Re-Drafting The 2019 NBA Draft: New Orleans Pelicans Would Select Ja Morant

We are back again with our series, where we re-draft some of the most iconic draft classes in NBA history. You have already seen us reconstruct some iconic draft classes, such as the 1996, 2009, and 2017 classes featuring some of the greatest players ever to play the game. Today, this re-draft will feature a draft class that just completed their fourth season in the NBA and has begun to carve out their legacies within the league. 

We will not have to turn the clock back too far as we dive into the 2019 NBA Draft and re-position where these players would have gone if we only knew what we know now. This evaluation and re-draft will be based on each player’s impact on each of their teams over the last four seasons and what they have accomplished both on a team and individual level. In a traditional re-draft, many will place players with different organizations based on fit and roster configuration. Today, each team will be taking the best player available to maximize their potential for an NBA championship.

This is the re-drafting of the 2019 NBA Draft.

1. New Orleans Pelicans

Original Pick: Zion Williamson

Re-Draft Pick: Ja Morant

Given what they know now, I do not think it is a question that the New Orleans Pelicans take Ja Morant with the first pick over Zion Williamson. Morant would have been a great fit in New Orleans, considering at the time, they needed a point guard, and CJ McCollum had not yet been acquired. Even with his off-the-court issues lingering headed into 2023-24, Morant is the right pick, having averaged 26.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 7.4 APG, and 1.1 SPG over the last two seasons. He has also been named an All-Star twice and an All-NBA Team selection once, as well as the NBA’s Most Improved Player award in 2022.

2. Memphis Grizzlies

Original Pick: Ja Morant

Re-Draft Pick: Zion Williamson

The Memphis Grizzlies would be the team to take a chance on Zion Williamson, hoping to keep him motivated enough to stay in basketball shape and injury-free. That has been the only gripe with Zion is his inability to stay healthy, as he has been brilliant when he has stayed on the court. In his four years in the NBA, Zion has played in just 114 out of a possible 328 games, which is something the Grizzlies would be hoping to avoid. When healthy, Williamson has averaged 25.8 PPG and 7.0 RPG on 60.5% shooting from the field. With that production, the risk is worth it for Memphis, especially if they believe they can keep him on the court.

3. New York Knicks

Original Pick: RJ Barrett

Re-Draft Pick: Darius Garland

The New York Knicks would have a top point guard in the NBA fall into their laps in an NBA re-draft and would snatch him up in a second. Over the last four seasons, Darius Garland has developed into one of the best passers and playmakers in the NBA with the Cavaliers. Over the last two seasons as the full-time starter, Garland has averaged 21.6 PPG, 8.2 APG, and 1.3 SPG while earning an All-Star appearance in 2022 and helping the Cavaliers reach the playoffs both seasons. He would have taken the Knicks to the next level just as the free agent signing of Jalen Brunson did in 2023. 

4. Los Angeles Lakers

Original Pick: De’Andre Hunter

Re-Draft Pick: Tyler Herro

The Los Angeles Lakers selected De’Andre Hunter with the fourth pick in 2019 and promptly traded him just a few weeks later in the deal that landed them Anthony Davis. Assuming they kept this pick and were still able to land Davis, they would select Tyler Herro from Kentucky with the fourth overall pick. Herro is the right pick, having averaged over 20.0 PPG over the last two seasons and becoming the 2022 Sixth Man of the Year averaging 20.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 4.0 APG. Looking at how well Austin Reaves has fit into their system, Tyler Herro would have been a welcomed addition to their squad.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers

Original Pick: Darius Garland

Re-Draft Pick: Jordan Poole

With their original pick off the board and in New York, the Cavaliers found themselves having to make an important decision. They decide to go with Jordan Poole, who has been an important member of the Golden State Warriors over the last two seasons. In 2021-22, Poole averaged 18.5 PPG in the regular season and 17.0 PPG in the playoffs to help the Warriors win their fourth championship in eight seasons. In 2022-23, Poole averaged 20.4 PPG on 43.0% shooting but fell apart in the playoffs, and the Warriors went home in the second round. Of all the players remaining, Poole would be the smartest choice for Cleveland.

