Redrafting the 2014 NBA Draft a decade later

Basketball fans always say that it takes a few years to know whether or not an NBA team made the correct draft pick decision. 10 years have passed since the completion of the 2014 NBA draft. It’s safe to say that the selections would have unfolded much differently knowing what we know now. All statistics are sourced from Basketball Reference.

Actual pick: Andrew Wiggins. Of course, Cleveland would never have been able to take an unknown commodity like Jokic at that time. LeBron James wanted to trade a well-known prospect like Wiggins to get a veteran player, which ended up being Kevin Love. James told ESPN he was happy with that trade, but it might have been fun to see two basketball geniuses play with one another.

Actual pick: Jabari Parker. The Parker pick was a swing and a miss for the Bucks, as the former Duke star couldn’t stay on the floor in the NBA. Embiid had some medical red flags coming out of Kansas as well, but turned into one of the most dominant centers in the NBA. Embiid won the league MVP award in 2023.

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Actual pick: Joel Embiid. It’s safe to say the 76ers fans are happy with the way things turned out, even if Embiid missed two full seasons with a foot injury. Actually, Randle broke his leg in his first professional game, so it might have been the same difference had Philadelphia took the Kentucky product. Randle has blossomed into a three-time All-Star, but Embiid is the better talent.

Actual pick: Aaron Gordon. Since the hindsight here is 20/20, we know that Gordon isn’t the type of player that will carry a team on his back. The Athletic called Gordon the perfect complimentary player for the Denver Nuggets. While Smart isn’t a star himself, it’s possible that his defensive attitude and toughness could have helped Orlando rebuild a bit more quickly.

Actual pick: Dante Exum. The Jazz had a young Rudy Gobert in the fold at this time, and likely weren’t going to take another center. Pairing an athletic wing like Gordon with a paint protector like Gobert would have been an interesting experiment for Utah. Gordon still may have needed an elite passer to unlock his offensive abilities, however.

Actual pick: Marcus Smart. Grant is probably most discussed for his expensive salary with the Portland Trail Blazers, but many people forget he made his mark in the NBA as a rugged defender. Forbes locked in on this point in 2019, when he was a key perimeter stopped for the Denver Nuggets. Smart became a special locker room fit in Boston, but Grant may have approximated the production.

Actual pick: Julius Randle. Speaking of lofty salaries, LaVine’s deal is at or near the top of ridiculed pacts. HoopsHype called LaVine one of the most overpaid players in the league. However, the UCLA product was a highlight reel waiting to happen in his earlier years. Having gone to college at UCLA, LaVine would have excited the Lakers crowd as a young player.

Actual pick: Nik Stauskas. Kings owner Vivek Ranadive was smitten with Stauskas during the 2014 NBA Draft, as NBC Sports wrote. Stauskas didn’t make his mark in the NBA, to say the least. While Wiggins may not have been worthy of a top pick in retrospect, he was a main cog in the 2022 Golden State Warriors’ championship. Sacramento would have at least gotten a solid player.

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Actual pick: Noah Vonleh. Capela has had a solid, if unspectacular, NBA career. He’s averaging a double-double in 10 seasons, which is about what fans would expect. He’s also a serviceable rim protector. Vonleh ended up bouncing around the NBA, playing for eight different franchises since he was drafted.

Actual pick: Dario Saric. The 76ers actually traded for Saric with this pick, but might have been better off with the Serbian guard than the Croatian forward. Granted, it took five years for Bogdanovic to eventually play in the NBA, but he’s been a spark plug as a starter or off the bench. EuroHoops wrote in 2021 that Bogdanovic is not afraid of the NBA crowd, and that looks to be accurate.

Actual pick: Jusuf Nurkic. As it turned out, Nurkic was probably the right player for Denver at this spot. The Nuggets traded the rights to Doug McDermott in order to get the Bosnian center. Like Capela, Nurkic has had a solid NBA career, but once Denver knew Jokic was their future, Nurkic was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Actual pick: Elfrid Payton. The Magic got Payton in the draft-night deal involving Dario Saric. Ironically, Harris is now with Orlando, after he was part of the Aaron Gordon trade. Harris was viewed as an attractive commodity in his early days with the Denver Nuggets, but now serves as solid guard depth. Payton was a defense-first point guard during his time in the league.

Actual pick: Zach LaVine. The Wolves are probably happy with the way things turned out, although they likely wished LaVine was healthier during his time in Minnesota. Clarkson has become one of the best scorers off the bench. For his efforts, he was named Sixth Man of the Year during the 2020-2021 NBA season.

Actual pick: T.J. Warren. Warren’s 50 point game in the NBA bubble won’t be forgotten in NBA history, but Dinwiddie has been the more reliable NBA player. He called himself “one of the better offensive engines” in the NBA in November 2023. Although his production comes and goes in that department, he’s been called upon to play big minutes for some high profile teams.

Actual pick: Adreian Payne. With all due respect to Payne, who passed away in 2022, Exum figures to slot in here. Exum couldn’t quite find a rhythm with the Jazz during his early NBA days, but has fit in nicely with the Dallas Mavericks during the 2023-2024 campaign. CBS Sports chronicled his comeback, after he spent years playing in Europe.

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