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2023 NBA Draft Reaction: The Lottery Picks

The 2023 NBA Draft came and went. But left many teams in better position than before due to its highly regarded talent pool.

The 2023 NBA Draft was here and then gone. But it wasn’t without its fair share of firework-level moments.

Just 58 players heard their name called on Thursday, most of which are eager to get to work with their respective new teams.

Draft Digest’s Derek Parker took to his YouTube channel to react to the first 14 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft:

WATCH HERE

The lottery specifically, comprised of the top 14 teams on the board, had an equal share of exciting moments, including multiple trades and moderately shocking selections.

The first trade on the night was Washington moving up one slot to select French phenom Bilal Coulibaly at No. 7, who has skyrocketed in the basketball world over the last few years.

The Wizards were reportedly spooked Oklahoma City, who made a trade of their own in the lottery, was going to make a play at Coulibaly themselves. The Thunder eventually ended up with Kentucky guard and defensive stalwart Cason Wallace.

Other interesting picks include Duke's Dereck Lively at No. 12 to the Dallas Mavericks, Jett Howard going No. 11 to Orlando and Gradey Dick sliding just a bit towards Toronto at No. 13.

Now, teams will look to Summer League to put their new talent onto the floor early next month.


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