) • Rasheed Wallace (2009) • Jermaine O'Neal (2010) • Chris Wilcox (2011) • Jason Terry (2012) • Darko Miličić (2012) • Amir Johnson (2015) • Gordon Hayward (2017) • Kemba Walker (2019) • Enes Kanter (2019) • Vincent Poirier (2019) • Tristan Thompson (2020) • Jeff Teague (2020) • Omer Yurtseven (2023) • Johnny Juzang (2023) • Drew Eubanks (2024) • Svi Mykhailiuk (2024) (Ainge served as general manager of the Boston Celtics from 2003-21.) Prior to 2016, when Ainge persuaded Al Horford to join the Celtics, propelling them to perennial contention, Boston had never recruited a high-profile free agent. Rasheed Wallace, well past his prime, was as close as Ainge had come to a big-name signing, and he was one of many whiffs for a team that was built through the draft and trades. It isn't likely going to get any easier for Ainge in free agency in Utah. 13. Sam Presti, Oklahoma City Thunder (2007-) Free agents: .417 OBP • .583 SLG • 1.000 OPS 2B: Luguentz Dort (2019) • Isaiah Hartenstein (2024) 1B: Nenad Krstić (2008) • Mike Muscala (2019) • Kenrich Williams (2020) K: Daniel Orton (2012) • DeAndre Liggins (2012) • Anthony Morrow (2014) • Semaj Christon (2016) • Patrick Patterson (2017) • Raymond Felton (2017) • Nerlens Noel (2018) Another reminder that success in free agency does not dictate success in the NBA. Presti toiled in Seattle and Oklahoma City for years without a quality free-agent signing. It wasn't until he identified Lu Dort as an undrafted free agent that Presti found success, and then he overpaid to get Isaiah Hartenstein in the door last season. That paid off, as both Dort and Hartenstein were key members of this year's title team. 12. Koby Altman, Cleveland Cavaliers (2017-) Free agents: .462 OBP • .583 SLG • 1.045 OPS 2B: Lauri Markkanen (2021) • Ty Jerome (2023) 1B: Jeff Green (2017) • Dean Wade (2019) • Max Strus (2023) BB: Georges Niang (2023) K: Derrick Rose (2017) • Jose Calderon (2017) • Channing Frye (2018) • Ricky Rubio (2022) • Robin Lopez (2022) • Raul Neto (2022) • Tristan Thompson (2023) Registering an OPS higher than 1.000 is really hard in free agency, and Altman has done it in Cleveland, a destination free agents rarely prioritize. Still, Altman signed-and-traded for Lauri Markkanen, who begot Donovan Mitchell, and added Ty Jerome, who challenged for Sixth Man of the Year on a minimum deal. It is a bit of good work, as was signing Max Strus, whose arrival helped the Cavaliers to 64 wins last season. 11. Zach Kleiman, Memphis Grizzlies (2019-) Free agents (OBP: .500 • SLG: .625 • OPS: 1.125 2B: Tyus Jones (2019) 1B: John Konchar (2019) • Scotty Pippen Jr. (2023) • Jay Huff (2024) K: Marko Guduric (2019) • Jontay Porter (2020) • Bismack Biyombo (2023) • Derrick Rose (2023) It is almost impossible to operate as a free-agent merchant out of Memphis, but Kleiman has done well to identify undrafted free agents, adding John Konchar, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jay Huff to a playoff team's rotation. Huff, in particular, fetched a pair of second-round picks for the Grizzlies in a trade this summer. 10. Jon Horst, Milwaukee Bucks (2017-) Free agents: .524 OBP • .632 SLG • 1.156 OPS 3B: Brook Lopez (2018) 2B: Bobby Portis (2020) 1B: Pat Connaughton (2018) • Wesley Matthews (2019) • Bryn Forbes (2020) • Jevon Carter (2022) • Malik Beasley (2023) • Taurean Prince (2024) • Gary Trent Jr. (2024) BB: Thanasis Antetokounmpo (2019) • Torrey Craig (2020) K: Ersan Ilyasova (2018) • Robin Lopez (2019) • Kyle Korver (2019) • D.J. Augustin (2020) • George Hill (2021) • Rodney Hood (2021) • Semi Ojeleye (2021) • Joe Ingles (2022) • Robin Lopez (2023) • Delon Wright (2024) Half of Milwaukee's 2021 championship rotation was signed by Horst, as Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton and Bryn Forbes contributed. Thanasis Antetokounmpo was there, too, earning him a walk as well. Horst has done well to squeeze value from what has mostly been minimum-level signings. Horst's history does not include this year's signing of Myles Turner, as it is too early to determine his impact, but from an early vantage point, it may have been the most controversial free-agent signing of the summer. 