2018 NBA Draft: 5 Biggest Losers

This year's NBA draft had its fair share of surprises. The top 3 picks went according to general consensus, as the Suns drafted Arizona Wildcat DeAndre Ayton with the #1 overall pick, the Kings took Marvin Bagley off the board at #2 and Luka Doncic went at #3. All 3 of them are players with the potential to be transcendent, difference-making stars for their franchises, and there was no way any of them would drop lower than this in the draft.

While we've already taken a look at the 5 biggest winners from draft night, it's time to turn our attention to factions which weren't able to make the best of a draft class that has been awaited for with high expectations. On this list, we count down teams that missed the bus or messed up with their lunch money yesterday, and for once, the New York Knicks aren't one of the teams we feature here:

#1 Philadelphia 76ers

2018 NBA Draft — Mikal Bridges was traded to the Phoenix Suns within minutes of getting drafted

The NBA has evolved from a league dominated by big men who could score on the inside to one where perimeter players now reign supreme with their shooting from the outside. No team can overstock on 3-and-D players today. With that being said, the Philadelphia 76ers missed out on an opportunity to do exactly that, instead trading down in the draft to pick up point guard Zhaire Smith from the Suns, who drafted him with their other first-round pick.

There is a real possibility that the Sixers live to regret this day. Bridges shot nearly 44% in his junior year of college basketball - a figure that you could see translating into the NBA in the future. He has all the physical tools to be an impactful swing player right off the bat. While the Sixers get another go in the first round next year, the Suns look much better than they did last year, and the pick they yielded to Philly might not be top-10 next year.

Bridges' mother works with the 76ers' HR. One can only imagine the roller-coaster of emotions that he and his mom went through yesterday.

#2 Michael Porter Jr.

Michael Porter Jr. is undoubtedly the biggest steal in this year's draft. Seriously, who would've thought that the best high school player only 1 year back would fall all the way to #14 in the lottery?

While concerns about his injury history are legitimate, Porter demonstrated a year back that he belongs to the conversation of a top-5 pick, winning Player of the Year awards from Gatorade, USA Today and the Naismith Memorial while also being declared as Mr USA Basketball for the year 2017.

What's great in this situation is that Porter Jr is in prime position to push the Nuggets over the edge in the playoff race this season. Denver lack a volume scorer, and Porter has demonstrated advanced scoring technique reminiscent of Kevin Durant.

#3 Toronto Raptors

Toronto Raptors v Cleveland Cavaliers - Game Four

The Raptors did not own a pick in this year's draft. Given that they got run off the ball park by the Cavaliers in the Conference Semifinals, they needed to acquire new talent in order to remain competent in an Eastern Conference that is showing signs of returning to its former glory, what with the 76ers and the Celtics forming superteams of their own. This was one of the most stacked draft classes in recent memory by all accounts, and efforts should have been made to acquire a fresh talent on their books.

Masai Ujiri has let go of his first opportunity to strengthen his team - through the draft. By doing so, he has let a low-risk, high-reward strategy go to the beggars, and will now have to concentrate solely on free agency to acquire the required talent to put them over the top.

While Ujiri is a seasoned campaigner, the Raptors do not have the cap space to sign a marquee free agent. Whatever help he could get for his All-Star backcourt will certainly be overpriced this summer.

Signing Rawle Alkins is a small step in this direction, but they had the opportunity to do so much better.

#4 Orlando Magic

Before I begin, I wish to state the obvious - Mo Bamba is in no danger of being a bust. He has all the makings of a great defensive center already, what with his wingspan and motor combined with his defensive awareness. The Orlando Magic did what they thought best, which was to pick up the most talented player available.

But will Bamba be afforded meaningful NBA minutes this season, given that Nikola Vucevic is still on Magic's books this season? The Magic are seriously short on wing depth other than Jonathon Simmons, and there is a non-negligible chance that Aaron Gordon signs elsewhere this offseason - which would further deplete their depth in perimeter scoring.

All things considered, the Magic would have probably been better off drafting a wing player or a volume scorer of the likes of Mikal Bridges, Miles Bridges or Michael Porter. At this point, their best chance of making good on this draft is to allow Vucevic to walk in free agency.

#5 LiAngelo Ball

Los Angeles Lakers 2018 NBA Draft Workout

The Ball family were probably the only people in the basketball world to truly believe that LiAngelo had any chance of getting drafted in such a deep draft class. Criminal offenses notwithstanding, Gelo had no realistic chances of making it to an NBA roster based solely off the strength of his play. He projects as a volume shooter without an NBA-level motor, and it clearly showed during his freshman year at UCLA.

While Gelo got workouts with the Lakers and the Warriors, there was never going to be a chance that either team would use up a draft pick on a player with so many question marks.

LaVar Ball's dream of helping all 3 of his sons in making it to the league is now all but shattered. Big Baller Brand will not have the luxury of signing 3 homebred NBA stars for free now, and that could affect their business plans in the long term.