Re-Drafting The 2011 NBA Draft: Cleveland Cavaliers Would Select Kawhi Leonard And Klay Thompson

When it comes to the 2011 NBA Draft, there is no shortage of talented players from top to bottom. The 2011 draft features seven players who would later be named All-Stars, as well as an array of NBA champions and players who have shined the brightest amongst their peers in the NBA Finals and beyond. From elite superstars to players who excelled in the roles they were given from day one, the 2011 draft class is one of the most talented classes we have seen in quite some time. 

Just as we have done in the past with the 2009 and 1996 drafts, today we will be re-drafting the 2011 NBA Draft. We will make each selection based on team needs at the time but more importantly on how each of these players’ careers turned out so far. Many are still contributing to winning basketball in today’s NBA while others have moved on in their lives and stepped away from the game of basketball. Whatever the case, these 30 players, and in this order, should have been the ones taken in the first round back in 2011.

This is the re-drafting of the 2011 NBA Draft.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers

Original Pick: Kyrie Irving

Re-Draft Pick: Kawhi Leonard

As for the first pick in this NBA Draft, the ramifications would be endless. Kawhi Leonard goes to the Cavaliers as a young and relatively unknown prospect with a ton of upside, as we now know. The questions to be answered would be, Does LeBron win a fifth ring without Kawhi in San Antonio? Does Kawhi still become a two-time Defensive Player of the Year? Is he still a Finals MVP at such a young age? I am willing to bet all of those answers would be a resounding yes. Kawhi showed he can be the number one guy on both sides of the ball on championship-winning teams in his career so far. Who knows? Maybe the Cavs get their first title before 2016.

2. Minnesota Timberwolves

Original Pick: Derrick Williams

Re-Draft Pick: Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving falls just one spot shy of his original number one spot to the Minnesota Timberwolves this time instead of Cleveland. Now, knowing what we know now, does Minnesota take Kyrie this high? I would actually say yes and in fact, I think it may be a better situation for him in the long run. Kyrie is as talented as any player we have seen in recent memory and an efficient one at that. I believe that Irving would thrive with those Timberwolves teams especially when you consider they were still reeling from the Jonny Flynn and Ricky Rubio selections two years prior. 

3. Utah Jazz

Original Pick: Enes Kanter

Re-Draft Pick: Jimmy Butler

The 2011 NBA Draft was filled with big men being selected at the top. Enes Kanter was the first true big taken off the board with the third overall pick to the Utah Jazz. Instead, in our re-draft, they end up with one of the best two-way players in basketball, Jimmy Butler. What Butler could have given the Jazz is an elite play on both offense and defense that has led to six All-Star appearances, four All-NBA Team selections, and five selections to the All-Defensive Team. In 2022-23, Butler is still averaging 22.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 5.0 APG, and 1.9 SPG. As they headed into a rebuild in 2022-23, the Jazz made away as bandits in the Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert deals. Could you imagine what they would have netted if it was Butler they were dangling?

4. Cleveland Cavaliers

Original Pick: Tristan Thompson

Re-Draft Pick: Klay Thompson

In any re-draft, the best bet is to go with the more proven stars and best players available. They can be plugged in anywhere in any system and still be successful. With the selection of Klay Thompson at number four, the Cavaliers would have been taking a bigger risk than normal. Thompson has been tremendous in his career with the Warriors, earning four NBA championships and becoming one of the greatest shooters in NBA history. However, would his powers have been unlocked with Cleveland rather than one that catered to those powers? I am willing to bet they would try considering they know the player Klay turns out to be.

5. Toronto Raptors

Original Pick: Jonas Valanciunas

Re-Draft Pick: Kemba Walker

Considering the talent gap between the guards/wings and the big men in this draft, Kemba Walker going sixth to the raptors makes sense. Now, the Raptors would go out and get themselves, Kyle Lowry, in 2012 but with the arrival of Walker the season prior, that move most likely doesn’t happen. Walker would become the Hornets’ all-time leading scorer in his eight seasons with the team as well as a four-time All-Star and an All-NBA Team selection. Walker’s presence in Toronto would have been something special to watch alongside DeMar DeRozan and only added to their success during the 2010s.