9. Daryl Morey, Philadelphia 76ers (2020-) Free agents: .500 OBP • .658 SLG • 1.158 OPS 3B: Dwight Howard (2013) • Eric Gordon (2016) 2B: Trevor Ariza (2009) • Patrick Beverley (2012) • PJ Tucker (2017) 1B: Jeremy Lin (2012) • Omer Asik (2012) • Aaron Brooks (2012) • Omri Casspi (2013) • Josh Smith (2014) • Ryan Anderson (2016) • Nene (2016) • Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (2017) • Gerald Green (2017) • Danuel House (2018) • Austin Rivers (2018) • Andre Drummond (2021) • Kelly Oubre Jr. (2023) BB: Michael Carter-Williams (2018) • Georges Niang (2021) K: Steve Francis (2007) • Brent Barry (2008) • David Anderson (2009) • Brad Miller (2010) • Samuel Dalembert (2011) • Carlos Delfino (2012) • Tarik Black (2017) • James Ennis III (2018) • Tyson Chandler (2019) • Thabo Sefolosha (2019) • Dwight Howard (2020) • Danuel House (2022) • P.J. Tucker (2022) • Montrezl Harrell (2022) • Patrick Beverley (2023) • Mo Bamba (2023) • Paul George (2024) •.Caleb Martin (2024) • Andre Drummond (2024) • Eric Gordon (2024) (Morey served as general manager of the Houston Rockets from 2007-20.) Morey signed Dwight Howard, who helped his Rockets to the 2015 Western Conference finals, and Eric Gordon, who won a Sixth Man of the Year award in Houston. He has hit a few doubles and a ton of singles. This is a good score, especially for someone who has been on the job for so long, but Morey could use a hit in Philadelphia, where his history of free-agent signings (i.e., Paul George) is shaky at best. 8. Sean Marks, Brooklyn Nets (2016-) Free agents: .607 OBP • .560 SLG • 1.167 OPS HR: Kevin Durant (2019) 3B: Kyrie Irving (2019) 2B: Joe Harris (2016) 1B: Jeff Green (2020) • Patty Mills (2021) • Blake Griffin (2021) • T.J. Warren (2022) • Trendon Watford (2023) BB: Yuta Watanabe (2022) • Markieff Morris (2022) • Lonnie Walker IV (2023) K: Jeremy Lin (2016) • Trevor Booker (2016) • Justin Hamilton (2016) • Luis Scola (2016) • Greivis Vasquez (2016) • Randy Foye (2016) • Quincy Acy (2016) • Ed Davis (2018) • DeAndre Jordan (2019) • Garrett Temple (2019) • Dennis Smith Jr. (2023) Give credit to Marks, whose plan to create two max-salary free-agent slots worked, as he signed both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the summer of 2019. While that did not yield a championship, it did forge a short-lived contender, one that might have made more noise in the playoffs had Irving been healthy. 7. Artūras Karnišovas, Chicago Bulls (2020-) Free agents: .625 OBP • .667 SLG • 1.292 OPS 2B: Alex Caruso (2021) 1B: Garrett Temple (2020) • Andre Drummond (2022) BB: Jevon Carter (2023) • Jalen Smith (2024) K: Lonzo Ball (2021) • Goran Dragic (2022) • Torrey Craig (2023) Hey, the Bulls aren't terrible at everything! Though they haven't hit for much power, and the one double they did have, Alex Caruso, immediately won a championship once they traded him for Josh Giddey, who remains unsigned in restricted free agency. At least there haven't been too many free-agent strikeouts. 6. Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics (2021-) Free agents: .727 OBP • .571 SLG • 1.298 OPS 1B: Sam Hauser (2021) • Luke Kornet (2021) • Oshae Brissett (2023) • Neemias Queta (2023) BB: Enes Kanter (2021) • Blake Griffin (2022) • Svi Mykhailiuk (2023) • Torrey Craig (2025) K: Dennis Schroder (2021) • Jabari Parker (2021) • Danilo Gallinari (2022) Not much power, but Stevens has a pretty consistent track record of identifying helpful players in free agency. Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet, in particular, played roles on Boston's 2024 championship roster. 5. Pat Riley, Miami Heat (1995-) Free agents: .524 OBP • .790 SLG • 1.314 HR: LeBron James (2010) • Chris Bosh (2010) • Jimmy Butler (2019) 3B: Udonis Haslem (2003) • Lamar Odom (2003) 2B: Ray Allen (2012) • Hassan Whiteside (2014) • Gabe Vincent (2020) • Max Strus (2020) • Caleb Martin (2021) 1B: P.J. Brown (1996) • Terry Porter (1998) • Rafer Alston (2003) • Gary Payton (2005) • Joel Anthony (2007) • Mike Miller (2010) • Shane Battier (2011) • Chris Andersen (2012) • Tyler Johnson (2014) • Rodney McGruder (2016) • Kelly Olynyk (2017) • Duncan Robinson (2018) • Kendrick Nunn (2019) • P.J. Tucker (2021) • Kyle Lowry (2021) • Haywood Highsmith (2022) • Kevin Love (2023) BB: Dan Majerle (1996) • Clarence Weatherspoon (1999) • James Jones (2008) • James Johnson (2016) • Wayne Ellington (2016) • Maurice Harkless (2020) K: Stacey King (1995) • Gary Grant (1996) • Ed Pinckney (1996) • Terry Mills (1997) • Blue Edwards (1998) • Otis Thorpe (1999) • A.C. Green (2000) • LaPhonso Ellis (2001) • Kendall Gill (2001) • Travis Best (2002) • Samaki Walker (2003) • Michael Doleac (2004) • Wesley Person (2004) • Smush Parker (2007) • Rashard Lewis (2012) • Greg Oden (2013) • Michael Beasley (2013) • Luol Deng (2014) • Josh McRoberts (2014) • Amare' Stoudemire (2015) • Gerald Green (2015) • Dion Waiters (2016) • Derrick Williams (2016) • Willie Reed (2016) • Jordan Mickey (2017) • Avery Bradley (2020) • Markieff Morris (2021) • Josh Richardson (2023) • Thomas Bryant (2023) • Alec Burks (2024) A stat sheet for the ages. Three home runs, including two in the same summer, LeBron James and Chris Bosh, who delivered back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. They, along with Dwyane Wade, were the faces of the Heatles, who saw plenty of minimum-contracted free agents pass through Miami's door, some of whom hit and many of whom swung and missed. Such is the life of