🏀 The Draft Never Disappoints

Powered By

Draft day happening so soon after the NBA season ends is always the serotonin boost we need after not watching any real basketball for a few weeks. And as always, it delivered! But the days leading up to the draft might have been even crazier. Pair that with the W in full swing, and we’ve got a lot to talk about. Let’s get into it.

Today’s Lineup

Draft Day 🔥 A new era in San Antonio, a surprise fall, and brothers go B2B

You’re a Wizard, Jordan 🧙‍♂️ Washington is making moves in the trade market

The Commissioner’s Cup 🏀 Crina gives us the latest updates from the W!

PrizePicks

Hey, look who it is! PrizePicks have been our friends since the very beginning, bringing you the most fire daily fantasy sports content you’ll find online. Playing is as easy as picking Shaq out of a lineup. All you have to do is guess if a player will get more or less than their projections for a given stat.

Today, we have some early picks for next season. We're all in on the youth movement with these ones, let us know if you agree.

Sign up HERE or down below and use promo code ENJOY to receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100! With the chance to 10x your money in 60 seconds or less by testing your basketball knowledge, what are you waiting for?

*PrizePicks is available to residents 18+ in AK, AR, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, IL, KS, KY, MI, MN, NE, NY, NM, NC, ND, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TX, UT, VT, VA, WI, WY. 19+ in AL. 21+ in AZ, MA.

2023 NBA Draft

It never gets old, does it? Hearing that jingle for the first time? No matter how many drafts we watch, it’s always exhilarating. While this year’s draft didn’t provide too many shocks, that does not mean it lacked excitement or storylines. We all knew where Victor Wembanyama would get drafted about a month ago, but now he’s officially a Spur—and thrilled about it.

One team that (on paper) knocked the draft out of the park? The Houston Rockets. They picked up Amen Thompson at pick #4 and then grabbed Cam Whitmore at #20, whose slide out of the lottery might have been the biggest surprise of the night. While Houston’s roster may be a little all over the place at the moment, they absolutely have the pieces to put together something fun for the future.

Speaking of Thompson, his twin brother Ausar Thompson didn’t have to wait long to hear his name called, either; he’s on the way to Detroit.

Tweet of the night? That has to be from new Denver Nugget Julian Strawther, who seemed to have this video ready the second they called his name.

The Trade Zone

Former All-Star and DPOY on the move in three-teamer

Celtics receive: Kristaps Porzingis (via Wizards), No. 25 pick in 2023 Draft (via Grizzlies), 2024 first-round pick (top-four protected, via Warriors)

Grizzlies receive: Marcus Smart (via Celtics)

Wizards receive: Tyus Jones (via Grizzlies), Danilo Gallinari (via Celtics), Mike Muscala (via Celtics), No. 35 pick in 2023 Draft (via Celtics)

Why it makes sense for Boston: The Celtics were already loaded beforehand, so why not add one of the best big men on the market for good measure? Kristaps Porzingis quietly had his best season as a pro in Washington last year, and he’ll bring elite floor spacing and rim protection all wrapped into one 7’3” package (as long as he stays healthy). Losing Marcus Smart hurts, but two extra firsts to fill out the bench is huge, especially with the new CBA.

Why it makes sense for Memphis: Having the reigning DPOY is great and all, but you know what’s even better? Having the last two DPOYs. With the impending departure of Dillon Brooks in free agency, the Grizzlies immediately replace his defensive impact with Smart, who is also just the type of battle-tested playoff veteran this team needs. You just have to hope that the 2024 Golden State pick doesn’t end up being too valuable.

Why it makes sense for Washington: The Bradley Beal supermax really put the Wizards between a rock and a hard place, but getting any sort of return for Porzingis has to be considered a W, considering he just as easily could have walked in free agency. Tyus Jones is one of the most consistent pure PGs in the league who has been crying out for a starting opportunity, and we have a feeling he could really thrive as the lead guy in DC.

