It can take weeks, months and years -- even past a decade sometimes -- for NBA players' careers to fully materialize and for any sort of critical hindsight analysis to be worthwhile. We knew pretty quickly that Kevin Durant should've been taken ahead of Greg Oden in the 2007 NBA Draft, for instance, but even several years later, a 2021 redraft might be hard to settle on. Would the Pistons, Rockets and Cavaliers settle on Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green and Evan Mobley going 1-2-3 if given a re-do? It's a fun thought experiment, and even given some distance, any declarative statements would feel a bit premature.
But with the 2024 NBA Draft just one month in our rearview and fresh on our mind with prospects officially finishing Summer League this last week, there's no better time than the present to have some fun -- and dare I say, get a little bit reckless! -- about how we think the draft should have gone. Does Atlanta want a re-roll with Reed Sheppard after seeing the newly-drafted Rockets star shine in Summer League? Would Washington go a different direction after Alex Sarr's struggles on offense?
The truth is that it's too early to tell on a lot of these players and there's no need for panic. But given what we've seen thus far in their very, very early NBA careers, that won't stop us from a slightly overreactionary re-draft mock below.
The pick order below is identical to how things unfolded on draft night accounting for trades. The new mock takes into consideration their prospect profiles, their early Summer League showings and team needs.
1. Atlanta Hawks | Reed Sheppard
Original pick: Zaccharie Risacher
What we saw from Risacher in Summer League was impressive -- and maybe even better than I anticipated -- so maybe Atlanta would roll with him again. But No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard looked nothing short of a superstar in his own tier for the Rockets' Summer League team. CBS Sports' Gary Parrish ranked Sheppard as his No. 1 player in the class for months leading into the draft in June, and while, yes, it's way too early to draw anything from the class, he's so far looking like he might've nailed his eval. Sheppard looks awesome.
2. Washington Wizards | Zaccharie Risacher
Original pick: Alex Sarr
With Atlanta going in a different direction at No. 1, Washington scoops Risacher at No. 2 and lets its original pick, Sarr, remain on the board. Risacher looked very confident as an offensive weapon for the Hawks and was impressive in particular with the ball in his hands in the open floor. The ideal of Risacher as a prospect was that he could be versatile on defense and shoot it well from 3-point range, but he looks dynamic on offense beyond his small scope, which is encouraging.
3. Houston Rockets | Donovan Clingan
Original pick: Reed Sheppard
There was steam into the final day that Clingan might go No. 1 overall to Atlanta. Clingan wound up falling all the way to No. 7 on draft night, though, which in the moment seemed absurd and in hindsight seems mind-boggling. He led all players in blocks and rebounds and has been every bit the defensive anchor we expected he'd be in the NBA like he was at UConn.
4. San Antonio Spurs | Stephon Castle
Original pick: Stephon Castle
A promising Summer League campaign for UConn star Stephon Castle was cut short due to injury, but look: let's not put aside how good he looked in limited minutes. Castle, my No. 2 player in the class, looks like a steal at No. 4 for San Antonio -- so I have the Spurs standing pat and sticking with him again. He's going to be a stellar sidekick to Wemby.
5. Detroit Pistons | Matas Buzelis
Original pick: Ron Holland
The Ron Holland pick for Detroit felt a bit odd in the moment for Detroit -- a team that ideally needs spacing and shooters around Jaden Ivey and Cade Cunningham. My thoughts haven't changed on that. Holland's G League Ignite teammate, Matas Buzelis, might've been the better play here. He was dynamic in Summer League flashing versatility and highlight-reel dunking ability that has always been a staple of his game. Buzelis before the draft made the argument that he should've been in the mix for No. 1 if he had shot better last season, which seems ambitious, but I'll split the difference here with the No. 11 pick and have him slotted at No. 5 in this redraft.
6. Charlotte Hornets | Alex Sarr
Original pick: Tidjane Salaun
It's hard to ignore how rough it looked for Alex Sarr in Summer League action on offense -- he was held scoreless on 0-of-15 shooting in a game! -- but Charlotte wouldn't let him slip past No. 6 if we were redoing things. He was always a project on offense whose star power was predicated on his defensive impact. That much has not changed, even if what we've seen in recent weeks is ... concerning. I wouldn't panic too much if I'm the Wizards.
