2019 NBA Redraft

Let’s cut to the chase — the 2019 NBA draft was all about Zion Williamson. Few players ever receive the hype Zion did in his time at Duke and leading up to the draft. After finishing 17–65, the worst record in the league, it appeared as though the New York Knicks were poised to grab the generational talent. Williamson in the Big Apple was the plan, but it ended up being the New Orleans Pelicans who won the Zion sweepstakes. Coming in, this was seen as a three-player draft: obviously, Zion, who was head and shoulders above his peers, Ja Morant, who lit up March Madness, and Zion’s Blue Devil teammate, RJ Barrett. Another notable aspect of this draft was the plethora of trades in the first round. Usually we’ll see our fair share of trades, but there was an incredible amount of players who ended up playing for a different team than the hat they were wearing on the draft stage. Of course, it’s still too early to tell with some of these players. After all, most of them have only just finished their second season in the league. But, with the sample size we’ve been given, here is how the 2019 draft should’ve gone.

Honorable Mentions:

• Keldon Johnson: 29th Overall
• Matisse Thybulle: 20th Overall
• Rui Hachimura: 9th Overall
• Terance Mann: 48th Overall
• Cameron Johnson: 11th Overall
• Cam Reddish: 10th Overall
• Nickeil Alexander-Walker: 17th Overall
• Brandon Clarke: 21st Overall
• Daniel Gafford: 38th Overall
• Darius Bazley: 23rd Overall
• Talen Horton-Tucker: 46th Overall
• Moses Brown: Undrafted
• Eric Paschall: 41st Overall
• Jordan Poole: 28th Overall
• Oshae Brissett: Undrafted
• Nicolas Claxton: 31st Overall

1. Pelicans: Zion Williamson

Zion Williamson: 1st Overall / Original Pick: Zion Williamson

Even in the short time he’s been in the league, it’s not a very tough decision to once again select Zion with the first pick. The Pelicans had just lost Anthony Davis after he demanded a trade to the Lakers, so New Orleans should have been bracing themselves for several years of rebuilding; however, as luck would have it, the Pelicans landed the first overall pick, despite having the seventh-best odds to do so. Winning the lottery guaranteed the Pelicans the one and only Zion Williamson — the most hyped-up prospect since LeBron James. Replacing a star power forward in Anthony Davis with another young power forward with star potential in Zion Williamson, in addition to intriguing young pieces such as Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and draft picks, is quite the bargain. New Orleans was looking at years of turmoil after losing Davis, but now, with Zion, their future has never been brighter. There’s no question Zion’s play has been as good as advertised. Although his hype has worn off, his production hasn’t. He averaged 27 ppg, shooting 61% from the field, and led the league in points in the paint with 19.5 a game. Put simply, Zion has been dominant. If he can stay healthy and happy in New Orleans, the Pelicans won’t have a shred of regret for picking Zion.

2. Grizzlies: Ja Morant

Ja Morant: 2nd Overall / Original Pick: Ja Morant

At the time, Memphis had just traded Marc Gasol and were about to move on from Mike Conley, meaning the team was on the verge of entering a complete rebuild. After selecting big man Jaren Jackson Jr. with a top-five pick in the previous year’s draft, the Grizzlies’ best option was to find their next franchise point guard, and who better than Ja Morant? Since entering the league, Morant has been electrifying, to say the least. He burst onto the scene posting impressive numbers and backed his stats up by almost leading the Grizzlies to a playoff berth in his first season. Despite being sensational at times, Ja is far from a perfect player. His shooting and efficiency have been a reason for concern. All that aside, he’s been everything Memphis had hoped for and more, and is the clear runner-up to Zion from this draft class.

3. Knicks: RJ Barrett

RJ Barrett: 3rd Overall / Original Pick: RJ Barrett

Once the most highly touted prospect in years, RJ Barrett falling to three in the NBA draft would’ve surprised many people three years ago. Believe it or not, Rj was supposed to be Duke’s best prospect with “unlimited potential” — not Zion. That said, Barrett hasn’t been an enormous disappointment in the NBA, nor was he in college. However, he was advertised as a generational wing with transcendent talent and the perfect skills for the modern NBA. While he hasn’t been that, he has been a solid young player who still has plenty of potential to grow. In 2019, the Knicks were downright horrible. They were coming off a season where Tim Hardaway Jr. and Emmanuel Mudiay were their best players, so this third pick meant a lot to New York, and it was crucial that they picked the right player. Considering the Knicks were in the middle of a grueling rebuild, drafting based purely on potential and talent should be the plan. With that in mind, RJ is still the best pick for the Knicks; yes, he hasn’t yet shown the ability to be the star he was made out to be, but he’s shown flashes of greatness that few others from this class have, and perhaps in the future he’ll be able to display that greatness on a more consistent basis.

