Looking back at the 2020 NBA Draft class, some teams nailed their picks, while some would like a much needed second chance.
Anthony Edwards went first overall and has lived up to the expectations of that pick. Second overall pick James Wiseman's career on the other hand, has not gone to plan.
Tyrese Haliburton has way outplayed his draft position, and threatened to take over the No. 1 spot after improbably leading the Indiana Pacers the 2025 NBA Finals.
The story of this draft was undoubtably the late-first-rounders. Five players drafted between the 21st and 30th pick would go inside the top-10 if general managers had another opportunity.
In this redraft, six second-round picks would crack the top-30, and two players who went undrafted would also find themselves in the mix.
2020 First Round Re-Draft
Pick - Team | Player | Original Pick |
1 - Timberwolves | Anthony Edwards | 1 |
2 - Warriors | Tyrese Haliburton | 12 |
3 - Hornets | Tyrese Maxey | 21 |
4 - Bulls | LaMelo Ball | 3 |
5 - Cavaliers | Desmond Bane | 30 |
6 - Hawks | Deni Avdija | 9 |
7 - Pistons | Jaden McDaniels | 28 |
8 - Knicks | Immanuel Quickley | 25 |
9 - Wizards | Payton Pritchard | 26 |
10 - Suns | Aaron Nesmith | 14 |
11 - Spurs | Devin Vassell | 11 |
12 - Kings | Isaiah Joe | 49 |
13 - Pelicans | Onyeka Okongwu | 6 |
14 - Celtics | Sam Merrill | 60 |
15 - Magic | Isaiah Stewart | 16 |
16 - Pistons* | Obi Toppin | 8 |
17 - Thunder* | Tre Jones | 41 |
18 - Mavericks | Cole Anthony | 15 |
19 - Pistons* | Naji Mashall | Undrafted |
20 - Heat | Isaac Okoro | 5 |
21 - 76ers | Patrick Williams | 4 |
22 - Nuggets | Jalen Smith | 10 |
23 - Timberwolves* | Xavier Tillman | 35 |
24 - Nuggets* | Saddiq Bey | 19 |
25 - Knicks* | Precious Achiuwa | 20 |
26 - Celtics | James Wiseman | 2 |
27 - Jazz | Zeke Nnaji | 22 |
28 - Timberwolves* | Vit Krejci | 37 |
29 - Raptors | Paul Reed | 58 |
30 - Grizzlies* | Pat Spencer | Undrafted |
* - Pick was acquired via trade.
The first five picks in this redraft are all guards with All-Star potential, if they haven't made a team yet in their careers.
Anthony Edwards would maintain pole position in this draft, and has had a remarkable start to his career. Ant has averaged 23.9 PPG in his career, and hasn't scored less than 20.0 per game since his rookie year. The Minnesota Timberwolves star averaged a career high 27.6 PPG on 44.7% shooting last season.
The Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton comes in at No. 2, and its not just the scoring that makes him a special player. Hali has averaged 8.8 Assists per game in his career, and has four seasons where he averaged over nine per game. He is also a great shooter, and has found the bottom of the net on 39.2% of threes during his career.
Picks 3-5 are all great scoring guards including Tyrese Maxey, LaMelo Ball, and Desmond Bane respectively. Ball drops one spot in favor of Tyrese Maxey who is having a breakout campaign in 2025.
Deni Avdija may surprise some at No. 6, but he has also been on a heater to start the season. The Trailblazers forward is scoring 24.1 Points and 6.0 rebounds per game on 49.1% shooting.
2024/25 6th Man of the Year Payton Pritchard would find himself on the Washington Wizards in this redraft, and he would offer them much needed scoring and playmaking ability off the bench.
Sam Merrill is the biggest riser in this draft class, climbing all the way to No. 14 after getting drafted 60th overall. Merrill is averaging 17.3 PPG on 51.4% three point shooting to start the 2025/26 season. Merrill would be a welcome fit the Boston Celtics at this spot who love to shoot a lot of threes.
Isaiah Joe is another big riser in this class. Like Merrill and many other players on this list, Joe is a three point deadeye. Joe has shot over 40% from deep each of the last three seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He is also averaging 18.3 PPG in three games off the bench this season.
In a draft where a lot of big-men were taken early, Onyeka Okongwu is the first big off the board in this redraft. Originally drafted 6th, Okongwu would fall to 13th. He has been solid throughout his career, averaging 9.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 22.7 minutes per game in his career.
Naji Marshall was an undrafted steal for the New Orleans Pelicans, and currently does a little bit of everything for the Dallas Mavericks. Marshal is an excellent role player who can raise his production when the team needs. He has averaged 8.8 points per game in his career and in a redraft would go 19th overall.