6. Phoenix Suns

Original Pick: Jarrett Culver

Re-Draft Pick: RJ Barrett

The Phoenix Suns are the first team in this re-draft to make a significant upgrade from their original pick. Instead of Jarrett Culver, who played just 10 games in 2022-23, the Suns get RJ Barrett, a budding star of the New York Knicks. Barrett has been pretty good with New York over the last four years averaging 18.1 PPG and 5.4 RPG during that time. In 2023, Barrett averaged 19.6 PPG on 43.4% shooting to help the Knicks reach the second round of the NBA playoffs. The Suns could have definitely used that production outside of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, don’t you think?

7. Chicago Bulls

Original Pick: Coby White

Re-Draft Pick: Nic Claxton

With the seventh pick in the 2019 re-draft, the Chicago Bulls get a solution to one of their biggest issues, interior defense. Nic Claxton was among the league leaders in blocks in 2022-23 and has been one of the best interior defenders in the NBA over the last two seasons. Claxton brings an innate ability to read the plays before they happen off the ball and makes opponents regret taking the ball to the rim. Claxton would be a perfect fit in Chicago, where they lack the defense to take their contention to the next level.

8. Atlanta Hawks

Original Pick: Jaxson Hayes

Re-Draft Pick: Keldon Johnson

With their eighth pick in the 2019 NBA re-draft, the Atlanta Hawks also get a big upgrade over their original pick. Keldon Johnson is one of the great young forwards in the NBA today. It just so happens the Spurs are taking and have looked miserable going on a few seasons now. Johnson has been terrific, though, and it came to a head in 2022-23. He averaged a career-high 22.0 PPG this season, along with 5.0 RPG and 2.9 APG. At the small forward position, the Hawks would benefit big time from the addition of Johnson, and who knows? Maybe they even make it to the NBA Finals in 2021 with another win scorer to take the load off Trae Young.

9. Washington Wizards

Original Pick: Rui Hachimura

Re-Draft Pick: Cameron Johnson

The Washington Wizards also get an upgrade in this 2019 re-draft with the selection of Cameron Johnson ninth overall. Johnson has been a steady and productive forward with both the Suns and Nets over the last four seasons, specifically from the outside as a three-point shooter. Johnson shoots 39.3% from three for his career so far and seems to have found a larger role with the Nets in 2023. Johnson averaged 16.6 PPG in 25 games with the Nets this season, and it looks as though he will be a big part of their plans moving forward.

10. Atlanta Hawks

Original Pick: Cam Reddish

Re-Draft Pick: De’Andre Hunter

The Atlanta Hawks land a familiar face with their 10th overall pick in the 2019 re-draft. De’Andre Hunter lands with the Hawks just as he did back in 2019 as a rookie in the Anthony Davis deal. Hunter has been great for the Hawks over the last four seasons despite battling injuries for most of it. Hunter had his best season with Atlanta averaging 15.4 PPG and 4.2 RPG in 67 games for them, something they would take again in a heartbeat if given the chance.

11. Minnesota Timberwolves

Original Pick: Cameron Johnson

Re-Draft Pick: Brandon Clarke

Brandon Clarke has been one of the most consistent players in the league over the last four seasons and is turning into one heck of a backup power forward. Clarke would easily be a starter in plenty of other situations, and Minnesota would not be one of them, but he would provide them with some much-needed interior defense they are lacking from the four spot. Clarke has averaged at least 10.0 PPG and 5.0 RPG over the last three seasons and hovering around 1.0 BPG as well.

12. Charlotte Hornets

Original Pick: P.J. Washington

Re-Draft Pick: P.J Washington

In one of the only instances in which a team keeps their originally drafted player, the Charlotte Hornets do so with their 12th overall pick. P.J. Washington has shown flashes of being a top-tier talent at the forward and center positions for the Hornets and had the best season of his career with them in 2022-23. He averaged 15.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 1.1 BPG in 73 starts for the Hornets, which is production they would love to have at this spot in the re-draft. Washington ends up a Hornet once again, and the team should be happy about their position.

13. Miami Heat

Original Pick: Tyler Herro

Re-Draft Pick: Kevin Porter Jr.

The Miami Heat suffer a minor downgrade with their 13th pick in the 2019 re-draft, losing out on Tyler Herro to the Lakers earlier on. Instead, they wind up with a decent replacement in Kevin Porter Jr. but maybe one just not as polished. Porter Jr. has been decent with the Rockets over the last three seasons averaging 17.0 PPG, 6.0 APG, and 1.2 SPG on 42.8% shooting. He is coming off his best season despite the Rockets’ abysmal record. If Porter Jr. had landed in South Beach with Jimmy Butler and Erik Spoelstra, there is no doubt that his talent would have been maximized by their guidance.

