Re-Drafting The 1984 NBA Draft: Houston Rockets Would Select Michael Jordan

The 1984 NBA Draft is arguably one of the best NBA draft classes in history. At the top are four Top 75 players of all time with Hall Of Fame careers and legacies as some of the greatest players to ever play the game. Former All-Stars and All-NBA players are also sprinkled throughout this draft class, with a total of seven players being voted into the midseason exhibition matchup at one point in their careers.

Just as we have done with the 1996 and 2017 NBA Drafts in the past, it is time to re-draft and reorganize this loaded class of NBA talent. We will base each selection on the totality of each player’s career in the NBA and place them in order accordingly. This will be regardless of how they fit into each team’s lineup that is selecting them. We will re-draft the entire first round of the draft, which consisted of 24 picks in 1984, and explain each pick in further detail.

This is the re-drafting of the 1984 NBA Draft.

1. Houston Rockets

Original Pick: Hakeem Olajuwon

Re-Draft Pick: Michael Jordan

Selecting Hakeem Olajuwon first overall worked out for the Rockets in 1984, with Olajuwon developing into one of the greatest centers in NBA history. The only way the Rockets could have ended up in better shape is if they had taken the third overall selection in 1984, Michael Jordan. In his career with the Bulls, Jordan went on to become the greatest player that ever lived, winning six NBA championships in six appearances, five MVP awards, and six Finals MVP awards during his career. His 30.1 PPG for his career is still an NBA record, as are his 10 scoring titles and his 33.4 PPG for his career during the NBA playoffs.

2. Portland Trail Blazers

Original Pick: Sam Bowie

Re-Draft Pick: Hakeem Olajuwon

The Portland Trail Blazers end up making the best move of this NBA re-draft, with Hakeem Olajuwon falling in their laps with the second pick. The pick pairs Olajuwon with Clyde Drexler, who would team up later in their careers with the Rockets and win an NBA championship in 1995. There is no doubt that the Trail Blazers would be the best team in the Western Conference with two or more championships in the future. Olajuwon wound up becoming one of the greatest defenders and overall centers in NBA history, with two Finals MVPs, one MVP award, and two Defensive Player of the Year awards.

3. Chicago Bulls

Original Pick: Michael Jordan

Re-Draft Pick: Charles Barkley

Unfortunately for them, the entire history of the Chicago Bulls would be rewritten. Instead of landing the greatest player in NBA history, the Bulls would land Charles Barkley, a former MVP and one of the greatest power forwards ever. In being drafted by the Bulls, Barkley would have the chance to be the face of the franchise just as Jordan did. The situation would be favorable for the 1993 MVP and 11-time All-Star, who would surely lead the Bulls to at least one NBA Finals appearance. Barkley, who averaged 22.1 PPG and 11.7 RPG for his career, would most likely put an end to all the jokes about him being ringless if drafted to Chicago back in 1984.

4. Dallas Mavericks

Original Pick: Sam Perkins

Re-Draft Pick: John Stockton

In a 1984 re-draft, the Dallas Mavericks would be selecting their point guard of the future, John Stockton. For the Mavericks, the move brings a point guard to a team that is loaded in their frontcourt with players like Rolando Blackman at shooting guard and Mark Aguirre at small forward. Stockton would most likely fall behind Brad Davis in the rotation just as he did with the Jazz in actuality. A few seasons down the line, Stockton would crack the starting lineup and still go on to become one of the greatest point guards in NBA history. With an NBA record nine assists titles and the all-time record for assists and steals, it is safe to say Stockton would go down as one of the greatest players in Mavericks’ history.

