The biggest draft need for all 30 NBA teams

Biggest need: A trade partner who wants Trae Young and three-point shooting

Despite putting up surefire Hall of Fame numbers during his young career, Trae Young probably needs to go in order for the Hawks to take this talented team to the next level. Whether they decide to move Young - for another star or some draft capital - or not, they'll need to improve greatly upon their fourth-fewest three-point field goals and ninth-worst three-point percentage. With the No. 15 pick in the draft, the Hawks should be eyeballing sharpshooters like UConn's Jordan Hawkins and Michigan's Jett Howard. 

Biggest need: Frontcourt depth

The Celtics no longer own a first-round pick (it's owed to the Pacers), but they do own a very early second-round pick (via the Rockets) at No. 33. With such a complete roster, the only thing the Celtics really need is some frontcourt depth given Robert Williams' inability to stay healthy and Al Horford's age. If they're lucky, a prospect like Iowa's Kris Murray (the Kings' Keegan Murray's brother) may still be available or maybe an experienced, throwback big like Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis could give them what they used to have in former big man and current Fox News correspondent Enes Kanter.

Biggest need: Star talent, big men

Despite having to endure the Kyrie-KD madness that hijacked their season, the Nets actually have some nice pieces, including a ton of three-and-D wings - the NBA's most coveted position. It looks like Mikal Bridges is a star-in-the-making, but they'll need another to take their franchise to the top of the Eastern Conference. With a pair of first round picks — Nos. 21 (via the Suns) and 22 — they should be looking to swing big on high-upside prospects like South Carolina's GG Jackson, Duke's Dereck Lively II and Alabama's Noah Clowney. Or, they could package the two picks and one of their wings to move up for a talented Arkansas guard like Nick Smith or Anthony Black.

Biggest need: Everything, particularly a new owner — I mean, two-way star

The Hornets are the laughingstock of the NBA and could use some lottery luck as much as any team in the league. If they don't land the ultimate prize (Victor Wembanyama), they had better hope that they remain in the top five so they can draft one of the ultra-talented prospects from the second tier (Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller, or the Thompson Twins). Any of the top-five guys would fit in beautifully with LaMelo Ball, not to mention hopefully convince him to stick around long-term.

Biggest need: Incredible lottery luck and one of the top-four players in this draft

Unfortunately, because of the Nikola Vucevic trade, the Bulls' first-round pick conveys to the Magic if it's outside the top four, and there's only an 8.5 percent change of their pick jumping into that range. If that pick conveys to the Magic, the Bulls will be left without a single pick in the entire draft. Their best move, if that happens, would be to buy a second-round pick and spend it on a high-risk, high-reward pick like UCLA's Amari Bailey or Eastern Michigan's Emoni Bates.

Biggest need: Wing depth

The Cavs are loaded with an All Star-caliber backcourt (Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell) and rising frontcourt (Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen). They have end-of-the-rotation-caliber wings in Isaac Okoro and Cedi Osman. They need a dependable starting small forward who can guard the Jayson Tatums and Jaylen Browns of the Eastern Conference and hold his own on offense. However, armed with only a second round pick (pick no. 49), they'll have to find a sleeper who is ready to contribute right away. Keep an eye on some experienced guys like Kansas State's Keyontae Johnson or Illinois' Terrence Shannon Jr. 

Biggest need: Lottery luck and a player like Dorian Finney-Smith

As has been well-chronicled, the Mavericks precipitous fall from grace out of the Western Conference playoffs actually put them in the position to keep their first-round draft pick (which conveys to the Knicks if it falls outside the top-10). Ironically, if they keep their pick, the type of player they need most is a three-and-D wing like one of the guys they traded in the midseason deal for Kyrie Irving. Two high-upside wings seem to fit that description that will likely go around pick 10: Kansas' Gradey Dıck and UCF's Taylor Hendricks. 

