Re-Drafting The 2014 NBA Draft: Cleveland Cavaliers Would Select Nikola Jokic With The No. 1 Overall Pick

We are creeping up on a decade past the 2014 NBA Draft as this summer will cultivate its ninth anniversary. After nine years worth of playing time for some of these athletes, we have enough data to look at who has succeeded and who has not. This draft was highly touted going into the 2014 year as several college underclassmen were seen as future All-Stars. The draft featured multiple standout freshmen while senior sensation “Dougie McBuckets” was the best thing for the NCAA since Jimmer Fredette.

It was the first draft for NBA commissioner Adam Silver, but that is not what stands out the most. It’s the talent that has come out of this draft, including one of the greatest second-round picks to ever play the game. If we went through this draft again, some selections would likely be different. When looking at the 2009 draft featuring Steph Curry and James Harden to the 2018 draft of Trae Young and Luka Doncic, the theme is all the same. Hindsight is 20/20. We’ll use that hindsight right now as we re-draft the 2014 NBA draft. 

1. Cleveland Cavaliers

Original Pick: Andrew Wiggins

Re-Draft Pick: Nikola Jokic

While the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Wiggins with the No. 1 overall pick, the team had no intentions of keeping this selection. The Cavaliers used the draft pick, as well as other assets, to acquire Timberwolves rebounding leader Kevin Love. For the Timberwolves, Anthony Bennett was a major bust, and Wiggins took the team to just one playoff appearance. With the Timberwolves lacking a contributing big man, the team could have drafted the greatest passing center we have ever seen. The two-time MVP could have helped change the Timberwolves, while Cleveland would have still won a championship in 2016 with Love in the fold.

2. Milwaukee Bucks

Original Pick: Jabari Parker

Re-Draft Pick: Joel Embiid

The Bucks wanted a swingman, and Parker was seen as that combination of small forward and power forward. Imagine a world where Embiid played the center position alongside power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and small forward Khris Middleton. Let’s say that the team never acquired Jrue Holiday and had to keep Eric Bledsoe or another homegrown talent. Either way, the combination of Embiid and Antetokounmpo would have been the likes of David Robinson and Tim Duncan.

3. Philadelphia 76ers

Original Pick: Joel Embiid

Re-Draft Pick: Julius Randle

With Embiid off of the board, the 76ers would need a big man to fill their needs down low. At the time, the 76ers were on a major rebuilding project. Embiid was one of the first pieces to help reshape the new team. Julius Randle would have been the next best thing for the 76ers. Randle became an All-NBA player and All-Star. While not as dominant as Embiid, the 76ers would have still been okay with a young talent that has developed into a solid player in the league.

4. Orlando Magic

Original Pick: Aaron Gordon

Re-Draft Pick: Andrew Wiggins

The Magic would have been upset with Randle off of the board but could have made it work with Andrew Wiggins. The Magic had a core of Victor Oladipo, Nikola Vucevic, Tobias Harris, and Evan Fournier. Adding Wiggins to the mix would have helped with the defense and brought a player that could score 20 points per game. Wiggins would not have broken out into an All-Star talent with the Magic, but he would have made this a complete team.

5. Utah Jazz

Original Pick: Dante Exum

Re-Draft Pick: Zach LaVine

While the Jazz was searching for a point guard, Zach LaVine would have done just fine. LaVine can play some point guard and would have been a better option than Dante Exum. By the time the Jazz drafted Donovan Mitchell, LaVine would have been around 23 years old. That backcourt of LaVine and Mitchell might have been liabilities on offense, but the team had Defensive Player of the Year candidate Rudy Gobert roaming the middle. LaVine and Mitchell would have been 25-point-per-game scorers to help carry the offense anywhere.

6. Boston Celtics

Original Pick: Marcus Smart

Re-Draft Pick: Marcus Smart

This was a perfect spot for the Celtics to make a great decision again. The Celtics needed a point guard, and that is what they would get here once again. Smart is the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year but has been playing stiff defense for his entire career. With the team eventually bringing Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown into the mix, this was a perfect fit for the Celtics.

7. Los Angeles Lakers

Original Pick: Julius Randle

Re-Draft Pick: Aaron Gordon

With Randle off the board, the Lakers need a power forward to help their rebuilding team. While Gordon was never going to impress anyone on offense, he brought elements of Blake Griffin’s game to the city. Griffin was a dunking machine and an exciting player. When Gordon was participating in Slam Dunk Contests, it would have helped ease the pain of some very bad years in the near future. With that said, Gordon is not a bad player and would have been a nice role player when the team started competing.

8. Sacramento Kings

Original Pick: Nik Stauskas

Re-Draft Pick: Spencer Dinwiddie

The Kings swung and missed when it came to this pick. The team thought Stauskas would come in and shoot the night away like Klay Thompson. Instead, he never averaged more than 4.4 points and was traded to the 76ers after one season. If the team wanted a reliable scoring guard, the team could have drafted Dinwiddie. De’Aaron Fox could have still been drafted and fit in with this team, as he is a solid shooting guard in his own right. The backcourt of Dinwiddie and Fox could have been durable enough for the Kings to compete with DeMarcus Cousins in the middle.