5. Philadelphia 76ers

Original Pick: Charles Barkley

Re-Draft Pick: Alvin Robertson

Instead of an all-time great power forward falling to them at the fifth slot, the 76ers will have to settle for All-Defensive guard Alvin Robertson. The selection is clearly a downgrade given how Barkley’s career played out compared to Robertson, but the news is far from bad for the Sixers. At his peak, Robertson was an All-Star two-way guard who led the NBA in steals with over 3.0 SPG and added 17.0 to 19.0 PPG and 5.0 to 6.0 APG. He holds the NBA’s record for most career steals per game with 2.7 SPG and earned six All-Defensive Team selections as well as a Defensive Player of the Year in 1986. The Sixers don’t land Barkley, but at this spot in the draft and acquiring an All-Star is still a victory for them moving forward.

6. Washington Bullets

Original Pick: Melvin Turpin

Re-Draft Pick: Sam Perkins

The Washington Bullets instantly improved their roster with the selection of Sam Perkins, and the proof is in Perkins’ track record. Everywhere he went, the teams got better, and he helped three of them reach the Finals during his career. Perkins was a stretch big before they were popular, begging one to wonder how much better he would be today. Perkins would never be an All-Star, but with his 14.0 to 15.0 PPG and 7.0 to 8.0 RPG at his peak and his history of impacting winning basketball, Perkins would be a steal for the Bullets at the sixth spot.

7. San Antonio Spurs

Original Pick: Alvin Robertson

Re-Draft Pick: Otis Thorpe

The San Antonio Spurs wind up losing out on the services of an All-Defensive point guard, but they do not take a hit as a franchise. Instead, they earn the services of NBA champion and All-Star Otis Thorpe. From 1987 thru 1992, Otis Thorpe did not miss a single game with the Kings and Rockets, as he averaged 18.0 PPG and 9.9 RPG on 54.6% shooting. At this stage in a draft that does not run deep in talent past the top 10 picks, the Spurs remain lucky to land an All-NBA-caliber big man and someone who can be relied upon to suit up every night.

8. Los Angeles Clippers

Original Pick: Lancaster Gordon

Re-Draft Pick: Kevin Willis

The Clippers are another team that originally drafted in the top 10 in 1984 that benefits tremendously from a re-draft. Instead of four-year disappointment Lancaster Gordon, the Clippers land one of the most underrated players of the 90s, Kevin Willis. Playing the power forward position, Willis became a key player for the Hawks during the 80s and 90s. From 1987 thru 1995 with the team, Willis made an All-Star appearance and averaged 15.7 PPG and 10.8 RPG while shooting 50.2% from the floor. Willis would have been a much better fit for the Clippers and the All-Star they needed to compete.

9. Kansas City Kings

Original Pick: Otis Thorpe

Re-Draft Pick: Jerome Kersey

The final selection ever by the Kansas City Kings would be former Trail Blazers star Jerome Kersey’s honor in a 1984 re-draft. Kersey was originally a second-round pick who developed rapidly in the NBA and became a 19.2 PPG and 8.3 RPG player in just his fourth season. Kersey would help the Trail Blazers make the NBA Finals in both 1990 and 1992, averaging at least 12.5 PPG and 6.5 RPG each season. Although they lost out on Thorpe, the Kings lucked out and captured one of the final remaining big names of the first round.

10. Philadelphia 76ers

Original Pick: Leon Wood

Re-Draft Pick: Vern Fleming

As the only team with two picks in the top 10 of the draft, the Sixers upgraded overall by selecting Vern Fleming with the 10th pick. This will create a backcourt of a young and promising duo in Fleming and Alvin Robertson, who each offer things they do well on both sides of the ball. Fleming was one of the top scorers from the 1984 NBA Draft averaging over 14.0 PPG at his peak, and could find his teammates regularly as well with 6.5 to 7.5 APG at his peak. The duo of Fleming and Robertson would change Philadelphia’s look completely, but maybe it is enough to replace Barkley.

11. Atlanta Hawks

Original Pick: Kevin Willis

Re-Draft Pick: Sam Bowie

The Atlanta Hawks lose out on All-Star forward Kevin Willis and instead pick who many call the biggest bust of the draft, Sam Bowie. Even though he would suffer a devastating leg injury that cost him the 1985-86 and 1986-87 seasons, Bowie still put together a solid career to earn the 11th pick. In the three seasons following the injury with the Nets, Bowie would average 14.2 PPG and 8.7 RPG playing at least 62 games per year. That sort of production doesn’t make up for the loss of Willis, but it will help while they seek another solution.