Biggest need: A defensive-minded, athletic backup center

The top team in the Western Conference cannot have DeAndre Jordan's corpse backing up its MVP, Nikola Jokic. With pick No. 40, there's not a ton of big-man options, but perhaps a project like UCLA's Adem Bona or an ever-improving big like UConn's Adama Sanogo would suffice. If they don't like the frontcourt options available at that point in the draft, selecting a high-IQ, do-it-all type of player like Sanogo's college teammate Andre Jackson could be the move, as those types of players pair well with Jokic.

Biggest need: Victor Wembanyama (and, if not, Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller)

The Pistons need everything — even their top pick from two years ago, Cade Cunningham, doesn't appear to be a sure thing, as he missed the majority of the 2022-23 season with a weird shin injury. Obviously, with the best odds (14 percent) at getting the best prospect since LeBron James in Wembanyama, the hope is to land the top pick again and select the ultimate franchise savior. If they don't get Wemby, G-League Ignite's Scoot Henderson or Alabama's Brandon Miller both appear to possess superstar potential and should be able to play alongside Cunningham and Jaden Ivey.

Biggest need: Role players who can play immediately

As we've seen with various talented players who have passed through Golden State — like Kelly Oubre, James Wiseman and others — the Warriors system is not for everyone. You cannot be a ball-stopper. The ball must be moving, and players have to be good cutters and screeners for Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. With pick No. 20, someone like a three-and-D forward like Iowa's Kris Murray seems to be ideal. Same goes for Pepperdine's smooth wing Maxwell Lewis. 

Biggest need: Victor Wembanyama 

This one is pretty simple. The Rockets need someone who is unquestionably better than the rest of their young, but immature core... and that person is Wemby. Houston has a 14 percent chance at the first pick, so "Pray for Victor" will be their mantra between now and lottery night. If they don't land the first pick, they'll likely still end up with one of the other top prospects like Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller or Amen Thompson. However, if they get one of those second-tier prospects, they'll need to move on from some of their other young players (like Kevin Porter Jr.) to get some grownups in the room and help this team move forward again. 

Biggest need: A stud wing

Armed with three first-round picks, the Pacers could do some real work in the 2023 NBA Draft, especially if they can get into the top four, which has a 29.4 percent chance of happening. They could also use picks No. 26 and 29 to possibly move up if they aren't so lucky on lottery night. Get into the top four or top five and you can get Brandon Miller or one of the Thompson Twins — all three of whom fit the stud wing description and would pair beautifully with star point guard Tyrese Haliburton. 

Biggest need: Depth at point guard and big man

The Clippers have a really good roster with elite depth at the off-ball guard and forward positions. They don't have any glaring spots on their roster, but could use some young talent at point guard and center. With the last pick in the first round, a combo guard like NC State's Terquavion Smith or Nigerian center James Nnaji would make sense. The Clips could trade this pick for a veteran at one of these positions as well. 

Biggest need: Lasers

It ain't that hard to build a roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis — surround them with good shooters (or as LeBron calls them, "lasers") and defenders, especially at the wing position. While there's always a chance that the Lakers deal their first-round pick for a veteran who fits the above description, if they choose to keep the No. 17 overall pick, UConn's sharpshooting guard Jordan Hawkins seems like the perfect pick. Michigan's Jett Howard, Pepperdine's Maxwell Lewis, and Xavier's Colby Jones would also fit the mold.

Biggest need: Shooting, perhaps a Dillon Brooks replacement

With an explosive superstar guard like Ja Morant and a versatile big man like Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies will always want to surround them with shooting and good defenders. The Grizzlies have such a good track record of drafting and developing prospects that they tend to have to cycle through role players and be very selective as to whom they award a second contract. Obviously, they are going to keep Ja, JJJ and Desmond Bane, but Brooks proved that he was ultimately expendable. Thus, finding depth behind him will be vital over the next few years. The organization seems to like powerful wings like OSU's Brice Sensabaugh. Duke's Dariq Whitehead would also be a solid choice with some major upside here.

Biggest need: Scoring and three-point shooting

Miami may see if they can turn this pick, Tyler Herro and other assets into someone like Zach LaVine, Bradley Beal or Pascal Siakam. If they keep the pick (no. 18), a bucket-getting guard like Baylor's Keyonte George or Arkansas' Nick Smith would be ideal, but probably won't drop that far. UConn's Jordan Hawkins would make sense, as would Indiana's Jalen Hood-Schifino. Miami is known for having a type, so you know that whomever they choose, that player will be a diligent worker and have a great chance to reach his full potential. 