Riley, a longtime executive. It is a wonder how Riley landed Jimmy Butler with no salary cap space to speak of. It was the type of thing that could only happen in Miami and required Morey's approval of a sign-and-trade. All it cost the Heat was Josh Richardson, and it produced a pair of NBA Finals appearances. A home run and a half. Now, Miami is waiting on its next chance for a big swing in free agency, except the biggest-name players are rarely becoming available, as they chase the guaranteed money from exorbitant extensions. That has made it all the more difficult for front-office shot-callers to hit for extra bases in this portion of their job. 4. Rafael Stone, Houston Rockets (2020-) Free agents: .625 OBP • .714 SLG • 1.339 OPS 2B: Fred VanVleet (2023) 1B: Jae'Sean Tate (2020) • Dillon Brooks (2023) • Aaron Holiday (2023) BB: Jeff Green (2023) K: Christian Wood (2020) • Daniel Theis (2021) • Jock Landale (2023) Stone has not been on the job long, so he has not had too many opportunities to strike out. He has, however, made the most of his limited chances, signing Fred VanVleet, who helped legitimize Houston as a playoff team. Stone also scored Dillon Brooks, a signing most everyone took issue with, only for him to become an asset worthy of trading in a deal for Kevin Durant. With Aaron Holiday and Jeff Green also in the fold this season, Durant, VanVleet and the Rockets are among the league's leading title contenders. 3. Lawrence Frank, Los Angeles Clippers (2017-) Free agents: .600 OBP • .786 SLG • 1.386 OPS 3B: Kawhi Leonard (2019) 2B: Reggie Jackson (2020) 1B: Nicolas Batum (2020) • Isaiah Hartenstein (2021) • Russell Westbrook (2023) • Derrick Jones Jr. (2024) • Kris Dunn (2024) • Nicolas Batum (2024) BB: Patrick Patterson (2019) K: Mike Scott (2018) • Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (2018) • Rodney McGruder (2019) • Serge Ibaka (2020) • Justise Winslow (2021) • John Wall (2022) We could argue all day whether Kawhi Leonard is a home run. His health has been a consistent impediment to superstardom, but his signing did help alter our perception of the Clippers as a free-agent destination. They are in L.A., after all, and that helped Frank recruit three players last summer — Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn and Nicolas Batum — who each contributed to a 50-win team this past season. 2. Kevin Pritchard, Indiana Pacers (2017-) Free agents: .600 OBP • .800 SLG • 1.400 OPS 2B: Andre Miller (2009) • Bojan Bogdanovic (2017) • T.J. McConnell (2019) 1B: Steve Blake (2007) • Darren Collison (2017) • Doug McDermott (2018) • Malcolm Brogdon (2019) • Jeremy Lamb (2019) • Justin Holiday (2019) K: Tyreke Evans (2018) • Kyle O'Quinn (2018) • Kelan Martin (2020) • Torrey Craig (2021) • Bruce Brown (2023) • James Wiseman (2024) (Pritchard served as general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers from 2007-10.) Indiana is far from a free-agent destination. Same went for Portland, for that matter. But Pritchard just goes to show you, as long as you make contact, you can post a pretty good track record in this market, even if you never connect for a triple or a home run. Pritchard hasn't taken a ton of swings, but he picks his spots and rakes for the most part. T.J. McConnell is his latest example of a good cut at a low salary. 1. Leon Rose, New York Knicks (2020-) Free agents: .600 OBP • 1.111 SLG • 1.711 OPS HR: Jalen Brunson (2022) 2B: Isaiah Hartenstein (2022) • Donte DiVincenzo (2023) 1B: Alec Burks (2020) • Cameron Payne (2024) BB: Austin Rivers (2020) K: Nerlens Noel (2020) • Evan Fournier (2021) • Kemba Walker (2021) • Landry Shamet (2024) When the Knicks signed Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million contract in the summer of 2022, a lot of folks figured it for an overpay. As it turns out, it was a wild underpay, as Brunson has changed what we thought possible for New York. They are, as a result of his signing, serious championship contenders.
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3 days ago
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The Danny Ainge System: Which NBA shot-callers excel on draft day?