12. Cleveland Cavaliers

Original Pick: Tim McCormick

Re-Draft Pick: Michael Cage

The draft picks in 1984 beyond this point are a collection of guys who had short careers in the NBA but made a bit of noise while they were there. Michael Cage represents the final accomplished NBA player with a long career, as he played 16 seasons in the NBA with five different teams. Cage was a 6’9’’ big man who was a rebounding machine early on in his career with the Clippers. In 1988, Cage won the NBA’s rebounding title with 13.0 RPG. He averaged 12.5 PPG and 11.0 RPG from 1987 thru 1990 with the Clippers and SuperSonics in his last full seasons as a starter. He had mild success for the remainder of his career elsewhere, but the Cavaliers would have been thrilled with the first few seasons of Cage.

13. Phoenix Suns

Original Pick: Jay Humphries

Re-Draft Pick: Tony Campbell

The career of Tony Campbell is a curious case and one that makes his selection at number 13 a wild card for the Phoenix Suns. Campbell began his career with the Pistons, appearing off the bench for the most part. He did the same with the Lakers in 1988 and 1989 before moving on to the Timberwolves in 1990. In his first two seasons as a starter in Minnesota, Campbell exploded for over 20.0 PPG and missed just five games in two seasons. After 1992, his game would completely fall off as he left Minnesota for the Knicks. Campbell would leave the NBA after the 1995 season to play overseas in Greece.

14. Los Angeles Clippers

Original Pick: Michael Cage

Re-Draft Pick: Jay Humphries

Having lost out on their original pick, the Clippers wind up with Jay Humphries with their second selection of the first round. Humphries was a 6’3’’ guard out of Colorado who saw some decent seasons in his NBA career. In four seasons with the Suns to start his career, he averaged 10.8 PPG and 6.3 APG as the starter. In the five seasons that followed with the Bucks, Humphries averaged 13.4 PPG, 6.0 APG, and 1.8 SPG in the same role. His presence would help improve the Clippers at the guard position, whether in a starting role or off the bench.

15. Dallas Mavericks

Original Pick: Terence Stansbury

Re-Draft Pick: Tim McCormick

In 1984, the Mavericks traded their original pick Terence Stansbury to the Pacers in exchange for a first-round pick in 1990. With no trades occurring in our re-draft, the Mavericks take their second player of the first round as well. This time, they go with 6’11 big man Tim McCormick out of Michigan. McCormick is not a bad pick at this stage of the draft, where talent is running thin. McCormick had his best seasons in 1987 and 1988 with the Sixers and Nets when he averaged 12.0 PPG and over 6.5 RPG each season. McCormick would play eight seasons in the NBA in total but the Mavericks would be more than happy with two seasons of decent play from a big man as they try to figure out how to move forward.

16. Utah Jazz

Original Pick: John Stockton

Re-Draft Pick: Ron Anderson

The Utah Jazz were beyond lucky to have John Stockton fall to them in the original 1984 NBA Draft but do not get that benefit in a re-draft. Instead of their franchise point guard of the future, the Jazz are left with Ron Anderson, a 10-year forward in the NBA who played with the Cavaliers, Pacers, Sixers, Nets, and Bullets. Anderson is no Stockton, of course, but he did enjoy a few solid years at his peak. He averaged 16.2 PPG off the bench for the Sixers in 1989 and over 13.5 PPG in each of the following two seasons. This would most likely set Utah back a bit as a franchise, so there is no way of spinning the selection in a positive manner.

17. New Jersey Nets

Original Pick: Jeff Turner

Re-Draft Pick: Danny Young

The unfortunate teams from here on out are selecting from the last few players who produced for more than just a few seasons in the NBA. Danny Young falls to the Nets here as a point guard from Wake Forest University. Young would play 10 seasons in the NBA with the SuperSonics, Trail Blazers, Clippers, and Pistons. He spent most of his career as a backup point guard and had his best season for Seattle in 1986. He averaged 6.9 PPG and 3.7 APG in 82 games played. Other than that season, there isn’t much more to say about Young’s selection for the Nets.