14. Boston Celtics

Original Pick: Romeo Langford

Re-Draft Pick: Jaylen Nowell

Jaylen Nowell was originally a second-round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft but finds himself selected toward the middle of the first in this re-draft. The Celtics select Nowell for his exceptional play on both sides of the ball and for his consistent production on the court. Nowell is not somebody who will light the scoreboard up, but he is a welcomed presence off the bench while capable of 10.0 PPG or more in the right situation.

15. Detroit Pistons

Original Pick: Sekou Doumboya

Re-Draft Pick: Rui Hachimura

The Detroit Pistons get a significant upgrade in their 2019 re-draft by selecting Rui Hachimura with their 15th overall pick. Hachimura has been a huge boost for the Lakers since they acquired him at the 2023 trade deadline, and I have no doubt he could have been the same with Detroit. He has averaged 12.5 PPG and 5.0 RPG in his career and could have been a welcomed sight to the Pistons and their plans for the future.

16. Orlando Magic

Original Pick: Chuma Okeke

Re-Draft Pick: Terance Mann

Terance Mann has never really gotten a full shot to showcase his talents as a starting guard with the Clippers over the last four seasons being in a loaded guard room for most of his career. Things could have possibly been the same with the Orlando Magic, but it is likely he would have had a complete shot by now. Mann is an energetic and fast-paced guard with the ability to shoot and create for himself and others. He could have been a welcome sight to the Magic as they are building something special in town right now.

17. Brooklyn Nets

Original Pick: Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Re-Draft Pick: Daniel Gafford

Believe it or not, Daniel Gafford has the third-most win shares of any player in the 2019 NBA Draft. Gafford has been a great presence for the Wizards over the last two-plus seasons averaging 9.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 1.4 BPG over that time. For the Nets who lose out on Claxton, Gafford is a solid option in lieu of that selection and would surely have helped the team while they had the trio of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving when they desperately needed production from their bigs.

18. Indiana Pacers

Original Pick: Goga Bitadze

Re-Draft Pick: Grant Williams

For the last few seasons, Grant Williams has been a great presence for the Boston Celtics off their bench as they pursue an NBA championship. He makes timely shots when his team needs him most and is a tough and physical defender who makes key plays every so often to help his team win. Williams has averaged over 7.5 PPG and 3.5 RPG in each of his previous two seasons, and the Pacers would have taken him in an instant over Bitadze.

19. San Antonio Spurs

Original Pick: Luka Samanic

Re-Draft Pick: Coby White

Considering the Spurs’ and coach Popvich’s propensity to want to build with guards through the draft, Coby White would be a perfect selection for them at number 19. White was originally a lottery pick, with a ton of expectations placed on him to do so. He has averaged 12.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.3 APG, and 0.6 SPG in his four-year career so far with the Bulls and has spent the last two seasons off the bench. Could you imagine how much more developed he would be had he been with Coach Pop this entire time?

20. Boston Celtics

Original Pick: Matisse Thybulle

Re-Draft Pick: Cam Reddish

One of the most interesting players from the entire 2019 NBA Draft is Cam Reddish. He has shown all the talent in the world to be a solid role player, if not more, in the NBA but has always been buried on the bench wherever he goes. Reddish has shown plenty of potential in the last four seasons with the Hawks, Knicks, and Trail Blazers but has yet to play in over 58 games in a season. Reddish could have been a perfect fit for Boston, who was seeking production off the bench for quite some time until they landed Malcolm Brogdon this past offseason.

21. Oklahoma City Thunder

Original Pick: Brandon Clarke

Re-Draft Pick: Matisse Thybulle

With the selection of Matisse Thybulle at number 21, the Thunder may just get the steal of the draft. Over the last four seasons, Thybulle has shown that he can be one of the very best perimeter defenders in basketball, shutting down such players as Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant along the way. Although his offense has been slow to develop, Thybulle is a two-time All-Defensive Team selection which is hard to find in a player this late in the re-draft.

22. Boston Celtics

Original Pick: Grant Williams

Re-Draft Pick: Darius Bazley

At number 22, we begin to get to the players that, honestly, we can put their names in a hat and select from there. Darius Bazley gets the nod for the Celtics in this re-draft, having spent his four seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Suns. Bazley has averaged 9.1 PPG and 5.3 RPG in his career with the Thunder and Suns, which includes two seasons with over 10.0 PPG and 6.0 RPG early on. In Boston, Bazley would have been a solid choice for their deep roster and might have made an impact in a bench role for them down the line.