Welcome back to The Danny Ainge System, where on Tuesday we evaluated every NBA executive's trade history, compiling a rating (or OPS) of their performance in that market. Kevin Pritchard, president of basketball operations for the reigning Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers, was our leader in that regard. Today we are evaluating every NBA executive's draft history, using baseball's Sabermetrics to categorize each selection as a home run, triple, double, single, walk or strikeout. The higher the OPS, the better the GM. If you are not following, it's OK. It will make more sense as we go. Come along for the ride. (On Thursday we will evaluate every NBA executive's free-agent performance. And on Friday we will compile our findings and provide a complete picture of who is best leading his franchise into the future.) As we had with the trade ratings, there was an outlying score in the draft history portion of the System — a number of them, actually. None of the executives had made more than a handful of draft selections. Their scores would have included (by far) the best and worst of the bunch, so I felt as if it were unfair to include them in these rankings. We will still categorize their draft histories here for the overall rankings ... Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics (2021-) Draft picks: .333 OBP • .000 SLG • .333 OPS BB: Baylor Scheierman (30th, 2024) K: Juhann Begarin (45th, 2021) • Jordan Walsh (38th, 2022) Nico Harrison, Dallas Mavericks (2021-) Draft picks: .667 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 1.667 OPS 2B: Dereck Lively II (12th, 2023) 1B: Jaden Hardy (37th, 2022) K: Olivier-Maxence Prosper (24th, 2023) Joe Cronin, Portland Trail Blazers (2021-) Draft picks (OBP: 1.000 • SLG: 1.000 • OPS: 2.000) 1B: Shaedon Sharpe (7th, 2022) • Scoot Henderson (3rd, 2023) • Donovan Clingan (7th, 2024) BB: Kris Murray (23rd, 2023) • Rayan Rupert (43rd, 2023) Mike Dunleavy, Golden State Warriors (2023-) Draft picks: 1.000 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 2.000 OPS 1B: Brandin Podziemski (19th, 2023) BB: Trayce Jackson-Davis (57th, 2023) • Quinten Post (52nd, 2024) Michael Winger, Washington Wizards (2023-) Draft picks: 1.000 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 2.000 OPS 1B: Bilal Coulibaly (7th, 2023) • Alex Sarr (2nd, 2024) • Bub Carrington (14th, 2024) BB: Tristan Vukčević (42nd, 2023) • Kyshawn George (24th, 2024) Have a feel for what you're looking at now? Every draft pick is categorized as a hit, a walk or a strikeout. How much power each exec hit for depends on how impactful the player became. But as a general rule ... HR: A face of the franchise 3B: A star-level talent 2B: A rotation regular 1B: A moderate success BB: A marginal move K: A relative bust For this exercise we removed picks 46-60, unless, of course, one of them reach base, in which case the executive gets credit for a walk or a hit. Otherwise, those picks have become too much of a crapshoot. We didn't want to penalize an executive for an almost impossible ask, but we did need to create a cutoff somewhere, so we included the first half of the second round, even if a bunch of those are whiffs, too. Even late first-round picks are more difficult than those in the lottery. It's just the nature of the game. San Antonio Spurs general manager Brian Wright lucked into the Victor Wembanyama pick, just as Juan Soto checked his swing into a home run, and then lucked into the No. 2 pick again in June. It is too early to tell whether Dylan Harper will carry the same power, so we removed this year's picks from the System. A quick reminder: Newcomers Jeff Peterson (Charlotte Hornets), Trajan Langdon (Detroit Pistons), Ben Tenzer (Denver Nuggets), Onsi Saleh (Atlanta Hawks), Scott Perry (Sacramento Kings), Brian Gregory (Phoenix Suns) and Bobby Webster (Toronto Raptors) do not have sample sizes big enough to evaluate. Let's get to the rankings. Ladies and gentlemen, The Danny Ainge System: Draft History. 18. Jon Horst, Milwaukee Bucks (2017-) Draft picks: .286 OBP • .167 SLG • .453 OPS 1B: Donte DiVincenzo (17th, 2018) BB: Tyler Smith (33rd, 2024) K: D.J. Wilson (17th, 2017) • Jordan Nwora (45th, 2020) • MarJon Beauchamp (24th, 2022) • Andre Jackson Jr. (36th, 2023) • AJ Johnson (23rd, 2024) That's just a tough draft history. No way around it. Especially considering the Bucks parted ways with Donte DiVincenzo, Horst's only successful draft pick, in exchange for an aging Serge Ibaka, before the Villanova product even reached his second contract. Milwaukee could sure use a player like that right now — or anyone from the last eight years out of the draft who could assist Giannis Antetokounmpo. 17. Rob Pelinka, Los Angeles Lakers (2019-) Draft picks: .833 OBP • .000 SLG • .833 OPS BB: Talen Horton-Tucker (46th, 2019) • Max Christie (35th, 2022) • Maxwell Lewis (40th, 2023) • Dalton Knecht (17th, 2024) • Bronny James (55th, 2024) K: Jalen Hood-Schifino (17th, 2023) Maybe it's a good thing if the Lakers trade away all of their draft picks. Here's rooting for Bronny James. 