It's nearly impossible to declare outright winners and losers hours after the draft has concluded (let alone years until players have fully developed), but there are stories and themes within the draft that qualify as positives and negatives. What the Atlanta Hawks were able to pull off, with three quality first-round picks, constitutes a win. Even the Los Angeles Clippers, who had the pressure of back-to-back lottery picks to toy with, made out well with two valuable assets. There were plenty of wins Thursday night and even more that will become apparent throughout next season. As for the losers, there's no such thing as getting drafted into the NBA and it being a negative. There were difficult moments — particularly for Michael Porter Jr — but perhaps it works out well in the end. MORE NBA DRAFT Winners Atlanta Hawks The Hawks have long been linked to Oklahoma’s Trae Young, but it was always a question of whether they felt comfortable passing on Real Madrid’s Luka Doncic or any of the premier big men in order to take him. In trading with Dallas for No. 5 and acquiring another first-round pick, the Hawks got the best of both worlds. They landed their target – the closest thing to Steph Curry in this year’s draft – and got a future asset. On top of Young, whose offensive potential overshadowed his defensive shortcomings, the Hawks also took Kevin Huerter out of Maryland. Huerter saw his stock rise significantly throughout the draft process, and his game – catch-and-shoot, quick-trigger 3s – should mesh perfectly with Young’s. Pick No. 30, Omari Spellman out of Villanova, is a stretch-4 that knocked down 43 percent of his 3-pointers last season. The Hawks added some valuable pieces. New York Knicks The Knicks resisted the temptation to snag Porter Jr. at No. 9 and took Kevin Knox — a versatile wing out of Kentucky who’s still developing. Initially seen as a late-lottery talent, the Knicks stuck to their guns with Knox rather than take someone like Mikal Bridges, a system player without as much upside. Knox can run the floor, lead transition breaks, take the ball off the bounce and hit from outside. There’s always pressure to find an immediate contributor, but Knox’s trajectory fits with the Knicks’ timeline. He should also complement Kristaps Porzingis well as the two can both draw defenders out to the perimeter. San Antonio Spurs The Spurs haven’t had a pick higher than 20 since Tim Duncan was drafted in 1997. They owned No. 18 heading into Thursday night, and of course, they found value in Miami’s Lonnie Walker. This is a franchise that has found gold late in the first round, most recently Dejounte Murray (29th in 2016). Walker has great size, above-average athleticism, good scoring instincts and with everything swirling around San Antonio in regards to Kawhi Leonard, it’s no surprise the Spurs were in search of a wing. Walker was viewed as a potential lottery pick by some. Losers Michael Porter Jr. If Porter Jr. is a “loser” for slipping to No. 14, then we can simultaneously consider the Denver Nuggets winners. Evidently Porter’s medical history scared off enough teams to where he had to sit and watch each lottery pick go by without hearing his name called. The Nuggets are in a smaller market, have loads of young, intriguing talent, have a locker room with veterans like Paul Millsap and nearly made the postseason this year. If Porter Jr. has to sit out, there will be no immediate pressure to play, and from his perspective, there will be no pressure to be the face of a franchise given that there’s already an established culture. While Thursday may have been tough for him, it could wind up a better situation than if he were to enter a franchise in complete rebuilding mode. Mikal Bridges Bridges can thrive in Phoenix, play well off the ball and fit neatly alongside Josh Jackson. The Suns’ foundation is nothing to laugh at. But for a small portion of the draft, we got to entertain the thought of Bridges, a Villanova product and Pennsylvania native, playing in front of 76ers fans. Bridges’ mom is the VP of human resources for the 76ers, and she was beaming in the post-pick interview broadcast before he was traded to Phoenix. Brutal. Robert Williams Similar to the Porter Jr. example, draft night is all about fit. If the Boston Celtics can tap into any of Williams’ potential as a rim-running, athletic big man, they may have found a gem to pair with their shifty point guards at No. 27. Williams fell due to questions about his work ethic and consistency, but if the Celtics can get to him and unlock his potential, it’s the rest of the league that will look like losers for letting the lottery-level talent slip. Follow USA TODAY Sports' Michael Singer on Twitter @msinger<doc-sep>The hitch in his step made it seem as though Porter’s recovery isn’t going to be a short one, and it seems exceedingly likely he will not play one minute this season. Now, Denver is a great spot for him — a good team that should make the playoffs without him, allowing him the time he needs to get healthy. And if Porter does get healthy, the Nuggets will look like geniuses.