Golden State trades youth for experience

Warriors receive: Chris Paul

Wizards receive: Jordan Poole, 2030 first-round pick (Top 20 Protected), 2027 second-round pick

Why it makes sense for Golden State: Jordan Poole has clearly shown flashes of serious potential in the Bay, but the Warriors are clearly looking for a bit more consistency out of their guard play behind Steph Curry. And what better option than the Point God himself? Chris Paul may be 38, but he’s still one of the game's best facilitators who can elevate the play of everyone around him. You still have to ask, did they give up on Poole too early?

Why it makes sense for Washington: We think this was a spectacular move for DC. CP3 never had a future on a rebuilding Washington team, and turning him into a promising young player and two draft picks is a huge success. Poole is in desperate need of a fresh start, and on the Wizards, he’ll get the chance to be a team's primary scoring option for the first time in his career.

Around the W With Crina

If you’re an NBA fan, you know there have been some rumblings about a mid-season tournament in the near future. If you’re a WNBA fan, you know that it’s been implemented already in the league and that it's called the Commisssioner’s Cup. So first off, What is the CC?

If you want the nitty-gritty details about the numbers and charities, I recommend visiting the WNBA website. What YOU need to know is that there are 10 regular-season games during the W season that are labeled as “Commissioner’s Cup” games distributed among the Eastern and Western Conference teams. The two teams in each conference with the most CC wins by the end of the 10 matchups get to face off in the Commissioner’s Cup Final.

Commissioner’s Cup Standings

Right now, the Connecticut Sun and Las Vegas Aces lead the race for the Commissioner’s Cup matchup. This seems fitting with the Aces’ only loss this season being to the Sun, so this could end up being a very spicy matchup.

It’s worth noting that the Fever and the Mercury are both officially out of the running to make the final, but it’s going to be super tight with the top remaining teams.

Eastern Conference (via WNBA.com)

Western Conference (via WNBA.com)

Most teams have 3-4 remaining CC-labelled games, with the actual championship game to be played on August 15, 2023.

As for this upcoming weekend, there are a couple of important CC-labelled games:

Friday, June 23: Dallas Wings vs. LA Sparks at 10 pm ET on ionTV

The Wings have to win the rest of their CC games to try to level with the Aces, and a match against the Sparks is a good chance to get another win.

Sunday, June 25:

Chicago Sky vs. Connecticut Sun at 1 pm ET on ESPN3

Washington Mystics vs. New York Liberty at 1 pm ET on ABC

The Sun will want to maintain their lead in the East with a tough matchup against the Sky, and the Liberty will try to sneak up on them in the rankings as they face the Mystics on a Sunday afternoon of hoops!

Frozen Moments

• Gradey Dick with the Wizard of Oz fit 🤧🔥

• Orlando could be a perfect fit for Anthony Black…but the hat? Not quite.

• LaMelo Ball welcomes his newest teammate, Brandon Miller

What We’re Enjoying

Behind the Brand: Remember our Spotify pop up shop from last year? Well, what if we told you…that it almost didn’t even happen (cue 30 for 30 music). If you want to learn more about how this epic event all came together at the last minute, check out our post over on TikTok. 👇

@enjoybball

Replying to @Kenny How our pop up shop almost failed 48 hours before it happened #shopifypartner #enjoybasketball #nyc #NBA

Signing Off

Thanks for reading, everyone! As an incredible group of exciting new prospects enters the league, let’s welcome them with open arms and plenty of positivity. Remember, the future of basketball is in good hands. 💙🏀

Until next time,

-Crina, Quinn, and Spencer

Trivia Answer: The answer to today’s trivia is Kenyon Martin! K-Mart went first overall 23 years ago back in 2000 after spending four years at Cincinnati.

Before you go…

A big happy birthday to some incredible Enjoyers, Dov, Darsh, Joe, and Reece! We hope each of you has a fantastic day 🫡

appo