5 NBA Teams Who Would Already Mulligan Their 2014 NBA Draft Picks
Some prospects and team fits look a lot more promising in June than they do in September.
NBA Summer League can help point out who's ready to roll versus who's years away from contributing, while free agency can change a roster's needs and makeup.
Knowing what each team knows now, there are a few that might wish they could go back for a mulligan on 2014 draft night.
Phoenix Suns, No. 18: Tyler Ennis, PG
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Taking Tyler Ennis at No. 18 overall made some sense on draft night. With Goran Dragic looking like a franchise point guard, the Suns still needed a backup.
But then they added Isaiah Thomas in free agency. And it looks like Eric Bledsoe will be back. And second-year guard Archie Goodwin looked pretty good at times in summer league.
And now, Ennis' services in Phoenix really aren't needed.
He didn't look particularly sharp in summer league, either, having shot a disastrous 21.9 percent.
Unless Phoenix's backcourt gets hit with the injury bug, there doesn't even appear to be any room for Ennis on the floor.
Knowing what they know now—that Isaiah Thomas would agree to sign as a free agent—I bet the Suns wouldn't mind going back and taking a big man at No. 18 instead.
Charlotte Hornets, No. 26: P.J. Hairston, SG
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We all knew about the red flags. P.J. Hairston had been forced to play in the NBA D-League this past season after he was booted from the North Carolina basketball program following offseason legal trouble.
But he didn't set off any alarms with the Texas Legends, so the Charlotte Hornets went ahead and used their first-round pick to get him.
It didn't take long for his name to surface in the news, when Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, who's just been suspended for the entire season, was arrested for a DWI while driving Hairston's car.
Gordon's bail would ultimately be paid by the same convicted felon who was linked to the rented vehicle Hairston was driving when he'd been arrested last year for marijuana possession—a charge that would later be dropped.
Just recently, police issued a summons for Hairston following an altercation he had with a high school player during a pickup game. The hearing for that case is expected to occur sometime later in September or October.
There seems to be a somewhat concerning pattern here.
Among his questionable ties and connections, his ongoing off-the-floor track record and the fact the Hornets just signed Lance Stephenson, another 2-guard, maybe this team would have been better off going in another direction last June.
Miami Heat, No. 24: Shabazz Napier, PG
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The Miami Heat picked up Shabazz Napier on draft day, which shouldn't have come as a surprise when you consider the public support LeBron James had given him. "No way you take another point guard in the lottery before Napier," James tweeted back in April.
It was pretty clear whom Miami's franchise player at the time was pulling for. After the Heat acquired Napier in June, James followed with a post-draft celebratory tweet calling Napier his favorite player in the draft.
And then Napier stunk it up in summer league, and James bolted for Cleveland.
You have to wonder whether Miami would have gone with Napier had it known James wouldn't be sticking around.
Napier opened summer league with a 3-of-15, eight-turnover performance, and it didn't get much better from there. Through nine games, he shot just 27.4 percent and averaged 3.7 assists to 4.2 turnovers, looking fairly outmatched physically.
Now that Mario Chalmers has re-signed and Norris Cole is still around, there really isn't much room for Napier in Miami anyway. Ira Winderman of the South Florida South Sentinel notes the only way he gets on the floor is if he plays consistent quality defense.
Remember, the Heat ended up having to trade two second-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets just to move up two spots to get Napier. Looking back, I'm not sure it will have been worth it.
Utah Jazz, No. 5: Dante Exum, PG/SG
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In Dante Exum, the Utah Jazz got a prospect with an enormous ceiling driven by the mismatch his 6'6" size and athleticism present at the point guard position—which is why it's painful to watch him sit in the corner and stand on the wing off the ball.
The fit just isn't ideal. The Jazz already have a ball-dominator in Trey Burke, and it's forcing them to develop their prized rookie out of position.
At just 6'1", you know Burke isn't playing off the ball. As long as he's in the lineup, Exum will have to spend time at the 2, where his physical advantage is neutralized. He'll be set up to play to his weaknesses as a shooter and away from his strengths as a playmaker.
He struggled in summer league in that role, having shot just 30.8 percent and averaged more turnovers than assists.
“I think I’m still comfortable at the point,” Exum told Jody Genessy of the Deseret News following one of his summer league games. “I still want to get the ball in my hands as much as possible. I didn’t get it a lot in my hands these last couple of games.”
Playing Exum at the 2 might work once he's already settled into the league. But it's tough to fall in love with the idea of developing him there while limiting his reps as a ball-handler.
For what it's worth, he's been pretty quiet through five World Cup games (5-of-14 shooting) as well.
It's going to be awhile before Exum really hits his NBA stride. Unless the Jazz move Burke, I'm just not sure they can give him the chance to do so.
It might have been wiser to go with someone else (Nik Stauskas, Julius Randle, Dario Saric) who fits the current roster a little better. That, or trade Burke to make room for Exum.
Los Angeles Clippers, No. 28: C.J. Wilcox, SG
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It almost seemed like the Los Angeles Clippers were on autopilot during the 2014 draft. Without showing any regard for team needs or fit, they went ahead and selected three-point specialist C.J. Wilcox.
Only they already have Jamal Crawford and J.J. Redick, two lethal three-point shooters with full-time roles who both play Wilcox's position.
Don't forget the Clippers also drafted Reggie Bullock in 2013, another wing expected to make his living behind the arc.
Had Wilcox been viewed as more of a long-term project with upside—a guy the Clippers could slowly develop and groom—then maybe it would have made more sense.
But Wilcox is already 23 years old. His ceiling and limitations are pretty well-defined. He's a fairly one-dimensional specialist and nothing more.
The fact that he missed all of summer league with a shoulder injury won't help his cause early on, either.
Wilcox appeared to be one of the more NBA-ready prospects in the draft, but that's unlikely to matter much in Los Angeles, where there won't be minutes available. The Clippers would have been better off dealing this pick or taking on a project who offers a little more potential reward down the road.