<doc-sep>The 2018 NBA Draft is in the books. The Phoenix Suns did what everyone expected, selecting DeAndre Ayton with the No. 1 overall pick, and the Sacramento Kings followed that up by taking Marvin Bagley III at No. 2 overall. But then things got a little wild. Atlanta threw a wrench into everything by swapping its third pick with the Mavericks in return for the fifth pick in a mid-draft trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Mavericks and Trae Young to the Hawks. Young was the first of three first-round picks for the re-booting Atlanta franchise on Thursday. Maryland sharpshooter Kevin Huerter came off the board at 19 and Villanova product Omari Spellman was selected at 30. Together, they form a trio of young shooters that should help accelerate the rebuild alongside the youth already in place with John Collins and Taurean Prince. Their stroke of genius by adding a versatile shooter in Huerter, a do-it-all offensive weapon in Young and a stretch-the-floor big in Spellman makes them one of the big winners of draft night. Winner: Suns There's something to be said for not screwing up and taking the safe pick. That's what the Phoenix Suns did at No. 1 by selecting 7-foot-1 phenom Deandre Ayton. It was a decision that was seemingly made weeks ago, and they never wavered from it. But most importantly, didn't get cute by trying to turn the top pick into multiple assets via trade. Ayton was the best prospect and they made him their top pick. Simple. The Suns also went safe with their 16th pick, too. They selected Texas Tech's Zhaire Smith and agreed to trade him to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for a more ready-made player in Mikal Bridges, who was the 10th pick in the draft. Then drafting French point guard Elie Okobo at 31 -- a player I had slotted as a late first-round pick -- was icing on top of the cake. Aces all around, Phoenix. Even Adam Silver seemingly couldn't believe the Knicks scooped up Kentucky product Kevin Knox with the No. 9 pick: I think Knox has a chance to be a great player down the line, though I'd liked to have seen them pursue a point guard. But the bigger beef I have with New York's draft is with their decision to select 7-foot center Mitchell Robinson at 36. Robinson fits the mold of a prospect being a year away from being a year away, at the earliest. A total gamble. Didn't even play ball last season. So taking him at 36 is questionable given his lack of experience, and even more so considering glaring needs elsewhere on the roster. Winner: Mavericks How about the guts from Mavs brass? They moved from No. 5 to No. 3 to get their man in Slovenian star Luka Doncic, all without having to take back any unwanted salary from the Hawks in the swap that sent Trae Young to Atlanta. The Mavericks have been rumored to try and make a push back to the playoffs next season, and in getting Doncic they have an immediate impact guy who can assist in that effort, and also double as a franchise cornerstone in a post-Dirk world -- whenever that dark day in Dallas eventually comes. Adding veteran college players Jalen Brunson and Ray Spalding should also help with establishing depth for a run at the playoffs next season. Loser: 76ers The Sixers made the safe -- and by my estimation, correct pick -- by selecting Mikal Bridges at No. 10 overall. Then they struck a deal with the Suns to trade him for Zhaire Smith, a lesser-polished 3-and-D prospect who is much further away from contributing immediately than Bridges was. Sure, they save money in cap space by moving the 10th pick for the 16th. And the future first-rounder is a decent return. But Bridges' value as a day-one contributor was worth the extra penny in cap space. Even more head-scratching: Philly took Landry Shamet with its 26th pick -- yes, yes, I know, another point guard. So now it raises the question: What does this mean for Markelle Fultz's future as a Sixer? We have more questions than answers about this team coming out of the draft. That's not a good sign for a team that expects to be a big player in the free agent market this summer. Who would have thought that Missouri product Michael Porter Jr. would see his stock nearly fall out of the lottery? There were rumblings the Kings liked him at 2, which turned out to be a ruse. But his fall from potential top-5 pick to No. 14 pick is still no less stunning. Good on the Nuggets for preventing him from free-falling and taking a chance on him, but the fall is a stinger for Porter Jr., who could've earned a salary of more than $7.3 million annually had he been Sacramento's guy at 2. Instead, at 14, he's in a draft slot where he'll likely earn just shy of $3 million on salary. That's tough to swallow -- even if his free fall was likely the result of a back injury that limited him to three games in college. Winner: Hawks We won't be able to truly declare whether the Hawks or the Mavericks won Thursday night's trade, but for now it's safe to say both come out winners. Instead of sticking with Luka Doncic at 3, the Hawks flipped him for Trae Young -- the player they had their eyes on all along. Young had a phenomenal workout with the team recently, according to CBS Sports' Matt Norlander. And as a sweetener to the deal, Atlanta also picked up a 2019 first-round pick from the Mavericks that will convey to them next June as long as it falls outside the top five, according to the New York Times' Marc Stein. I love the pick they made in Troy Brown. I just would have loved it if they made it, say, 10 picks later. Exacerbating things, they passed up on the uber-athletic Zhaire Smith, sharpshooter Donte DiVincenzo, and combo guard Lonnie Walker IV -- all players who could realistically make an immediate impact in Washington's backcourt. Brown's upside is as a potential glue guy with good offensive instincts from the wing position, but he's not likely to develop into the do-it-all scorer they could have snagged at 15. Even their own GM isn't sure Brown will crack the Wizards' rotation next season. And that goes double for their pick made at 44 in Issuf Sanon, a Ukrainian product who plays point guard. Winner: Lonnie Walker IV Lonnie Walker IV is a lottery talent, plain and simple. So leave it to the Spurs -- one of the best franchises at identifying and developing talent -- to get a steal by selecting him at 18 