16. Kevin Pritchard, Indiana Pacers (2017-) Draft picks: .476 OBP • .471 SLG • .947 OPS 2B: Nicolas Batum (25th, 2008) • Andrew Nembhard (31st, 2022) 1B: Rudy Fernandez (24th, 2007) • Dante Cunningham (33rd, 2009) • Bennedict Mathurin (6th, 2022) • Ben Sheppard (26th, 2023) BB: Josh McRoberts (37th, 2007) • Patty Mills (55th, 2009) • Aaron Holiday (23rd, 2018) • Johnny Furphy (35th, 2024) K: Greg Oden (1st, 2007) • Petteri Koponen (30th, 2007) • Victor Claver (22nd, 2009) • Jeff Ayres (31st, 2009) • Luke Babbitt (16th, 2010) • Elliot Williams (22nd, 2010) • Armon Johnson (34th, 2010) • T.J. Leaf (18th, 2017) • Goga Bitadze (18th, 2019) • Chris Duarte (13th, 2021) • Isaiah Jackson (22nd, 2021) (Pritchard served as general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers from 2007-2010.) Man, that Greg Oden pick looms large. A bunch of general managers would have made the same selection, but some — including Ainge — claim they would have drafted Kevin Durant ahead of Oden. At any rate, Pritchard has finally connected on some recent draft picks. No doubt Andrew Nembhard could turn his double into a triple, especially in the absence of an injured Tyrese Haliburton. Same goes for Benn Mathurin and Ben Sheppard, both of whom could turn singles into doubles. Mathurin might even be there already, given his occasionally outstanding impact in the playoffs. Johnny Furphy might be able to leg out a single, too. Good things are happening for the Pacers, despite the Haliburton news. 15. Lawrence Frank, Los Angeles Clippers (2017-) Draft picks: .333 OBP • .625 SLG • .958 OPS HR: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (11th, 2018) 1B: Terance Mann (18th, 2019) BB: Moussa Diabaté (43rd, 2022) K: Jerome Robinson (13th, 2018) • Mfiondu Kabengele (27th, 2019) • Daniel Oturu (33rd, 2020) • Keon Johnson (21st, 2021) • Jason Preston (33rd, 2021) • Kobe Brown (30th, 2023) Give credit to Lawrence Frank for identifying Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the 2018 draft, though he traded the Canadian before he became a superstar in Oklahoma City. We still granted Frank a homer. Other than that, though — and SGA might have been more of a double for L.A. than a home run — Frank's draft history is a rough scene. Then again, he has only twice drafted in the lottery and once took a future MVP. Maybe the draft is more of a coin flip than we even thought. 14. Joe Dumars, Detroit (2000-2014) • New Orleans Pelicans (2025-) Draft picks: .500 OBP • .565 SLG • 1.065 OPS 2B: Tayshaun Prince (23rd, 2002) • Andre Drummond (9th, 2012) 1B: Mehmet Okur (38th, 2001) • Carlos Delfino (25th, 2003) • Amir Johnson (56th, 2005) • Rodney Stuckey (15th, 2007) • Arron Afflalo (27th, 2007) • Jonas Jerebko (39th, 2009) • Greg Monroe (7th, 2010) • Khris Middleton (39th, 2012) • Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (8th, 2013) BB: Brian Cardinal (44th, 2000) K: Mateen Cleaves (14th, 2000) • Rodney White (9th, 2001) • Darko Miličić (2nd, 2003) • Jason Maxiell (26th, 2005) • Walter Sharpe (32nd, 2008) • Austin Daye (15th, 2009) • DaJuan Summers (35th, 2009) • Terrico White (36th, 2010) • Brandon Knight (8th, 2011) • Kyle Singler (33rd, 2011) • Kim English (44th, 2012) • Tony Mitchell (37th, 2013) (Dumars served as general manager of the Detroit Pistons from 2000-2014.) Dumars drafted Tayshaun Prince to a championship core and selected Andre Drummond, a two-time All-Star who never meaningfully impacted winning in Detroit. Outside of that, he failed to hit for any power for long stretches of his career, including the 2003 selection of Darko Miličić, a historic strikeout at No. 2 overall. What Detroit might have been with Carmelo Anthony instead is an all-time barroom debate. This does not include Dumars' 2025 selections of Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen. Queen, in particular, became the subject of much surprise around the league — not because he was taken in the lottery but because New Orleans gave up its unprotected 2026 first-round pick to get him. It may have been the single-most confounding trade of the offseason, but it goes unrecorded in our ledger, as the picks this summer are too fresh to evaluate. The Pelicans have invested this entire season into Queen. No pressure. 13. Artūras Karnišovas, Chicago Bulls (2020-) Draft picks: .500 OBP • .600 SLG • 1.100 OPS 2B: Matas Buzelis (11th, 2024) 1B: Ayo Dosunmu (38th, 2021) K: Patrick Williams (4th, 2020) • Marko Simonovic (44th, 2020) • Dalen Terry (18th, 2022) BB: Julian Philips (35th, 2023) That Patrick Williams pick is not going to help his cause. Matas Buzelis might, and Noa Essengue, this year's lottery pick, is coming, too. This score could get a lot better or a lot worse for Karnišovas soon. 12. Pat Riley, Miami Heat (1995-) Draft picks: .438 OBP • .774 SLG • 1.212 OPS HR: Dwyane Wade (5th, 2003) • Bam Adebayo (14th, 2017) 3B: Caron Butler (10th, 2002) • Tyler Herro (13th, 2019) 2B: Josh Richardson (40th, 2015) 1B: Eddie House (37th, 2000) • Rasual Butler (53rd, 2002) • Dorell Wright (19th, 2004) • Mario Chalmers (34th, 2008) • Nikola Jovic (27th, 2022) • Jaime Jaquez Jr. (18th, 2023) • Kel'el Ware (15th, 2024) • Pelle Larson (44th, 2024) BB: Precious Achiuwa (20th, 2020) K: Martin Müürsepp (25th, 1996) • Charles Smith (26th, 1997) • Mark Smith (31st, 1997) • Tim James (25th, 1999) • Jerome Beasley (33rd, 2003) • Albert Miralles (39th, 2004) • Wayne Simien (29th, 2005) • Daequan Cook (21st, 2007) • Michael Beasley (2nd, 2008) • Patrick Beverley (42nd, 2009) • Dexter Pittman (32nd, 2010) • Jarvis Varnado (41st, 2010), Da'Sean Butler (42nd, 2010) • Norris Cole (28th, 2011) • Justin Hamilton (45th, 2012) • Shabazz Napier (24th, 2014) • Justise Winslow (10th, 2015) • KZ Okpala (32nd, 2019) Riley drafted Dwyane Wade, a franchise icon, which warrants a long career. He extended it with his work on the trade market and in free agency. He also drafted Bam Adebayo, the backbone of two more trips to the NBA Finals. He has hit a couple triples, a double and a bunch of singles. He has a rich draft history. But you would expect a little more success from someone who is 30 years into this gig. There were a lot of whiffs late in the first round and early in the second round. There were some big swings and misses, too, when it came to Michael Beasley and Justise Winslow. If only Riley had taken Ainge up on his offer of a handful of first-round draft picks for Winslow, the two archrivals might be flipped in these rankings. 11. Leon Rose, New York Knicks (2020-) Draft picks: .667 OBP • .667 SLG • 1.333 OPS 2B: Immanuel Quickley (25th, 2020) 1B: Quentin Grimes (25th, 2021) • Miles McBride (36th, 2021) BB: Pacôme Dadiet (25th, 2024) • Tyler Kolek (34th, 2024) • Ariel Hukporti (58th, 2024) K: Obi Toppin (8th, 2020) • Rokas Jokubaitis (34th, 2021) • Trevor Keels (42nd, 2022) If only Rose had held onto Obi Toppin, he might have ended up with another single. As it is, he had to watch as Toppin contributed as a member of the Pacers to his team's defeat in the conference finals. Note, too, that Toppin was the only player taken higher than 25th by Rose, and Rose gave up too early on his best opportunity at success in the draft. It is good to know, though, that it is possible to be successful without much success in the draft, as the Knicks are in decent shape despite their difficult draft history. 10. Jeff Weltman, Orlando Magic (2017-) Draft picks: .500 OBP • .929 SLG • 1.429 OPS HR: Paolo Banchero (1st, 2022) 3B: Franz Wagner (8th, 2021) 2B: Jalen Suggs (5th, 2021) 1B: Jonathan Isaac (6th, 2017) • Cole Anthony (15th, 2020) • Anthony Black (6th, 2023) • Tristan da Silva (18th, 2024) K: Mo Bamba (6th, 2018) • Wes Iwundu (33rd, 2018) • Melvin Frazier (35th, 2018) • Justin Jackson (43rd, 2018) • Chuma Okeke (16th, 2019) • Caleb Houstan (32nd, 2022) • Jett Howard (11th, 2023) The Magic have perennially picked one selection too late in the draft, often just missing elite prospects. But in back-to-back years Weltman dug himself out of a slump, taking Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero in successive drafts, forming the foundation of what should be a 50-win team this year. 9. Koby Altman, Cleveland Cavaliers (2017-) Draft picks: .444 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 1.444 OPS HR: Evan Mobley (3rd, 2021) 3B: Darius Garland (5th, 2019) 1B: Collin Sexton (8th, 2018) BB: Jaylon Tyson (20th, 2024) K: Dylan Windler (26th, 2019) • Kevin Porter Jr. (30th, 2019) • Isaac Okoro (5th, 2020) • Ochai Agbaji (14th, 2022) • Khalifa Diop (39th, 2022) Altman did not miss on his top-five picks, and the Cavaliers are benefiting from that power, as Evan Mobley and Darius Garland formed a partnership that was worthy of investing into Donovan Mitchell (and vice versa). Together they formed a 64-win team that unfortunately lost in the second round of the playoffs, but the East is shallow, and the Cavs are expected to be the cream of the crop again next season. There is hope in Cleveland again, as the Cavaliers will go as far as Mobley and Garland take them. 8. Sean Marks, Brooklyn Nets (2016-) Draft picks: .636 OBP • .875 SLG • 1.511 OPS 3B: Jarrett Allen (22nd, 2017) 2B: Nic Claxton (31st, 2019) 1B: Caris LeVert (20th, 2016) • Cam Thomas (27th, 2021) BB: Isaiah Whitehead (42nd, 2016) • Rodion Kurucs (40th, 2018) • Kessler Edwards (44th, 2021) K: Džanan Musa (29th, 2018) • Day'Ron Sharpe (29th, 2021) • Noah Clowney (21st, 2023) • Dariq Whitehead (22nd, 2023) Marks has done a decent job in the draft despite never having a pick higher than No. 20. That changed this year, when the Nets picked eighth (Egor Demin) before also selecting 19th (Nolan Traore), 22nd (Drake Powell), 26th (Ben Saraf) and 27th (Danny Wolf). That is a lot of at-bats for one summer. 