Re-Drafting the 2020 NBA Draft

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The 2020 NBA draft has already proven to be a solid draft class as three players in the class have been named to the All-Star team after only three years. Many of the top picks, however, have turned out to be busts. This is what the top ten picks of the 2020 draft would look like now, knowing how the players turned out.

1. Timberwolves Select: Anthony Edwards (Original Selection: Anthony Edwards)

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Career Stats: 21.8 points per game (PPG) 5.1 rebounds per game (RPG) 3.7 assists per game (APG)

22-23 Stats: 24.6 PPG 5.8 RPG 3.7 APG

While during draft day some questioned whether Edwards was the best player in the draft class, this has proven to be the right pick three years down the line. While both LaMelo Ball and Tyrese Haliburton have proven to be All-Star players, Edwards is the only one that has led his team to a playoff appearance. At the time, the Timberwolves already had D’Angelo Russell, who was viewed as an important piece moving forward, so Edwards is the obvious choice here at number one.

2. Golden State Warriors Select: Tyrese Haliburton (Original Selection: James Wiseman)

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Career Stats: 16.2 PPG 3.6 RPG 8.0 APG

22-23 Stats: 20.7 PPG 3.7 RPG 10.4 APG

The Warriors were in a unique spot during the 2020 draft as they were looking to be a championship contender immediately. With Curry, Klay, and Draymond already on the roster, the Warriors were looking for the right complementary piece for these players. While Wiseman seemed like a good fit at the time, this pick did not age well. Haliburton would be the perfect backup to Steph Curry, and could even be a huge trade piece to add more of a veteran presence to this Warrior team down the line. While it’s a toss-up between Haliburton and Ball, Ball has had more injury concerns, which is why Halliburton is the safer pick here.

3. Charlotte Hornets Select: LaMelo Ball (Original Selection: LaMelo Ball)

Career Stats: 19.4 PPG 6.4 RPG 7.3 APG

22-23 Stats: 23.3 PPG 6.4 RPG 8.4 APG

The Hornets ended up with a future All-Star with LaMelo Ball and this stays the same during a re-draft. Ball had an immediate impact on the Hornets when he entered the league and looked like a future superstar in the making. Injuries derailed his development a little, however, he will be fully healthy next season and should be back on track to making more improvements for the future.

4. Chicago Bulls Select: Desmond Bane (Original Selection: Patrick Williams)

Career Stats: 16.1 PPG 4.1 RPG 2.9 APG

22-23 Stats: 21.5 PPG 5.0 RPG 4.4 APG

Many questioned the Bulls' selecting Patrick Williams as the number four pick at the time, and this decision is still very questionable. Williams, so far, has not had a major impact on the Bulls franchise. However, picking Desmond Bane with the fourth selection would change the trajectory of this team. During the 2020 draft, the Bulls did not have Nikola Vucevic or DeMar DeRozan on the roster yet and needed a star player to pair with LaVine. Bane provides this and plenty of outside shooting to bolster the Bulls' roster. Adding Bane to the core that the Bulls have now makes them much more of a playoff contender than they currently are.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers Select: Devin Vassell (Original Selection: Isaac Okoro)

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Career Stats: 11.2 PPG 3.7 RPG 1.9 APG

22-23 Stats: 18.5 PPG 3.9 RPG 3.6 APG

Looking three years into the future, the pick of Isaac Okoro hasn’t quite held up to what the Cavs were hoping. While Okoro does have some strengths, including being a very solid defender, his offensive game has not lived up to his potential. There is another wing in this draft that has lived up to its potential, however, and that is Devin Vassell. Vassell shined in his third year, having his most efficient season by far and increasing his three-point percentage quite a bit as well. While it can be argued that Tyrese Maxey is the better player here, Vassell fits more of a need for the Cavs. At the time, Collin Sexton was viewed as part of their future after coming off of a 20-point-per-game season. Due to the Cavs having both Garland and Sexton, it makes more sense for them to draft Vassell than Maxey.

6. Atlanta Hawks Select: Tyrese Maxey (Original Selection Onyeka Okongwu)

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Career Stats: 15.4 PPG 2.7 RPG 3.3 APG

22-23 Stats: 20.3 PPG 2.9 RPG 3.5 APG

Maxey was originally selected with the 21st pick in the 2020 draft and was one of the biggest steals. In this redraft, he goes number six to play alongside Trae Young in Atlanta. Maxey would provide the Hawks with an extra burst of scoring and would be a big improvement over their original pick of Okongwu.

7. Detroit Pistons Select: Immanuel Quickley (Original Selection: Killian Hayes)

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Career Stats: 12.7 PPG 3.2 RPG 3.1 APG

22-23 Stats: 14.9 PPG 4.2 RPG 3.4 APG

It was almost immediately clear through Killian Hayes’ first few games that he was going to end up being a bust. Oppositely, it was pretty clear that Quickley would be a steal in the draft after only a few games. Quickly provides much more of a scoring boost for the Pistons than Hayes does and would likely be averaging over twenty points a game with Detroit due to an increase in playing time compared to his role with the Knicks.

8. New York Knicks Select: Jaden McDaniels (Original Selection Obi Toppin

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Career Stats: 9.6 PPG 3.9 RPG 1.4 APG

22-23 Stats: 12.1 PPG 3.9 RPG 1.9 APG

Obi Toppin was recently traded by the Knicks for two future second-round picks. This is obviously not the kind of value you want out of a lottery pick, especially only three years after making the selection. McDaniels is easily the better pick here for the Knicks as it gives them a player who is a much better defender and three-point shooter, plus a more versatile player who can play some minutes at small forward with Julius Randle. McDaniels has looked promising as a player and has only improved each year he has been in the league.

9. Washington Wizards Select: Saddiq Bey (Original Selection Deni Avdija)

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Career Stats: 14.1 PPG 4.9 RPG 1.9 APG

22-23 Stats: 13.8 PPG 4.7 RPG 1.5 APG

Saddiq Bey has had a solid start to his career. He is consistently a threat from three and has always had a knack for scoring. He struggles a bit on the defensive end, but he adds value for any team in the NBA. Bey could have absolutely helped the Wizards during their playoff run in the 2020-2021 season with Westbrook and Beal. Deni Avdija has not quite lived up to his potential, so Bey with the ninth pick here makes the most sense.

10. Phoenix Suns Select: Cole Anthony (Original Selection: Jalen Smith)

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Career Stats: 14.2 PPG 5.0 RPG 4.6 APG

22-23 Stats: 13.0 PPG 4.8 RPG 3.9 APG

Going into the 2020-2021 season, the Suns traded for Chris Paul and had championship aspirations. One of the weaker spots going into this season for the Suns was a backup point guard. While there are other options at point guard like Payton Prichard or Tre Jones, Anthony had the most immediate impact his rookie season. This makes Anthony the perfect selection here to round out the top ten.