All 30 official NBA Draft hats, ranked
New Era dropped its release of the NBA Draft hats that will be given to draftees later this month, and just like their NFL counterparts, there are some team-specific quirks to each cap.
On the sides, there are patches like these:
New Era
On the front? Pins with some branding or phrases. And that's how we'll rank the hats, since that's mainly what we'll see in photos.
30. Los Angeles Clippers
New Era
That's all you got? Go Clips?
29. Phoenix Suns
That pin looks like it was purchased at the airport.
28. Minnesota Timberwolves
New Era
Same with this one.
27. Indiana Pacers
New Era
Ditto.
26. Dallas Mavericks
New Era
Perfect for Westworld though.
25. Philadelphia 76ers
WHERE IS "TRUST THE PROCESS"????? (Yeah, yeah, I know the Liberty Bell is the thing in Philly, but c'mon).
24. Atlanta Hawks
New Era
I know "true to Atlanta" is their thing, but if the pick is a bust, it's a meme waiting to happen.
23. Portland Trail Blazers
Because they play at the rose garden and roses grow in Oregon.
22. New York Knicks
"New York forever"? Bland and brand-less.
21. Oklahoma City Thunder
I've never been a huge "Thunder Up" guy.
20. Houston Rockets
New Era
H-Town is fine, I guess.
19. Miami Heat
New Era
Also just fine.
18. Sacramento Kings
That's the bear seen on the California flag. And while we know Sacramento is the capital of California, there are still three other teams who play there, so you can't own the state's flag.
17. Chicago Bulls
New Era
Windy City > Chi-town.
16. Detroit Pistons
New Era
You really can't do anything else but this.
15. San Antonio Spurs
New Era
Never heard it called Alamo City. But that's kind of cool.
14. New Orleans Pelicans
A good reminder that if you get drafted there, you get Mardi Gras.
13. Orlando Magic
That's Disney's magic kingdom, right? Not a bad choice.
12. Golden State Warriors
New Era
I do like "The Bay."
11. Denver Nuggets
New Era
Hey, solid logo, Nugs, and "Mile High" works.
10. Charlotte Hornets
New Era
9. Boston Celtics
New Era
You can't do anything but the clover. And it's in gold, so that's cool.
8. Utah Jazz
I see what you did there. A music joke that's really a dad joke. And we know I love dad jokes.
7. Brooklyn Nets
New Era
I'm biased because I'm from New York City, but that all-black hat with the Brooklyn bridge logo is so good.
6. Memphis Grizzlies
New Era
Heck yeah I want a pin that says "grit and grind." Now there's branding!
5. Washington Wizards
I've always liked "The District." It sounds like a good name for a television show … wait, it was? With Craig T. Nelson? Still, it's cool.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
New Era
Tell me there isn't a cooler thing than calling a place THE LAND.
3. Toronto Raptors
Huge points for going with the Canadian maple leaf, which means the Raps need no words to tell you what it means to play in Toronto. Also, that logo!
2. Los Angeles Lakers
This is so good. It can be so many things: The glitz and glam of Hollywood, Jack Nicholson's favorite eyewear …
… or representing this GIF:
1. Milwaukee Bucks
New Era
Couple that logo with "Fear the Deer," one of the best catchphrases in all of sports and you've got a winner.
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