9. Charlotte Hornets

Original Pick: Noah Vonleh

Re-Draft Pick: Jerami Grant

Another swing and a miss for the Hornets. Vonleh lasted 25 games for the Hornets and was acquired by the Trail Blazers. If the Hornets wanted a productive player, they could have drafted Grant. By the time Grant was a 20-point scorer, he was seven years into the league. The Hornets could have gotten him for cheap by this time and still received productive minutes instead of a player that lasted 25 games.

10. Philadelphia 76ers

Original Pick: Elfrid Payton

Re-Draft Pick: Jordan Clarkson

While Elfrid Payton has been a reliable point guard in the league, Jordan Clarkson would have been the better pick. Clarkson grew into a Sixth Man of the Year winner. This pick was sent to the Magic, which would have meant that the Magic could have run the table with Clarkson, Oladipo, Wiggins, Harris, and Vucevic. That’s a core of players that could have potentially done something in the Eastern Conference.

11. Denver Nuggets

Original Pick: Doug McDermott

Re-Draft Pick: TJ Warren

The Nuggets traded this pick to the Chicago Bulls for two first-round picks. The Bulls were hoping they would get the player that averaged 21.7 points per game at Creighton and amazed the world with his scoring abilities. McDermott averaged 10.2 points in his last season with the Bulls before being traded to the Thunder. Warren was the player that the Bulls hoped McDermott would be. He averaged 11.0 points by his second season and eventually became 19.6 points in his fourth season with the Suns.

12. Orlando Magic

Original Pick: Dario Saric

Re-Draft Pick: Clint Capela

The Magic were drafting at this position, but the pick was traded to the 76ers. The 76ers would have already drafted an All-NBA player in Randle. The team would have continually built with an upgrade at center with Clint Capela, who eventually won a rebounding title in the league. Assuming that the team would have drafted Ben Simmons after a few tough years, the trio of Simmons, Randle, and Capela would have been competitive in later years.

13. Minnesota Timberwolves

Original Pick: Zach LaVine

Re-Draft Pick: Gary Harris

With the shooting guard the team drafted initially off of the board, the team still needed a player that could shoot. We were in the middle of the first round, and the stars were typically off of the board. Harris was a productive player that would have fit the mold of what is expected from the No. 13 overall pick. By this second season, Harris was averaging 12.3 points per game. By his fourth season, Harris averaged 17.5 points and shot 39.6% from three-point range.

14. Phoenix Suns

Original Pick: TJ Warren

Re-Draft Pick: Joe Harris

With Warren off of the board, the Suns still need a small forward to fit what the team was searching for. Harris would have been a great fit for the Suns. A career shooter of 43.5% from three-point range, Harris has won a three-point field goal percentage title once in his career. With Devin Booker, Harris would have been a great fit for the team’s offense down the line. Even if the Suns drafted Mikal Bridges, Harris could have come off the bench and provided the outside shooting the team needed.

15. Atlanta Hawks

Original Pick: Adreian Payne

Re-Draft Pick: Jusuf Nurkic

Nurkci didn’t turn into a double-double player until he was traded to the Trail Blazers during the 2016-17 season. This would have been a similar developmental pattern. The Hawks were eventually going to lose Al Horford and Paul Millsap. Nurkic could have been the player that replaced one of those roles. Nurkic has averaged a double-double in three of the last five seasons.

16. Chicago Bulls

Original Pick: Jusuf Nurkic

Re-Draft Pick: Doug McDermott

This pick was part of the package that was used to acquire Doug McDermott. Instead of the Bulls trading for McDermott and sending their picks, the team could have just waited and drafted McDermott with a regular draft pick. This way, the Bulls had two picks from the draft and filled two needs. While McDermott is not the “Splash Brother” that some thought he would be, he is a solid outside shooter that is averaging 41.0% from three-point range for his career.

17. Boston Celtics

Original Pick: James Young

Re-Draft Pick: Bogdan Bogdanovic

Keep in mind that this would have been a future stash. Bogdanovic was drafted in 2014, but he did not come to the NBA until the 2017-18 season. Picture this, the Celtics are contending for the Eastern Conference Finals and have a core of Smart, Brown, and Tatum. Then, Bogdanovic shot 39.2% from three-point range in his first season. Bogdanovic would have been the steal of the draft and potentially helped the 2018 team defeat the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

18. Phoenix Suns

Original Pick: Tyle Ennis

Re-Draft Pick: Elfrid Payton

The Suns had a first-round pick and took a chance on the freshman out of Syracuse, Tyler Ennis. This pick didn’t pan out very well. Payton was a productive player in his rookie season, averaging 8.9 points and 6.5 assists. By the time Chris Paul came to the team, Payton would have been a seasoned veteran and could have been the perfect backup for the team.