7. Sam Presti, Oklahoma City Thunder (2007-) Draft picks: .514 OBP • 1.065 SLG • 1.579 OPS HR: Kevin Durant (2nd, 2007) • Russell Westbrook (4th, 2008) • James Harden (3rd, 2009) • Jalen Williams (12th, 2022) 3B: Serge Ibaka (24th, 2008) • Chet Holmgren (2nd, 2022) 2B: Reggie Jackson (24th, 2011) • Steven Adams (12th, 2013) • Cason Wallace (10th, 2023) 1B: Andre Roberson (26th, 2013) • Cameron Payne (14th, 2015) • Josh Giddey (6th, 2021) • Aaron Wiggins (55th, 2021) • Jaylin Williams (34th, 2022) BB: Hamidou Diallo (45th, 2018) • Ousmane Dieng (11th, 2022) • Nikola Topic (12th, 2024) • Ajay Mitchell (38th, 2024) K: D.J. White (29th, 2008) • Kyle Weaver (38th, 2008) • B.J. Mullens (24th, 2009) • Cole Aldrich (11th, 2010) • Tibor Pleiß (31st, 2010) • Perry Jones (28th, 2012) • Álex Abrines (32nd, 2013) • Grant Jerrett (40th, 2013) • Mitch McGary (21st, 2014) • Josh Huestis (29th, 2014) • Terrance Ferguson (21st, 2017) • Darius Bazley (23rd, 2019) • Aleksej Pokusevski (17th, 2020) • Vit Krejci (37th, 2020) • Tre Mann (18th, 2021) • Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (32nd, 2021) • Dillon Jones (26th, 2024) It is a thing of beauty looking at this stat sheet. Four home runs, including Jalen Williams, who, as the second-best player on a championship team, deserves that status. That run of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden will never be matched. But it just goes to show you: When you are in this business a long enough time, there are bound to be a lot of swings and misses, especially when you are so often selecting late in the first round. 6. Daryl Morey, Philadelphia 76ers (2020-) Draft picks: .682 OBP • .952 SLG • 1.634 OPS 3B: Tyrese Maxey (21st, 2020) 2B: Chandler Parsons (38th, 2011) • Clint Capela (25th, 2014) • Montrezl Harrell (32nd, 2015) • Jared McCain (16th, 2024) 1B: Aaron Brooks (26th, 2007) • Chase Budinger (44th, 2009) • Patrick Patterson (14th, 2010) • Marcus Morris (14th, 2011) • Donatas Motiejunas (20th, 2011) • Terrence Jones (18th, 2012) • Jeremy Lamb (12th, 2012) • Isaiah Hartenstein (43rd, 2017) • Paul Reed (58th, 2020) BB: Adem Bona (41st, 2024) K: Jermaine Taylor (32nd, 2009) • Sergio Llull (34th, 2009) • Royce White (16th, 2012) • Isaiah Canaan (34th, 2013) • Sam Dekker (18th, 2015) • Chinanu Onuaku (37th, 2016) • Jaden Springer (28th, 2021) (Morey served as general manager of the Houston Rockets from 2007-2020.) Morey does not get enough credit for his success in the draft, where, among others, he identified Tyrese Maxey, arguably the team's best player now (unfortunately). There's just not a lot of whiffs over a career as long as his. Even on the misses you can see the talent he was chasing. Smart guy, that Daryl Morey. 5. Tim Connelly, Minnesota Timberwolves (2022-) Draft picks: .652 OBP • 1.056 SLG • 1.708 OPS HR: Nikola Jokić (41st, 2014) • Jamal Murray (7th, 2016) 2B: Gary Harris (19th, 2014) • Jusuf Nurkić (16th, 2014) • Michael Porter Jr. (14th, 2018) 1B: Malik Beasley (19th, 2016) • Monte Morris (51st, 2017) • Jarred Vanderbilt (41st, 2018) • Rob Dillingham (8th, 2024) • Terrence Shannon Jr. (27th, 2024) BB: Juan Hernangómez (15th, 2016) • Vlatko Čančar (49th, 2017) • Bol Bol (44th, 2019) • Zeke Nnaji (22nd, 2020) • Jaylen Clark (53rd, 2023) K: Erick Green (46th, 2013) • Emmanuel Mudiay (7th, 2015) • Tyler Lydon (24th, 2017) • R.J. Hampton (24th, 2020) • Bones Hyland (26th, 2021) • Wendell Moore Jr. (26th, 2022) • Josh Minott (45th, 2022) • Leonard Miller (33rd, 2023) (Connelly served as general manager of the Denver Nuggets from 2013-2022.) That Jokić pick was so much of a grand slam, I think it's still going. Connelly identified a ton of talent in the draft for the Nuggets, including Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., or most of the core of Denver's 2023 championship team. Minnesota is hoping he can do the same for the Timberwolves, who could use some affordable talent on their books. Both Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon showed promise last season, and rookie Joan Beringer joins them this summer. The sooner any of them develops, the more we can accept the Wolves as legitimate title contenders. 4. Danny Ainge, Utah Jazz (2021-) Draft picks: .674 OBP • .1.147 SLG • 1.821 OPS HR: Rajon Rondo (21st, 2006) • Jaylen Brown (3rd, 2016) • Jayson Tatum (3rd, 2017) 3B: Al Jefferson (15th, 2004) • Marcus Smart (6th, 2014) 2B: Kendrick Perkins (27th, 2003) • Tony Allen (25th, 2004) • Avery Bradley (19th, 2010) • Terry Rozier (16th, 2015) • Robert Williams III (27th, 2018) • Walker Kessler (22nd, 2022) 1B: Delonte West (24th, 2004) • Ryan Gomes (50th, 2005) • Leon Powe (49th, 2006) • Glen Davis (35th, 2007) • Jared Sullinger (21st, 2012) • Kelly Olynyk (13th, 2013) • Semi Ojeleye (37th, 2017) • Grant Williams (22nd, 2019) • Payton Pritchard (26th, 2020) BB: Gerald Green (18th, 2005) • Guerschon Yabusele (16th, 2016) • Aaron Nesmith (14th, 2020) • Taylor Hendricks (9th, 2023) • Keyonte George (16th, 2023) • Brice Sensabaugh (28th, 2023) • Cody Williams (10th, 2024) • Isaiah Collier (29th, 2024) • Kyle Filipowski (32nd, 2024) K: Marcus Banks (13th, 2003) • Justin Reed (40th, 2004) • Gabe Pruitt (32nd, 