6. Washington Wizards

Original Pick: Jan Vesely

Re-Draft Pick: Nikola Vucevic

When the Wizards took Jan Vesely in 2011, they were hoping for a versatile big man who could fill several roles in their frontcourt. If that was the case, Nikola Vycevis turned out to be the far better choice. At his peak, Vucevic was a top center in the game averaging over 20.0 PPG and 10.0 RPG. The knock on him has always been his lack of defensive ability, but he has fully made up with his ability to score and earn his team second chances on the offensive glass. He also turned out to be a serious threat from beyond the three-point line shooting over 40.0% on 6.0 attempts from three in 2021.

7. Sacramento Kings

Original Pick: Bismack Biyombo

Re-Draft Pick: Jonas Valanciunas

In the 2011 NBA Draft, the Kings were looking for another big to pair with the talented DeMarcus Cousins, who was heading into his second season. Now, in real life, Jonas Valanciunas was already off the board, but they are rewarded with a serious upgrade in the re-draft. Valanciunas is a double-double machine that is a lost gem in today’s league that every team would be ecstatic to have. He’s tough and physical and fights for extra possessions and rebounds on nearly every play. In 2022-23, Valanciunas is still the same player averaging 14.1 PPG and 9.7 RPG on 55.0% shooting. It would have been a blessing to see him and Cousins share the same frontcourt as young men just getting adapted to the NBA.

8. Detroit Pistons

Original Pick: Brandon Knight

Re-Draft Pick: Isaiah Thomas

From the final pick in the entire draft to a top 10 pick in the re-draft, Isaiah Thomas ends up in Motown. By his third season in the NBA, Thomas was a 20.0 PPG scorer and had shattered all the worries about his height being an issue. Thomas would be an All-Star by the time that 2015-16 came around and an MVP candidate the following season in 2016-17 with over 28.0 PPG on 46.3% shooting from the field. Thomas would have been a tremendous addition to the Pistons lineup, and maybe he never suffers the hip injury that pretty much ended his career.

9. Charlotte Hornets

Original Pick: Kemba Walker

Re-Draft Pick: Tobias Harris

With their original pick also off the board, the Hornets would be forced to turn to the overabundance of bigs still left in the draft pool. Luckily for them, they would get one of the more talented ones. Tobias Harris is a versatile forward who has been a scorer and rebounder every team would take a long look at in any re-draft. Despite a bit of a down season in 2022-23, Harris has averaged 17.8 PPG and 6.7 RPG over the last four and a half seasons in Philadelphia. That sort of production slipping to number nine in this talented draft class is a steal for Charlotte.

10. Milwaukee Bucks

Original Pick: Jimmer Fredette

Re-Draft Pick: Bojan Bogdanovic

The Milwaukee Bucks also end up with a steal at the 10th spot in this re-draft by selecting Bojan Bogdanovic. For years, Bogdanovic showed that he could be a supplemental star in any lineup with stars around him. His ability to move and score from off-the-ball spots had been his biggest weapon, especially in his years with Utah. However, in 2022-23, Bogdanovic became the number one option in Detroit and has gotten even better. He averaged 21.6 PPG through 59 games as a starter and shot the ball well at 48.8% overall and 41.1% from three. His presence next to Giannis would have a tremendous impact over the course of the 2010s as he developed into a superstar.

11. Golden State Warriors

Original Pick: Klay Thompson

Re-Draft Pick: Tristan Thompson

The Golden State Warriors become the first real losers of our re-draft in exchange for Thompsons, and not for the better. Now, Tristan Thompson is by no means a terrible selection at number 11, but he will not have the same impact on team success that Klay does. Tristan is a great role player who isn’t afraid to get physical in the paint. He’s an exceptional rim-runner and rebounder who became an NBA champion in 2016 with the Cavaliers. His double-double numbers would have been an asset to any Warriors team he was a part of, just not as big of an asset as Klay has been in four championship runs.

12. Utah Jazz

Original Pick: Alec Burks

Re-Draft Pick: Marcus Morris

The Utah Jazz have their second selection in this NBA draft and select Marcus Morris with the 12th pick. Morris can do a little bit of everything at a good, not great, level on the court. He is a decent scorer who can create his own shots in certain situations. He also brings a gritty and hard-working mentality to the Jazz, who definitely needed some around this time. Morris isn’t exactly a steal at 12, but he certainly isn’t something that Utah is just getting stuck with.

13. Phoenix Suns

Original Pick: Markieff Morris

Re-Draft Pick: Reggie Jackson

As cool as it would have been to select the Morris twins back-to-back, I have to go with the selection of Reggie Jackson to Phoenix at number 13. The opportunities for Jackson would be endless, learning the ropes to the point guard position from a player the caliber of Steve Nash. Jackson would have most likely been the heir-apparent to the point guard slot for the Suns after Nash left in the early 2010s. At his best, Jackson averaged over 18.5 PPG and 6.2 APG with the Pistons in 2016. There is no doubt in my mind that he would have developed the entirety of his game at a better rate if he had learned the game from Nash early on in his career.