19. Chicago Bulls

Original Pick: Gary Harris

Re-Draft Pick: Jabari Parker

The Bulls sent the No. 16 pick and No. 19 pick to the Nuggets for McDermott. As mentioned, the team could have waited and drafted another player to fix a hole. Injuries have hampered the career of Parker but don’t forget that this was a player that once averaged 20.1 points per game. When did he do that? The 2016-17 season was the same season that the Bulls had Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, and Dwyane Wade. That could have been a Cinderella team with Parker playing this type of basketball with that group.

20. Toronto Raptors

Original Pick: Bruno Caboclo

Re-Draft Pick: Kyle Anderson

The Raptors needed a small forward, so Kyle Anderson would have been the best available. Anderson was the final pick of the draft but would have increased 10 spots. With the Spurs, Anderson didn’t make a breakout appearance until the 2017-18 season, when he averaged 7.9 points and 5.4 rebounds.

21. Oklahoma City Thunder

Original Pick: Mitch McGary

Re-Draft Pick: Dario Saric

Saric didn’t play in the league until the 2016-17 season after coming over from Croatia. This would have been the first season without Kevin Durant after he left the team for the Warriors. Saric could have played a role immediately. Saric averaged 12.8 points and 6.3 rebounds in his rookie season.

22. Memphis Grizzlies

Original Pick: Jordan Adams

Re-Draft Pick: Rodney Hood

Jordan Adams was selected one pick ahead of Hood. The team should have to flip-flopped and taken Hood instead. Hood averaged 8.7 points and then averaged double-digit points multiple times. He is a career 36.6% shooter from three-point range. Adams played just 32 games in the NBA.

23. Utah Jazz

Original Pick: Rodney Hood

Re-Draft Pick: Dante Exum

The Jazz used the No. 5 overall pick in the original draft on Exum but could have waited for Exum to fall. Exum did not live up to expectations. In his first season, Exum played in all 82 games and averaged 4.8 points and 2.4 assists. His best season was 8.1 points and 3.1 assists. For a backup point guard, this would have been the draft position to draft Exum.

24. Charlotte Hornets

Original Pick: Shabazz Napier

Re-Draft Pick: Tyler Johnson

To be fair, the world thought that Shabazz Napier was going to be a steal. Napier had just won his second NCAA Championship at Connecticut. The 2014 championship featured Napier winning the Final Four Most Outstanding Player Award. The pick was traded to the Heat, which was the first season without LeBron James. Johnson went undrafted in this draft. For his value, he should have been selected here.

25. Houston Rockets

Original Pick: Clint Capela

Re-Draft Pick: Dwight Powell

With the future rebounding leader off of the board, the Rockets still needed to find a center. Powell would have been the best developmental center to have. Powell eventually grew into a player that averaged 10.6 points and 5.3 rebounds during the 2018-19 season. Before that, the Rockets played in the Conference Finals against the Warriors. Powell could have played a reserve role that averaged 8.5 points and 5.6 rebounds during the regular season.

26. Miami Heat

Original Pick: P.J. Hairston

Re-Draft Pick: Nik Stauskas

This pick was traded to the Hornets in a separate trade. With the Hornets wanting a shooting guard, they could have used Stauskas during his fruitful years. The first three seasons of his career saw him average 4.4 points, 8.5 points, and 9.4 points. That would have still been more than what Hairston gave the team in 93 combined games.

27. Phoenix Suns

Original Pick: Bogdan Bogdanovic

Re-Draft Pick: Maxi Kleber

Bogdanovic would have been off the board by now, so the Suns would have needed to find the best asset on the board. Bogdanovic never played for the Suns, while Kleber was an undrafted player. Instead of going undrafted, the team could have drafted Kleber and seen him unveil his NBA career in the 2017-18 season. After a few years of developing, Kleber would have provided a 41.0% shooting clip from three-point range during the 2020-21 season, which was the year the Suns made the NBA Finals. Talk about a massive steal.

28. Los Angeles Clippers

Original Pick: C.J. Wilcox

Re-Draft Pick: Torrey Craig

Craig was another undrafted player that has enjoyed a long career in the league. Wilcox played in the league for 66 games. Craig owns 336 career games and has developed into a solid role player. The Clippers didn’t need anyone to overpower the team on offense or defense with Chris Paul. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan are in town. They just needed a player that could fill a role.

29. Oklahoma City Thunder

Original Pick: Josh Huestis

Re-Draft Pick: Noah Vonleh

The team took a chance, and it was not productive. Huestis played nine games in three seasons with the Thunder and hasn’t played since 2017. The couple wanted a power forward but could have drafted Vonleh here. Vonleh owns a career average of 4.7 points and 4.9 rebounds and has played 362 career games.

30. San Antonio Spurs

Original Pick: Kyle Anderson

Re-Draft Pick: Glenn Robinson III

The Spurs were going to draft a small forward anyways, so why take a chance on Robinson III? In 304 games, Robinson averaged 5.9 points and 2.6 rebounds. That includes averaging 12.9 points and shooting 40.0% from three-point range during the 2019-20 season. Robinson also won the 2017 Slam Dunk Contest. For the last pick of the first round, the Spurs would have done what they always did, and that is draft well. 

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