2007) • J.R. Giddens (30th, 2008) • JaJuan Johnson (27th, 2011) • Fab Melo (22nd, 2012) • James Young (17th, 2014) • R.J. Hunter (28th, 2015) • Jordan Mickey (33rd, 2015) • Marcus Thornton (45th, 2015) • Ante Zizic (23rd, 2016) • Demetrius Jackson (45th, 2016) • Romeo Langford (14th, 2019) • Carsen Edwards (33rd, 2019) (Ainge served as general manager of the Boston Celtics from 2003-2021.) Another thing of beauty. Man, look at all that action. No wonder we called this The Danny Ainge System. He drafted players to two different championship teams in Boston and consistently raked for 20 seasons. There are a lot of recent draft picks hanging in the balance here as walks — from 2023 (Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George and Brice Sensabaugh) to 2024 (Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski) — and that does not include this year's selections, Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr. Two years from now, Ainge could have a very different score here — or an even better one, as he attempts to build a legacy in Utah. 3. Zach Kleiman, Memphis Grizzlies (2019-) Draft picks: .692 OBP • 1.154 SLG • 1.846 OPS HR: Ja Morant (2nd, 2019) 3B: Desmond Bane (30th, 2020) 2B: Santi Aldama (30th, 2021) 1B: Brandon Clarke (21st, 2019) • Xavier Tillman (35th, 2020) • Vince Williams Jr. (47th, 2022) • GG Jackson (45th, 2023) • Zach Edey (9th, 2024) • Jaylen Wells (39th, 2024) K: Ziaire Williams (10th, 2021) • Jake LaRavia (19th, 2022) • David Roddy (23rd, 2022) • Kennedy Chandler (38th, 2022) Ja Morant has come with ups and downs, but when he is healthy and engaged, he is the face of a 50-win team and an absolute superstar. He is a home run, even if anyone would have taken him with the No. 2 overall pick in 2019. You can only make the picks that are in front of you, and Morant was a good one. Kleiman has proven to be one of the league's best talent evaluators. Which is why it should have given Grizzlies fans great confidence when he proactively traded up for Cedric Coward at this year's No. 11 pick. If The Danny Ainge System has taught us anything, it's that there's a high likelihood Coward will be good. 2. Brian Wright, San Antonio Spurs (2019-) Draft picks: .636 OBP • .1.250 SLG • 1.886 OPS HR: Victor Wembanyama (1st, 2023) 3B: Stephon Castle (4th, 2024) 2B: Devin Vassell (11th, 2020) 1B: Jeremy Sochan (9th, 2022) BB: Tre Jones (41st, 2020) • Sidy Cissoko (44th, 2023) • Juan Núñez (36th, 2024) K: Joshua Primo (12th, 2021) • Joe Wieskamp (41st, 2021) • Malaki Branham (20th, 2022) • Blake Wesley (25th, 2022) It helps, of course, to luck into a generational superstar, and Victor Wembanyama is that. A No. 1 pick can make a general manager's career, as it can a coach. Just ask Gregg Popovich, who drafted Tim Duncan to the Spurs and reaped the rewards for a couple of decades. Wright's legacy will be written by Wembanyama. Popovich had to identify Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in the draft, too, in order to build a dynasty. The Spurs will hope Wright found similar complementary stars from a rebuild, whether Stephon Castle builds on his Rookie of the Year campaign or one of this year's lottery picks, Dylan Harper or Carter Bryant, develops into a star. Wright has set San Antonio up for success. Bet on the Spurs in the coming years. 1. Rafael Stone, Houston Rockets (2020-) Draft picks: .700 OBP • 1.222 SLG • 1.922 OPS 3B: Alperen Şengün (16th, 2021) • Amen Thompson (4th, 2023) 2B: Jalen Green (2nd, 2021) 1B: KJ Martin (52nd, 2020) • Jabari Smith Jr. (3rd, 2022) • Tari Eason (17th, 2022) BB: Reed Sheppard (3rd, 2024) K: Usman Garuba (23rd, 2021) • Josh Christopher (24th, 2021) • Cam Whitmore (20th, 2023) There is a reason the Rockets were ready for Kevin Durant. Stone has drafted so well the Rockets have developed from what was a 17-win team when he took over to a 52-win No. 2 seed this past season — all on the backs of a handful of high-end draft picks, including All-Star center Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson, who at age 22 may be as likely to develop into a home run as anyone in the league right now. The Rockets were so good last season they decided they were one piece away from more serious title contention. They believed Jalen Green, their No. 2 overall pick in 2021, was not that one piece, so they flipped him for Durant, who could be the guy. It was a bet against Green's potential as a home run. Stone's draft record has benefited from four consecutive selections in the top five of the first round, though one of those picks, Reed Sheppard, remains a mystery. If Sheppard hits, there is a real chance that when we update this list a year or two from now, Stone's score could be even higher. As it is, he is the best around, and the Rockets are among the league's championship favorites as a direct result.