18. Indiana Pacers

Original Pick: Vern Fleming

Re-Draft Pick: Steve Colter

The Pacers were another team who luckily had a point guard fall into their lap late in round one in 1984 but suffered the consequences of a re-draft with the 17th pick. Steve Colter is the Pacers’ pick this time around, and they have to settle for just a few years of decent production from him. In his first three seasons with Portland and Chicago, Colter averaged at least 6.0 PPG and 3.0 APG. He bounced around after that but had left the NBA by 1991 to play overseas. It’s not exactly the ideal situation to replace Vern Fleming.

19. Portland Trail Blazers

Original Pick: Bernard Thompson

Re-Draft Pick: Jim Petersen

After lucking out and landing Hakeem Olajuwon earlier in the first round, the Trail Blazers take another big man late in the first with Jim Petersen. Standing 6’10’’, Petersen would have a few decent seasons in his career with the Rockets and Kings. In 1987, he averaged 11.3 PPG and 6.8 RPG for Houston, and in 1989 he averaged 10.2 PPG and 6.3 RPG for the Kings. Petersen would retire from the NBA in 1992 after just eight seasons in the league.

20. Detroit Pistons

Original Pick: Tony Campbell

Re-Draft Pick: Melvin Turpin

Even this late in the 1984 NBA Draft, the Pistons still lose out on their original pick Tony Campbell. Instead, they end up with Melvin Turpin, who lasted just five years at the NBA level. Originally the sixth pick by the Bullets, Turpin would never play a minute for them on the court as he spent his first three seasons with the Cavaliers. Turpin averaged over 10.5 PPG in each of his first two seasons before seeing his playing time and stats cut in half. Turpin would play his last season in the NBA in 1990 for the Bullets, which amounted to 4.7 PPG and 3.7 RPG.

21. Milwaukee Bucks

Original Pick: Kenny Fields

Re-Draft Pick: Leon Wood

The Milwaukee Bucks end up selecting former number 10 overall pick Leon Wood with their 21st overall pick in this re-draft. Wood would play seven seasons in the NBA for six different teams bouncing from city to city in his career. Wood would never average over 8.0 PPG in a season and averaged over 4.0 APG just once. He would end up playing in Europe by 1991 and would never play in the NBA again.

22. Philadelphia 76ers

Original Pick: Tom Sewell

Re-Draft Pick: Jeff Turner

With yet another selection in the first round of this 1984 re-draft, the Sixers do not find as much luck as they did before. With this pick, they end up with Jeff Turner, a 6’9’’ forward out of Vanderbilt. Turner was originally the 17th pick of the Nets, where he spent the first three-plus seasons of his career. He would have his best year in 1991 with Orlando when he averaged 8.6 PPG and 5.1 RPG in 71 appearances.

23. Los Angeles Lakers

Original Pick: Earl Jones

Re-Draft Pick: Charles Jones

The Los Angeles Lakers make an exchange of Jones’ in this 1984 NBA re-draft, selecting Charles Jones in lieu of Earl this time around. Charles Jones would play just four seasons in the NBA for the Suns, Trail Blazers, and Bullets. His season of note came as a rookie with Phoenix, as the big man averaged 8.4 PPG and 5.1 RPG in 78 games played.

24. Boston Celtics

Original Pick: Michael Young

Re-Draft Pick: Ben Coleman

Coming off an NBA championship in 1984, the Celtics hoped to find a hidden gem at the bottom of the first round. They would have had zero luck back then, just as they do in a re-draft here today. After being selected in the second round in 1984, Ben Coleman would not make his NBA debut until 1987 with the Nets. He would average 8.5 PPG and 5.0 RPG in 1988 but had little to no play of note following that season.

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