7. Portland Trail Blazers | Zach Edey
Original pick: Donovan Clingan
Portland snagged a surprise faller in Clingan at No. 7 the first go-round but here they reach up in a surprise to nab Edey higher than expected. The 7-foot-4 Purdue star was the national player of the year in each of his final seasons in college and looked dominant in limited minutes in Summer League for the Grizz.
8. Minnesota Timberwolves (via SAS) | Rob Dillingham
Original pick: Rob Dillingham
There's no reason to think Minnesota would go another direction here with this draft-night trade. The idea of Dillingham as a microwave scorer and facilitator for a contending Timberwolves team is fun to think about.
9. Memphis Grizzlies | Dalton Knecht
Original pick: Zach Edey
The word out of Memphis in draft season was that this front office was hunting for immediate contributors who have produced at a high level in college. That's largely been the modus operandi of this front office. So given the chance to select again, perhaps we wouldn't see such a steep fall for Tennessee's Knecht, who fell to No. 17 on draft night but has a plug-and-play skill set as a scorer.
10. Utah Jazz | Ron Holland
Original pick: Cody Williams
Holland was viewed across the league as a potential faller on draft night before getting scooped at No. 5 by Detroit. Here he falls further than that to No. 10, where the Jazz take him instead of Williams, giving them a potential star to build around. The former No. 1 recruit has a big frame and blue-chip credentials worth gambling on and potentially very appealing to a Utah team in transition.
11. Chicago Bulls | Nikola Topić
Original pick: Matas Buzelis
Chicago might've found something with Buzelis slipping to No. 11 but with him already off the board, the Bulls make the patient play to land a potential top-five talent in Topić. Topić slipped a bit because of an ACL tear suffered this summer that will likely sideline him for 2024-25, but Chicago can afford to be patient and potentially look to pair him with another top-10 pick in an even deeper 2025 draft.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder | Tidjane Salaün
Original pick: Nikola Topić
Salaün went off the board at No. 6 on draft night but falls to OKC at No. 12 here to give the Thunder a big forward whose game is still developing. Salaün's a raw prospect but his outside shooting and versatility could boost an already-deep and young roster on the best team in the West.
13. Sacramento Kings | Devin Carter
Original pick: Devin Carter
The extent of Carter's shoulder injury -- he had a torn labrum in his left shoulder and underwent surgery last week -- was not known leading into draft night. But it's hard to argue against the pick. He was the best player in the Big East last season despite playing through injury and could still be a rookie year contributor. His fit in Sacramento is glorious.
14. Washington Wizards (via Portland) | Carlton Carrington
Original pick: Carlton Carrington
I loved what Washington did in the draft in getting a big in Sarr, a guard in Carrington and a wing in Kyshawn George. I'd keep the Carrington selection, as he's been one of the many bright spots of Summer League and looked like a top-10 pick. Even with Sarr struggling there's reason to be very excited about the future in Washington because of Carrington.
15. Miami Heat | Kel'el Ware
Original pick: Kel'el Ware
Hand up: I was not a huge fan of this pick initially by Miami. I might've been wrong. Ware had three double-doubles in Summer League and showcased inside-out versatility that could add a fun dynamic to an already-fun young Heat core.
16. Philadelphia 76ers | Jared McCain
Original pick: Jared McCain
If I'm Philly I'm not changing a thing. McCain looked explosive with the ball in his hands and showed dynamism as a passer that we rarely saw at Duke. It's hard to hit on the 16th overall pick in a big way but the 76ers are on their way to doing just that with McCain.
17. Los Angeles Lakers | Cody Williams
Original pick: Dalton Knecht
A win-now player like Tristan da Silva or Terrence Shannon Jr. might make sense here for L.A., but the ceiling outcome of a player like Williams -- even if it doesn't materialize until LeBron's career is over -- would be too tantalizing to pass on.