4. Hawks: De’Andre Hunter

De’Andre Hunter: 4th Overall / Original Pick: De’Andre Hunter

Yes, this is the fourth pick in a row of the redraft that is the same selection made by the teams on draft night. That means each team made the correct pick, as, two years later, these four players hold up to their original selection. The fourth pick originally belonged to the Lakers; however, it was part of the Anthony Davis deal and was conveyed to the Pelicans. The Pelicans then traded this pick to the Hawks for picks 8, 17, and 35. So, now it belongs to Atlanta. Regardless of which team is picking, the fourth player to go off the board is De’Andre Hunter. What team couldn’t use a player like Hunter? He’s a two-way wing — one of the most sought-after types of player in the league. At twenty-three years old, Hunter still has plenty of room to improve. The Hawks had Trae Young and John Collins as their young core and were about to move on from some of their wings in Taurean Prince and Kent Bazemore, so it makes sense for them to slide Hunter, who possesses much more upside, in to replace them. Having Hunter’s defense alongside Young and Collins is extremely beneficial as the two struggle at times on that side of the ball. Even if Hunter never develops into a “Kawhi Leonard-lite,” he’ll always be a solid complementary piece to any starting lineup due to his ability to defend and seamlessly fit into any system.

5. Cavaliers: Darius Garland

Darius Garland: 5th Overall / Original Pick: Darius Garland

The Cavs are going with their original pick; once again, this redraft is mirroring the official 2019 NBA draft. Garland likely would’ve been the fourth pick in this redraft if it weren’t for the Hawks already having a franchise point guard in Trae Young. Garland is that good. After an underwhelming rookie season, many fans simply forgot about him and his talent, but in his sophomore season, Garland came out of the gate a more polished and well-rounded player. This past year he averaged 17 points and six assists on 45% from the field, 40% from three, and 85% from the line — nearly, but not quite a 50/40/90 season. Sexton wasn’t the answer at point guard the Cavs were looking for — but Garland just might be.

6. Suns: Kevin Porter Jr.

Kevin Porter Jr.: 30th Overall / Original Pick: Jarrett Culver

The Suns ended up trading this pick, Jarrett Culver, on draft night to Minnesota for Dario Saric and pick eleven, which would end up being Cam Johnson. Now, hindsight tells us Phoenix made an excellent decision here. Culver has been disappointing, to say the least, and, in return, they received Saric, a respectable backup big, and Cam Johnson, who has been a solid rotational piece for them. This redraft pick will be made for the Suns, but it could also work very well in the Timberwolves system. In 2019, the most glaring weakness for both of these teams was at point guard. At point guard, The Suns were starting an assortment of Isaiah Canaan, Tyler Johnson, and De’Anthony Melton, while the Timberwolves were starting either Derrick Rose, Jeff Teague, or Tyus Jones. So, with the sixth pick, the Suns select Kevin Porter Jr. This may come as a surprise to some, but based on pure talent, Porter Jr. might be a top-three player in this class. He’s listed as a shooting guard, but if you’ve watched any film from his past season with the Rockets, you’ll know Porter Jr. has developed into a promising young point guard. He averaged six assists despite being labeled as a shooting guard — it won’t be long until Porter Jr. starts playing the role of a primary ball-handler. His off-the-court issues are concerning; however, outside of that, there aren’t any visible negatives to Porter Jr. Yes, he hasn’t played much, but his upside is too high to pass on, even at six.