after he fell a few spots. At 6-foot-4, Walker IV fills a need for San Antonio as a perimeter scorer who can create his own shot. And he could be in line to pick up big minutes if Kawhi Leonard is dealt this offseason. Plus, his hair. For as much that was made about Toronto potentially looking to bolster its roster or hitting a mini-reset button to shake things up after being swept by the Cavs in the playoffs, the Raptors were a non-factor on draft night. And by non-factor, I mean they made zero moves to move into the draft, kept their current roster intact, and now enter free agency in the same situation they found themselves after Cleveland ran them off the floor in the second round. The Thunder wielded their two second-round picks well, selecting Virginia 3-and-D prospect Devon Hall at 53 and UT-Arlington product Kevin Hervey, a do-it-all scorer, at 57. Both solid picks. But the big win was their post-draft acquisition of Kentucky athlete Hamidou Diallo, according to ESPN. Diallo was selected 45th by Charlotte, and brings an athleticism and defensive presence to the Thunder that gives them an insurance policy for Andre Roberson moving forward. Loser: Arizona guards<doc-sep>
There were surprises and a few major trades, a few steep drops and some questionable picks. Thursday’s NBA Draft didn’t disappoint, offering up several interesting developments. Below are The Post’s winners and loses from the blockbuster evening: Winner Mavericks Dallas had the fifth pick in the draft and landed arguably the best prospect, needing only to trade a protected first round 2019 pick to do so. In addition to getting Slovenian sensation Luka Doncic, the Mavericks also added underrated Villanova point guard Jalen Brunson, who will be a 10-year pro, in the second round. Doncic, though, made Dallas the evening’s big winner. He’s a 6-foot-8 playmaker who has played professionally since the age of 15, and has already won at a high level in Spain. He will further open up the floor for athletic guard Dennis Smith Jr. and give a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff series since 2011 significant reason for hope. Loser Trail Blazers Portland needed to find immediate help for guards Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, the first round was full of such players, and instead it went for one of the draft’s big mysteries in 19-year-old guard Anfernee Simons, who didn’t play college basketball. It’s hard to envision the un-ready Simons, taken 24th, breaking into the Blazers’ backcourt rotation in the next few years, while players like Jacob Evans (Warriors), Moritz Wagner (Lakers) and Khryi Thomas (76ers) were available. Winner Villanova With four players going in the top 33 picks, and three in the first round, the Wildcats capped a memorable season on one of the sport’s premier nights. Only Duke has as many first round picks. Afterward, Jay Wright downplayed the recruiting significance of the evening, saying the Wildcats will still target the same type of hard-working prospects that fit in with his program’s mantra of player development and patience. But maybe more elite prospects will now target Villanova after Mikal Bridges (10), Donte DiVincenzo (17) and Omari Spellman (30) went in the first round, and Brunson (33) early in the second. Loser 76ers Is part of The Process embarrassing a local kid known for winning? After drafting Villanova “3 and D” specialist Mikal Bridges 10th overall, the 76ers traded his draft rights to the Suns for Texas Tech guard Zhaire Smith and an unprotected 2021 first round pick, and let Bridges speak to the media without informing him of the move. Wildcats coach Jay Wright found out about the trade from the Suns. Complicating matters, Bridges’ mother, Tyneeha Rivers, works in Philadelphia’s human resources department and was visibly thrilled to see her son drafted by the hometown 76ers. Then there is the basketball component. Bridges seemed like the perfect choice for the contending franchise: a mature and defensive-first wing capable of producing immediately. And later in the first round, Philadelphia reached for Wichita State’s Landry Shamet, adding a point guard to a roster not in need of one. Winner Suns There’s nowhere to go but up for Phoenix, and the 21-win Suns now have an exciting young core to build around. Deandre Ayton, a 7-foot-1 dominator, could form one of the top young inside-out tandems with prolific-scoring guard Devin Booker, and Bridges provides a much-needed winning pedigree and defensive mentality on the wing. Trading the 2021 first-round pick could come back to burn Phoenix, but if in three years the Suns’ current higher-ups still have them in the lottery, they probably won’t have jobs anyway. Loser Michael Porter Jr. Once considered the top player in this draft, the multi-talented 6-foot-11 forward tumbled all the way down to the last pick in the lottery, going 14th to the Nuggets after back problems limited him to just three games at Missouri as a freshman. It was a wise gamble for the Nuggets, but a costly fall for Porter, who lost a few million dollars by dropping several spots over concerns of his medical records. Winner Celtics see also Draft pick oversleeps his Celtics' introduction Nothing about Robert Williams’ first 24 hours with the Celtics... Loser Even picking near the bottom of the draft, the Celtics snagged one of the best talents, winding up with Texas A&M big man Robert Williams. It’s a risk, given his inconsistency, motor and character questions. Williams got off to an awkward start by sleeping through his conference call on Friday, but the athletic 6-foot-10 forward will have a terrific role model in Al Horford and be surrounded by similarly gifted players that push him.