14. Houston Rockets

Original Pick: Marcus Morris

Re-Draft Pick: Enes Kanter

Despite the world of drama surrounding Enes Kanter over the last few years as well as his arrest warrant in Turkey, Enes Kanter is still a solid selection at number 14 for Houston. Kanter was especially talented on the offensive end, where he could torture smaller bigs with a variety of moves in the lane. Unfortunately for him, his defensive ability, or lack thereof, was a major concern for him in his career. At least we know that opponents aren’t going to get away with trying to intimidate his teammates on the court, and he will always step in for his guys. Right, LeBron?

15. Indiana Pacers

Original Pick: Kawhi Leonard

Re-Draft Pick: Iman Shumpert

Is Iman Shumpert an All-Star? No. Is he going to light up the stat sheet? Also no. What any team will get out of Shumpert is hard work and discipline, especially on the defensive side of the ball. For most of his career with the Knicks and Cavaliers, Shumpert was called upon to make big plays or big stops against the game’s best players. Most of the time, it worked out for him as he went to battle with the likes of Kobe and Carmelo on numerous occasions and came out unscathed. Shumpert is one of the best pure defenders in this entire draft class, and for Indiana, it sort of makes up for trading Kawhi. Okay, maybe not, but I had to try.

16. Philadelphia 76ers

Original Pick: Nikola Vucevic

Re-Draft Pick: Davis Bertans

As we entered the 2020s, things were really looking up for Davis Bertans, who made his NBA debut in 2016-17, six seasons after being drafted initially. In 2020, Bertans elevated his game as a sharpshooting big man to the tune of over 15.0 PPG on 42.4% shooting from three. He is a career 39.8% shooter from three-point land on 4.7 attempts. This makes him a valuable asset in today’s league as a big man who can spread the floor and let it fly. Now, if he could only stay healthy and work on his defense, he could be one of the best bigs from the entire draft.

17. New York Knicks

Original Pick: Iman Shumpert

Re-Draft Pick: Markieff Morris

For the Knicks, it is hard to know how much a swap of Shumpert for the other Morris twin would move the needle. The move certainly doesn’t make them worse, but it also doesn’t make them better. Markieff, much like his brother, was a talented scorer in his early days with the Suns averaging 11.4 PPG over five seasons with them and 12.5 PPG in four seasons with the Wizards. The concerns for Morris stem from his lack of playmaking in his game and his defensive deficiencies. On the plus side, his attitude and demeanor will fit right in with the rest of New York. I can say that, by the way, I am a New Yorker.

18. Washington Wizards

Original Pick: Chris Singleton

Re-Draft Pick: Kenneth Faried

With their second pick of the first round, the Wizards get to pick up the man they call The Manimal. Kenneth Faried would play just eight seasons in the NBA, but his first five were when he made the most noise. Faried was an athletic finisher and rebounder who brought serious energy to the Denver Nuggets for a few seasons. During those first five years, he averaged 12.3 PPG and 8.7 RPG for Denver, something the Wizards would welcome with open arms to their frontcourt in 2011.

19. Charlotte Hornets

Original Pick: Tobias Harris

Re-Draft Pick: Alec Burks

For a good portion of his career, Alec Burks has been a more than decent three and D player wherever he had ended up. While he drops in this draft, the Hornets are getting a player who is going to do his job every night when he is on the court. You can plug Burks off the bench into any rotation you need to with his ability to shoot the three-ball and play defense on the perimeter well enough to be somewhat effective. As a career 38.4% three-point shooter who is still averaging 12.8 PPG in 2022-23, Burks is the only selection with the 19th overall pick here for the Hornets.

20. Minnesota Timberwolves

Original Pick: Donatas Motiejunas

Re-Draft Pick: Nikola Mirotic

According to multiple reports, Nikola Mirotic was a disturbance in the locker room, but his play on the court certainly warrants a selection at the end of the first round. Despite his short-lived career that saw him play just five years in the NBA, Mirotic was a sound shooter from beyond the arc who would have developed even further if those issues I mentioned earlier weren’t so prevalent. Mirotic averaged 12.3 PPG for his NBA career and shot 35.9% from three.