18. Orlando Magic | Tristan da Silva
Original pick: Tristan da Silva
Orlando went in a very specific direction with its pick here in da Silva to grab a rangy forward who can space the floor, defend and shoot the leather off the ball. Nothing has changed here.
19. Toronto Raptors | Terrence Shannon Jr.
Original pick: Ja'Kobe Walter
Shannon has a case for being one of the five most impressive players of the summer after slipping all the way to pick No. 27 on draft night. He was an All-American performer at Illinois whose game thus far has translated at the college level from star production to the Summer League level into the same.
20. Cleveland Cavaliers | Jaylon Tyson
Original pick: Jaylon Tyson
There's no reason to think Cleveland might change its mind at pick No. 20 if given the option even with Ja'Kobe Walter -- who was picked ahead of him -- still on the board. Tyson averaged 11 points per game in his first three appearances this summer.
21. New Orleans Pelicans | Yves Missi
Original pick: Yves Missi
I've liked what I've seen of Missi so far this summer after New Orleans made him the No. 21 pick in the draft and I suspect New Orleans has liked what it has seen of him so far, too. He's an energetic big who has tremendous hops and agility for a 7-footer.
22. Denver Nuggets (via Phoenix) | DaRon Holmes II
Original pick: DaRon Holmes II
Holmes suffered an Achilles injury in Summer League and is expected to miss the season, a devastating blow for a Nuggets team that had a clear plan for him and traded up to select him. If Denver knew he'd suffer the injury maybe they'd go a different direction with a Ryan Dunn or simply stayed put instead of trading up, but this front office clearly values Holmes as a player and person and sees him as a valuable building block. I agree with that and would take him again -- even with a redshirt year incoming.
23. Milwaukee Bucks | Ryan Dunn
Original pick: AJ Johnson
I'm happy to offer a second chance to Milwaukee here at No. 23 after curiously selecting a project prospect in Johnson on draft night. Dunn gives the Bucks one of the best defenders in the class.
24. Washington Wizards (via NYK) | Kyshawn George
Original pick: Kyshawn George
The only thing I'd change here would be to advise New York to stay put and keep this pick. George was a lottery prospect in my rankings and I love his skill set and background as a player who grew up playing point guard but grew into a wing's body. Fun talent to develop for Washington.
25. New York Knicks | Ja'Kobe Walter
Original pick: Pacome Dadiet
Walter was the No. 19 pick on draft night so the Knicks get a value here in the redraft at No. 25 with a shooting guard who presents good size, an excellent shooting acumen and ranginess to boot.
26. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Washington) | Dillon Jones
Original pick: Dillon Jones
There's no reason to think OKC would make a different selection here after trading up for Jones on draft night. The Weber State star is a smart, mullti-positional prospect who starred as a ball-dominant guard in college but has the IQ to be a do-it-all playmaker and scorer in the NBA.
27. Minnesota Timberwolves | Baylor Scheierman
Original pick: Terrence Shannon Jr.
Minnesota has to go another direction with Shannon Jr. off the board here so they go with another lefty in Scheierman who has a similar profile as a college star who has a ton of experience and could play early on a contending Minnesota team.
28. Phoenix Suns (via Denver) | Tyler Kolek
Original pick: Ryan Dunn
I don't dislike the pick Phoenix originally made in selecting Dunn but I do like the fit Kolek brings to the Suns just a smidge more. The idea of pairing his playmaking and vision with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker would've been killer.
29. Utah Jazz | Isaiah Collier
Original pick: Isaiah Collier
Former No. 1 recruit Collier slipping to No. 29 for Utah was a fun draft night outcome for the Jazz and one I'd presume they'd happily welcome again. He's a downhill threat who plays with an edge and can help this franchise as they look to retool their backcourt.
30. Boston Celtics | Adem Bona
Original pick: Baylor Scheierman
Bona was a steady riser during the draft process who acquitted himself well this summer both at the combine and in Summer League. He's a big bodied center who has tremendous athleticism and brings defensive upside as a shot blocker and shot deterrent.