23. Utah Jazz

Original Pick: Darius Bazley

Re-Draft Pick: Nassir Little

Every Portland Trail Blazer fan has been waiting for the breakout season to come from Nassir Little. He has been rather pedestrian for them over the last four seasons averaging just 6.0 PPG and 3.2 RPG in 192 games played. Little has struggled with injuries a bit and has not appeared in more than 54 games in any season to date. He had his best year in 2022 when he averaged 9.8 PPG and 5.6 RPG in 42 games played.

24. Philadelphia 76ers

Original Pick: Ty Jerome

Re-Draft Pick: Nickeil Alexander-Walker

The 76ers luck out in their 2019 re-draft as they land talented shooting guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Nickeil has spent his four seasons in the NBA with three teams, including the Pelicans, Jazz, and Timberwolves. He averaged 9.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 2.3 APG in three seasons with New Orleans and 5.9 PPG with the Timberwolves in 2023. Although he may not be an upgrade for them, he is still a better selection than Ty Jerome, who is no longer on their roster.

25. Portland Trail Blazers

Original Pick: Nassir Little

Re-Draft Pick: Bol Bol

Bol Bol never got a chance to showcase his overall talent in his first three seasons with the Denver Nuggets but finally got the opportunity with the Magic in 2022-23. Bol appeared in 70 games this year for Orlando and averaged 9.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 1.2 BPG. If in the right situation, Bol Bol could be a serious threat for any opponent to take seriously, and in Portland, he would have had that chance to build something as that player for them if given the opportunity.

26. Cleveland Cavaliers

Original Pick: Dylan Windler

Re-Draft Pick: Jaxson Hayes

Big, strong, athletic, and full of energy. These are the words I would use to describe Jaxson Hayes and his play on the court. Originally a top-10 choice in 2019, Hayes has been somewhat disappointing during his four seasons with the Pelicans thus far. He has averaged 7.5 PPG and 4.0 RPG during his NBA tenure but has never been in a starting role. Chances are that Hayes would be off the bench in Cleveland as well, but as they say, everything’s better when the team is winning, right?

27. Brooklyn Nets

Original Pick: Mfondu Kabengele

Re-Draft Pick: Talen Horton-Tucker

Coming out of the 2019 NBA Draft, the hype surrounding second-round pick Talen Horton-Tucker was incredible. He hardly played in his rookie season, but the Lakers went on to win an NBA championship with him on the floor. Over the last two seasons, he has looked much better with the Lakers and Jazz, averaging over 10.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 2.5 APG in 125 games. For the Nets, it would have been a serious upgrade from their original selection who never played a game for them and has played just 55 games since his rookie year.

28. Golden State Warriors

Original Pick: Jordan Poole

Re-Draft Pick: Ty Jerome

With a 2019 re-draft, the Golden State Warriors find their wallets to be over $100 million lighter after missing out on Jordan Poole and selecting Ty Jerome, who happens to have just completed his first season in Golden State in 2023. Jerome made 45 appearances for the Warriors this season and averaged 6.9 PPG and 3.0 APG. Had he been under the tutelage of Kerr, Curry, and Draymond Green, maybe he could have turned out like Poole in the long run.

29. San Antonio Spurs

Original Pick: Keldon Johnson

Re-Draft Pick: Goga Bitadze

Unfortunately for the Spurs, they will miss out on one of their promising young stars in a 2019 re-draft, losing Keldon Johnson in lieu of Goga Bitadze. For the last four seasons, Bitadze has been average at best for the Pacers and Magic, making just 22 starts and 187 appearances overall. He has averaged 4.9 PPG and 3.0 RPG in his career and most likely would not have been an impact player for San Antonio unless Coach Pop was able to work his magic that we have seen before with players from different countries.

30. Milwaukee Bucks

Original Pick: Kevin Porter Jr.

Re-Draft Pick: Jarrett Culver

With the final selection in the 2019 re-draft, the Milwaukee Bucks select, or are stuck with, Jarett Culver. He was originally the sixth overall pick of the Suns back in 2019 but never played a game for them as he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Culver has averaged 6.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 1.7 APG over the last four seasons and played just 10 games with the Hawks in 2022-23. Culver will most likely end up in China next season or some other international league, but hey, maybe the Bucks could have worked out a nice return package in a trade for the former lottery pick.

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