Biggest need: Depth at big man and/or a pass-first point guard

The Bucks were the NBA's best team in the regular season, but suffered an embarrassing first-round exit to a Heat team that was simply tougher than they were. They have the best player in the league in Giannis Antetokounmpo. They have two excellent secondary stars in Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton. And they have depth at basically every position. Like any team, they could also use depth at some important positions. Equipped with only the last pick in the draft, they should look for a guy who's ready to play, like Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe, UConn's Adama Sanogo or Arkansas' Jordan Walsh.

Biggest need: A redo on the Rudy Gobert trade, a high-upside second-rounder

Unfortunately, the Wolves' first-round pick is owed to the Jazz as part of the Rudy Gobert debacle, so their only pick in this draft is pick No. 53. Thus, they need to swing big with their pick. Fortunately for them, there should be some players with some pedigree still available towards the middle-end of the second round like Eastern Michigan's Emoni Bates, UCLA's Amari Bailey or Houston's Marcus Sasser.

Biggest need: A healthy Zion Williamson, and more shooting

Obviously, the Pelicans would trade anything for a healthy Zion and Brandon Ingram. That is, by far, their biggest need. As far as the draft goes, any player who could stretch the floor and give Zion and BI more space to operate would be ideal. Luckily for the Pelicans, there are plenty of sharpshooters available near the middle of the first round like the aforementioned Jordan Hawkins, Jett Howard and Taylor Hendricks. If Gradey Dıck were to fall for some reason, he would be a very good two-way prospect for NOLA.

Biggest need: Someone to jump the Mavericks in the lottery

If the Mavs don't land in the top 10, the Knicks get their pick, so the pick could be as high as no. 11. If they're fortunate enough to get the pick, they'll need to improve on their 19th-ranked three-point shooting. As is well established, there are three-point shooters aplenty around this point in the draft. There are also a couple of really athletic guards who could slide to the late-lottery like Arkansas' Anthony Black or Kentucky's Cason Wallace, and both seem like defensive-minded players that Coach Thibs would love.

Biggest need: Big man, especially one who can cover elite centers, point guard

The Thunder are building an abnormal team. They're huge and interchangeable at every position except center, where they are very thin — both in depth and player types (Jaylin Williams, Chet Holmgren). As well as Williams played and as good as Holmgren looked in Summer League action, they'll need some power in the paint. Unfortunately, besides Wemby, there aren't many centers that are projected to go in the lottery (maybe Duke's Dereck Lively II crushes his pre-draft workouts and sneaks in). Thus, a more traditional point guard who can occasionally help with ball-handling duties (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey are their two main playmakers). At pick no. 12, Kentucky's Cason Wallace or Arkansas' Nick Smith or Indiana's Jalen Hood-Schifino could be the answer if none of the big men are desirable to GM Sam Presti.

Biggest need: Three. Point. Shooting.

The Magic are about to be everybody's League Pass darling in 2023-24. Paolo Banchero is a stud, as is Franz Wagner. Markelle Fultz even looks like a quality starting point guard. The only issue with those three is that only Wagner is a league-average three-point shooter at this point. The Magic will almost certainly have two lottery picks (unless the Bulls jump into the top four, which has an 8.5 percent chance of happening), including a 37.2 percent chance at a top-four pick with their own pick. Thus, with the first pick, they should draft the best player available. With the second pick, they may eye up Gradey Dıck or Taylor Hendricks, both of whom were right around 40 percent on decent volume in college last season. Orlando could also look to package the picks for a star.

Biggest need: Highly contingent upon what happens in the playoffs

Everything is on the line for the 76ers this postseason: Legacies. Jobs. Futures. They simply cannot afford to have another early meltdown. If they at least make the Eastern Conference Finals, James Harden seems less likely to get nostalgic for Houston this offseason, Doc Rivers probably keeps his job, and Joel Embiid doesn't feel the external pressure to start to consider demanding a trade. If they lose in the second round, however, there's a good chance Harden opts out and bolts for Houston, and then things will really get juicy. The team has zero draft picks, so its only way to improve is internally or in free agency.

