TORONTO — There's no single correct way to build an NBA roster. Sure, there are wide-ranging trends in the league like the analytical push toward free throws and three-pointers, or an increased focus on defensive versatility, but winners come in all shapes and sizes.
Nothing better exemplifies that difference in philosophy than the NBA Draft, a night when you'll see clear-cut contenders like the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs add more pieces to their already massive warchests. On the other end of the spectrum, you'll see the reigning champion New York Knicks trade out of the first round despite not controlling their own first until 2030.
Some teams focus on fit while others go with best player available; either approach can work, it's more about assessing what makes the most sense in the context of your team.
Though we won't fully be able to see the fruits of each team's draft philosophy ripen until players lace up in their new threads, some selections are easier to make sense of than others.
Without focusing too much on the obvious successes — as the Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls got the top prizes of the night — here's a look at some of the winners and losers after Round 1 of the NBA Draft.
Winner: Oklahoma City Thunder
Fresh off a Game 7 Western Conference Finals loss to the San Antonio Spurs, the Thunder made their selections with that defeat top of mind to make sure it doesn't happen again.
With their first pick, 12th overall, the 2025 champs took Michigan centre Aday Mara, a seven-foot-three Spaniard with a seven-foot-six wingspan — the most obvious solution to the game-breaking abilities of Victor Wembanyama.
Without even getting into the finer aspects of Mara's game, his size alone is enough to make the Thunder a better side, providing solid backup to Chet Holmgren. He's an incredible rim protector, combining his skyscraping height with solid short-burst speed and defensive IQ, and averaged a Big Ten-leading 2.6 blocks per game for the national-champion Wolverines.
But Sam Presti's treasure trove of picks never seems to dry up, as the Thunder followed up that selection with marksman Bennett Stirtz at 16, giving them another secondary ball-handler off the bench and some additional shooting after falling short from range in the loss to San Antonio.
Loser: Milwaukee Bucks
Armed with two picks in the lottery after acquiring No. 13 from the Heat in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, the Bucks took swings at Arizona guard Brayden Burries and Tennessee forward Nate Ament, neither of whom is a bad player, but neither projects to be a needle-mover in Year 1.
Burries, the 10th pick, has the higher floor of the two, finishing his freshman year at Arizona averaging 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 49.1 per cent from the field and 39.1 per cent from deep. He should be a solid player at the next level, but the road toward superstardom is tough to project for an undersized combo guard. Good role players are important, but is that the swing you want to take after parting ways with the face of your franchise?
Ament, the 13th pick, is the more long-term project and has the higher upside, combining the six-foot-10 frame of a power forward with the finesse of a wing. The only issue is that he doesn't really know how to make the most of those physical traits just yet as he shot a rough 39.9 per cent from the field with the Vols.
On paper, pairing a high-floor, low-ceiling guy with a low-floor, high-ceiling guy makes some sense, but it's tough not to view it through the lens of it costing Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Winner: San Antonio Spurs
After losing to the Knicks in the NBA Finals, unable to finish the job down the stretch in multiple games as their tired legs gave out, the Spurs — with two picks at their disposal — opted for size in hopes of giving Wembanyama a break.
With the 20th pick, they nabbed Kentucky centre Jayden Quaintance, who could wind up a real boom-or-bust selection after missing most of the 2025-26 season with lingering knee issues due to a torn ACL the year prior. His health is the obvious concern, but when he's on the floor, it's easy to understand why the Spurs took the gamble.
Quaintance is a defensive nightmare, capable of guarding three through five on a bad day and every position on the floor on a good one. There might not be a player stronger than Quaintance in this class, and his offensive rebounding will be a big help.
A few picks later at 26, they took UConn centre Tarris Reed Jr., who homes in more on the offensive side of the ball with impressive post-play and back-to-the-basket strength. Standing nearly six-foot-10 with a seven-foot-four wingspan, the Spurs could put together the most unstoppable Red Rover team the NBA has ever seen.
Loser: Brooklyn Nets
When you look as directionless as the Nets, it's hard to blame them for drafting another guard despite taking four at last year's draft — they can't afford the luxury of drafting based on fit. So there's no shame in taking a guard sixth overall, it's just worth wondering if they got the right one.
Mikel Brown Jr., by all means, is a solid player. He averaged 18.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists while shooting 41 per cent from the field and 34.4 per cent from deep. He's an adept primary ball-handler and should be able to run an offence at the next level, combining twitchy speed, a tight handle and creative processing. He can play with some flair, but is that what the Nets — a team without a steady floor — need? He also missed a chunk of his freshman year at Louisville with a lingering back issue, which you never want to hear from a 20-year-old.
They also nabbed Iowa State product Joshua Jefferson at 28 after trading back into the first round, who also does his best work with the ball in his hands as a point forward. Too bad there's only one basketball on the floor at a time.
Winner: Dusty May
May would be a winner regardless of who went where Tuesday night, as he becomes the first coach to jump from the collegiate ranks to the NBA since former Michigan head coach John Beilein. But beyond the parents of the players selected, there may not be someone more proud than the new Dallas Mavericks bench boss.
The national championship-winning coach saw three of his Wolverines selected in the lottery, with Mara going to OKC at 12, Yaxel Landeborg to the Warriors at 11, and Morez Johnson Jr. joining his ranks in Dallas at nine.
It'll be intriguing to see if May and new Mavericks president Masai Ujiri made the right choice with Johnson Jr. at No. 9, when they had the pick of the Wolverines' litter at that spot, but no one would know better than their former head coach.
Loser: Darryn Peterson
To the surprise of no one, other than maybe Peterson, AJ Dybantsa was selected first overall.
Peterson was so certain he'd go first overall that he declined to work out with any team other than the Wizards, and though ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported that his choice wasn't a personal shot at Utah or Memphis, the Kansas guard may be walking away from the draft disappointed that his self-belief didn't pay off.
It's not to say he didn't have the chops, but it's worth wondering if the off-the-court predicaments got in his way, as he dealt with full-body cramping for much of the year and routinely refused to talk to media.
While he might get labelled one of the losers on draft night, only time will tell if the Wizards feel more like the loser for passing him over.