21. Portland Trail Blazers

Original Pick: Nolan Smith

Re-Draft Pick: Chandler Parsons

Believe it or not, the Trail Blazers actually benefit this late in a re-draft. It wouldn’t take much to replace Nolan Smith as a pro, but Chandler Parsons is definitely a better fit. Parsons was a great offensive wing who could shoot the ball from beyond the arc and could create for himself off the dribble pretty well. Before injuries derailed his career, Parsons was a 15.0 to 16.0 PPG scorer who would have been an asset for any team looking to contend right away.

22. Denver Nuggets

Original Pick: Kenneth Faried

Re-Draft Pick: Brandon Knight

There isn’t much to be said about Brandon Knight going from being a lottery pick to the bottom half of the first round in a 2011 re-draft. Knight is most famous for being on the wrong end of one of the most vicious poster dunks ever laid out by DeAndre Jordan. Knight started off his career well, becoming a 19.0 PPG scorer with the Suns before a knee injury ripped it all away. He was never the same after injuries, but any team would be able to take advantage of his first few seasons, which were ultra-productive.

23. Houston Rockets

Original Pick: Nikola Mirotic

Re-Draft Pick: Justin Holiday

Justin Holiday has been known as a pretty one-dimensional player for most of his career and has been a member of nine teams in 11 seasons. Holiday is a decent shooter and scorer and had the ability to guard all perimeter positions at a decent level. However, his selection at the end of the round is indicative of how much he impacts the game as a whole.

24. Oklahoma City Thunder

Original Pick: Reggie Jackson

Re-Draft Pick: Bismack Biyombo

There isn’t a lot that Bismack Biyombo does extremely well on the court, but one thing he has that cannot be taught is his heart. He boasts no real offensive game other than finishing easy opportunities inside provided by teammates but is a hustle player who will fight for rebounds and earn teams extra possessions using those skills. At the 24th pick, Biyombo could be a serious tool for any team looking to succeed.

25. Boston Celtics

Original Pick: MarShon Brooks

Re-Draft Pick: E’Twaun Moore

The final player with any real relevance to his NBA career is E’Twaun Moore. The one thing that stood out about Moore’s games is his shooting, where he was a 38.8% three-point shooter for most of his career. Moore is not going to hurt the Celtics with this selection, but his impact will not be all that great, either.

26. Dallas Mavericks

Original Pick: Jordan Hamilton

Re-Draft Pick: Shelvin Mack

The career of Shelvin Mack isn’t something worth getting into much depth about. He was a career backup point guard who bounced around to seven teams in eight NBA seasons. Mack’s best year came in 2016 when he averaged 8.6 PPG and 3.6 APG with the Hawks and Jazz.

27. New Jersey Nets

Original Pick: JaJuan Johnson

Re-Draft Pick: Jon Leuer

The selection of Jon Leuer comes with a grain of salt, I guess. Leuer was never anything more than an average backup to a third-stringer in the NBA. He averaged 10.2 PPG and 5.4 RPG in 75 games for the Pistons in 2017 before leaving the NBA two seasons later. Leuer goes to the Nets in this draft which doesn’t make them any worse or better.

28. Chicago Bulls

Original Pick: Norris Cole

Re-Draft Pick: Norris Cole

The Chicago Bulls stick with their original selection in this re-draft mostly because it doesn’t really matter who they select at this point. Every impactful player is off the board, and no, they choose from a lesser talent pool than they did in 2011. Cole would play six seasons in the NBA, winning two NBA titles with the Heat in the 2010s on over 20 minutes per game of playing time. Cole would leave the NBA in 2017 to play the rest of his career in Israel.

29. San Antonio Spurs

Original Pick: Cory Joseph

Re-Draft Pick: Lavoy Allen

At this point, coming up with a scouting report on each of these players is nearly impossible considering how underwhelming their NBA careers were. Lavoy Allen did nothing to make him stand out from the others aside from lasting five seasons in the NBA, which is more than most of the remaining players can say. Over his career, Allen averaged 4.8 PPG and 4.8 RPG with the Pacers and 76ers.

30. Chicago Bulls

Original Pick: Jimmy Butler

Re-Draft Pick: Jimmer Fredette

In 2011, the Bulls lucked out when Jimmy Butler fell into their laps at number 30. This time, the Bulls get another Jim, but this time Jimmer mania is coming to Chicago. After lighting up the college ranks at BYU, Fredette hit the NBA ranks with high expectations. Fredette would never live up to the hype, as he played just eight seasons in the NBA and never averaged more than 7.6 PPG in a season.

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