7. Bulls: Coby White

Coby White: 7th Overall / Original Pick: Coby White

It’s no secret that the Bulls needed a point guard heading into the 2019 NBA draft. Up until then, Chicago had been starting Kris Dunn, a former top pick, despite him being far from a starting-caliber guard. Now, the Bulls needed more than just a point guard, but with that being their largest need, as long as White is still available, they’ll grab him once again. There has been concern that White isn’t actually a point guard, rather, he’s a shooting guard. His ceiling has been compared to that of Lou Williams, and that White will only ever be a sixth man. However, White is an above-average playmaker, unlike Williams, and he’s a big guard at six-foot-five, whereas Williams is barely six feet. While White isn’t a great defender, his size allows him to hold his own — he’s not going to be an enormous liability on that end. LaVine just needs a fellow backcourt member who can facilitate and knock down an open shot because he handles the ball a majority of the time, considering he’s the team’s star player. No, White and LaVine isn’t the perfect pairing, but it’ll suffice. As a starter this past season, White averaged 16, 5, and 5. Coby is one of, if not the best player left on the board. The Bulls could look at PJ Washington, but it’s unlikely they’d be looking for another undersized big man after taking Wendell Carter with a top ten pick a year before. Also, a guy like Tyler Herro, who is polarizing for many reasons — unfortunately, Herro is essentially a worse version of Zach LaVine so Chicago presumably wouldn’t be interested in him either. That leaves White, who isn’t a flashy pick, but is probably the right player to add to the Bulls’ young nucleus.

8. Pelicans: Tyler Herro

Tyler Herro: 13th Overall / Original Pick: Jaxson Hayes

Originally, the Hawks owned this pick, but before draft night, they traded it along with picks 17 and 35 to move up to four to grab De’Andre Hunter. So, now the eighth pick belongs to the Pelicans, who just selected their franchise player in Zion Williamson. The winning formula in New Orleans is always going to be the same: surround Zion with shooters. As one of the best shooters in this draft, who could be a better fit alongside Zion than Tyler Herro? Herro shocked many fans during his stint in the bubble, putting up some truly remarkable performances. The problem is, heading into his sophomore season, people were convinced Herro was due for a breakout season. Unfortunately, Herro did not have a stellar season and disappointed the NBA community. Herro was even withheld from a trade that could’ve landed the Heat James Harden. No, Tyler Herro is not a star. Who knows, maybe one day he’ll develop into one. Herro is exactly what he appears to be — a knockdown shooter with supreme confidence. That’s a valuable player to have on your roster. With Zion on your team, you can never have too many shooters. New Orleans already had JJ Redick, but adding Herro couldn’t hurt. Having both Redick and Herro on the court at the same time would open up the floor, making it much easier for Zion to do his work down low. Make no mistake, Herro and Redick are not the same player; Herro has the ability to create his own shot, whereas JJ primarily relies on others. Redick also never felt like a long-term fit with the Pelicans. Herro could grow to be a staple of the franchise. A core of Zion, Ingram, Holiday, Ball, and Herro is a scary sight in the West and would undoubtedly lead the Pelicans to a playoffs appearance.

9. Wizards: P.J. Washington

P.J. Washington: 12th Overall / Original Pick: Rui Hachimura

Outside of John Wall and Bradley Beal, the 2019 Wizards had an abysmal roster with few promising young players and no direction. With this pick, Washington is looking to grab a talent upgrade with upside. Ideally, this pick would be a frontcourt player, but the Wizards are in no position to be picky. The Wizards decide to select P.J. Washington, the best player left on the board, who just so happens to be a power forward — a positional need. With absolutely no pun intended, Washington lands in Washington. P.J. Washington is actually a very similar player to Rui Hachimura, who the Wizards originally selected with the ninth pick, so we know this is the mold of player they were looking for. Compared to Rui, P.J. has a bit more potential as he is younger and a better shooter. Washington offers the Wizards a good deal of versatility. He’s a stretch four who can hit threes efficiently and consistently, and he can also slide into a role as a small-ball five. Washington is a bit undersized, but the talent is there, making him difficult to say no to. He’s showcased some serious flashes, including a career-high 42 points this season. Washington may not be the most exciting player from this class, but he’s clearly a top ten talent, and that’s enough for the Wizards, who were lacking in that department.

10. Hawks: Lu Dort

Lu Dort: Undrafted / Original Pick: Cam Reddish

For a while now, the Hawks have been looking for Trae Young’s partner in crime in the backcourt. Atlanta doesn’t need another small, shot-chucking point guard; they need a player who will complement Young and make up for his weaknesses on the defensive end — I present to you, Lu Dort. Dort is a strong, bulky two-guard who brings elite defense at his position. Dort has spent some time at the one, so he is more than capable of taking some of the ball-handling load off of Young. With his build, six-foot-three height, shooting efficiency, and defensive skills, Dort is able to fit seamlessly into any system in the league. He and Young would be the perfect pairing at the guard position for the Hawks. As of right now, Dort is mainly known as a staunch defender, but his offense is quickly catching up. This past season he dropped a career-high 42 points. If he could bring that level of offensive firepower next to Trae Young, Atlanta will be a squad that teams aren’t going to want to see often.