NBA Draft 2025 Shocker: How the Mavs’ Bold Move and an Unexpected Twist Redefined the Game’s Future

“Go outside, nerd. Get out. Go. I ain’t got time to be distracted by your worthless chime-ins. Go on.”First, Dallas extended center Daniel Gafford for an eminently reasonable three years and .3 million — the most the team could give him while still being eligible to trade him between now and February’s trade deadline if the right opportunity presents itself. Then, Nico Harrison and Co. got star point guard Kyrie Irving to decline his million player option for next season in favor of a new three-year deal that guarantees him 9 million, but will start at a lower, sub-max salary. That got the Mavs under the second apron and created enough financial flexibility for them to be able to use the .7 million taxpayer midlevel exception, which they can now earmark to go shopping for a stopgap primary playmaker while Irving continues rehabbing his surgically repaired left ACL. (Longtime NBA insider Marc Stein’s hearing it might be D’Angelo Russell.)There will be more winners than losers, because for one thing, hope should spring eternal on draft night, and for another, I am a big ol’ kindhearted softy. (Also because, if we’re being honest, I can only feel so comfortable speaking with authority about a group of young people I have yet to see play NBA basketball.)If the game is half as cold as the jewelry, forget everything I just said. New Orleans is going to be fine.

If the game is half as cold as the jewelry, forget everything I just said. New Orleans is going to be fine.

If the game is half as cold as the jewelry, forget everything I just said. New Orleans is going to be fine.

If the game is half as cold as the jewelry, forget everything I just said. New Orleans is going to be fine.

If the game is half as cold as the jewelry, forget everything I just said. New Orleans is going to be fine.

SO, WHAT’S THE PLAN HERE, EXACTLY? New Orleans Pelicans

If the game is half as cold as the jewelry, forget everything I just said. New Orleans is going to be fine.

If the game is half as cold as the jewelry, forget everything I just said. New Orleans is going to be fine.

If the game is half as cold as the jewelry, forget everything I just said. New Orleans is going to be fine.

On top of that, the Hawks paid Mann’s freight with Wednesday’s No. 22 pick — the worse of the two first-rounders they controlled. That left them with the 13th overall selection … which they were able to flip to New Orleans to move back 10 spots in exchange for an unprotected 2026 first-rounder — whichever is higher between New Orleans (which, lest we forget, was terrible this year) and Milwaukee (which, lest we forget, will be without their second-best player for most if not all of next season) — and still land ace Georgia defensive big man Asa Newell, whom they’d reportedly been considering taking had they just stuck and picked at 13 anyway.AdvertisementAdvertisement

You poor, stupid fools. Of kourse, they all do.

WINNER: Cedric Coward

The new front office led by Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver clearly felt compelled to make their presence felt in their first draft at the helm in New Orleans. Not all feelings are great, though. Like, for example, the pain at giving up a high lottery pick the year after you took over.

AdvertisementDevastating postseason injuries to Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton threw the top half of the Eastern Conference into chaos. The Hawks, led by newly minted lead executive Onsi Saleh, are clearly looking to use that chaos as a ladder. And if Porziņġis can stay mostly healthy — granted, a big if — and the corps of big, long, athletic youngsters continues to develop around Young, Atlanta could climb awfully high, awfully fast.