Biggest need: Veteran depth

The Suns will be one of, if not the premier spot for veteran ring chasers this offseason given their superstar power and destination. With only the No. 52 pick in the draft, the Suns will likely pick a player who might be able to play immediately, so keep on eye on the junior and senior players like Creighton small forward Baylor Scheierman or Kansas State's Keyontae Johnson. The rest of the Suns' offseason will come down to free agency and deciding whether to keep Chris Paul or use his cap space for another star (keep an eye out for Kyrie Irving).

Biggest need: Victor Wembanyama

The Blazers have a 10.5 percent chance at landing the no. 1 overall pick, and boy, do they need some luck if they want Damian Lillard to stick around much longer. Sure, if they end up with picks two through five, they could get another young stud, but none of those players would fit on the Lillard timeline. They could also deal their pick for another star, but it needs to be someone on the Jaylen Brown-level for it to make the Blazers a guaranteed playoff team next season. Wemby, however, is a different story, as there's a good chance he'll come into the league playing at an All Star-level. Dame, Wemby, Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant, and Shaedon Sharpe — now that's a core Blazers fans can get hyped about moving forward.

Biggest need: Athletic, big defenders

The Kings (and I can't believe I'm about to type this) have a lot going for them. They've got two All Star talents in De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. They've got some impressive young talent in Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk, Keegan Murray and Davion Mitchell. Some wings they'll have their eyes on would be Keegan's brother, Kris Murray, South Carolina's GG Jackson and G-League Ignite's Leonard Miller. Duke's Dereck Lively II would be an ideal athletic shot blocker as well.

Biggest need: Basically everything

The Spurs have a couple of intriguing young pieces like Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson and Malaki Branham, but spent the entire season tanking for a shot at the likes of Victor Wembanyama, Scott Henderson, Brandon Miller or the Thompson Twins. They'll almost certainly get one of them, and they'll have a 14 percent shot at landing Wemby and jumpstarting the franchise with a player who appears to be a Tim Duncan-level franchise player.

Biggest need: Depends on which direction they want to go, but three-point shooting is paramount (third-fewest threes in the NBA last season)

Having just fired head coach Nick Nurse, the Raptors are poised to have one of the more interesting offseasons in the league. They have three high-quality players from their 2019 championship team in Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Fred VanVleet (who is set to be a free agent), and will need to decide whether to keep the core of its team intact or sell high on Siakam and or Anunoby and rebuild around Scottie Barnes. Regardless of the direction, they'll likely be the No. 13 pick, which means Keyonte George, Jordan Hawkins and Jett Howard will all be in play.

Biggest need: A superstar

Armed with likely the ninth, the No. 16 and the No. 28 picks, the Jazz will be major players on draft night and could leverage all three picks (and some of their massive war chest) to get themselves one of the top-five prospects. However, if they stay pat and make all of their picks, look for the team to select Gradey Dıck (low-hanging fruit, I know), and then swing big on some of the high-risk, high-reward prospects with picks 16 and 28. Wings like South Carolina's GG Jackson and NZ Breakers' Rayan Rupert both have a lot of promise, as do G-League Ignite athletic wing Sidy Cissoko and OSU's power guard Brice Sensabaugh. 

Biggest need: Incredible lottery luck and a real franchise player

News flash: Bradley Beal ain't HIM. He's like the 50th-best player in the league who is paid the fourth-highest salary in the NBA. He and the Wizards organization have been content with being a bottom-third team in the league for far too long. The Wizards are a rudderless ship at sea that desperately needs to draft a real superstar, which means they need to catch a big break on lottery night and move up into the top four, ideally the top two of the draft. If they can land the biggest prize, Victor Wembanyama, or one of the elite consolation prizes, Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller, Amen Thompson or Ausar Thompson, they may finally have some franchise direction.