Ultimate NBA 5-Year Re-Draft Using 2020 Through 2024 Classes
Imagine that the NBA is starting from scratch, only using players from the 2020 through 2024 draft classes. How would the draft play out?
We have the answer to that very question.
B/R NBA experts Dan Favale and Grant Hughes and editors Bryant Knox, Jason Dunbar and Bryan Toporek re-drafted the league using only players from those five draft classes (along with undrafted free agents from those years). A few ground rules before we get underway:
With that, the Detroit Pistons are on the clock...
1. Detroit Pistons: Victor Wembanyama
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This was the easiest pick in the entire draft. Only one player in this pool has GOAT within his realistic range of outcomes, which made Victor Wembanyama the no-brainer at No. 1.
Wemby has led the NBA in blocks in each of his three seasons. After an unconventional offseason of training, he's averaging career highs in points (26.2), rebounds (12.9) and field-goal percentage (50.2). He also cut down on his three-point volume—although it's still very much a shot in his bag—in favor of forcing the action down low and drawing more fouls. He's shooting a career-best 85.7 percent from the charity stripe, too.
The Frenchman will be the Defensive Player of the Year front-runner every season in which he plays at least 65 games. But unlike compatriot Rudy Gobert, who is a compete non-threat as a scorer unless he's right under the basket, Wemby can make it rain from all three levels of the floor.
NBA.com's John Schuhmann puts together a GM survey every season in which he asks general managers across the league a bunch of different questions. In this year's edition, 83 percent of the respondents chose Wembanyama when asked: "If you were starting a franchise today and could sign any player in the NBA, who would it be?"
Case closed.
— Toporek
2. Washington Wizards: Cade Cunningham
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Taking Cade Cunningham over the likes of Evan Mobley, Anthony Edwards and the idea of a healthy Tyrese Haliburton isn't easy. Whatever the context of the Detroit Pistons' offense, his efficiency has always left much to be desired.
At the same time: Consider the context of the offenses in which he's operated. Spacing is notoriously hard to come by, and he makes it work anyway. When he gets alleviated of every-possession ball-handling duty, he has shown he'll knock shots at a higher clip, too. (Shoutout to the Dennis Schröder era in Detroit.)
There is no impugning Cade's value as a playmaker. The combination of size and cadence at which he plays is anomalous. He can see over most dudes who defend him, and the chemistry he has developed with Jalen Duren is scalable to other bigs.
This got me thinking: How many primary ball-handlers are, at full strength, as good on defense as Cunningham, who has leveled up considerably over the past two seasons? Potential answers start to run dry after Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum. So, here we are.
— Favale
3. Charlotte Hornets: Tyrese Haliburton
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Tyrese Haliburton is the only player in the pool to lead his team to the NBA Finals, a fact that seems relevant in a draft where the goal is to choose players on the basis of who you'd want as a franchise cornerstone going forward.
The point of the whole thing (gestures wildly) is to win a title, and nobody here has played a larger role in getting his team almost all the way there than Haliburton. Remember: He didn't just drag the Indiana Pacers to the 2025 Finals; he completely defined their breathtaking style of play with his genius-level passing, infectious pace and unparalleled savvy. Real Steve Nash stuff.
Recall, too, that Haliburton's Pacers took an OKC team that had just finished setting the all-time point-differential record to seven games. If not for his Achilles tear in that final contest, maybe we'd be talking about the defending champion Pacers right now.
Yes, the Achilles. About that…
The injury looms large, but Kevin Durant seems fine, and he was 30 when he tore his (Haliburton was 25). You'd think youth and five extra years of advancing medical science would give the Pacers guard a terrific shot to return at full strength in his age-26 season.
There are safer picks on the board, but there aren't any with more All-NBA nods (Anthony Edwards is tied with two), a greater impact on team success or a more profound influence on his team's identity. Haliburton will pick up right where he left off once he's healthy.
— Hughes
4. San Antonio Spurs: Anthony Edwards
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It took exactly four picks to find the steal of the five-year re-draft.
Anthony Edwards, just 24 years old and in his sixth season, is a top candidate to become the face of the NBA. And he's set to do it sooner rather than later.
Victor Wembanyama is the favorite, of course, hence his No. 1 overall selection in this exercise. But Edwards walks, talks and shocks the league like someone who hasn't just made it, but like someone signaling we have no idea what's yet to come.
At No. 4 in this re-draft, there were plenty of options to build around. You'll see them over the next few picks. But the answer here was clear. Ant is a three-time All-Star. He's the only player from the last five draft classes to stake that claim. He's also the one who had the audacity to tell the former President of the United States, "I'm the truth."
And if we're being honest…no lies were detected. Getting Edwards at No. 4 is wild—and these Spurs are here for it.
— Knox
5. Houston Rockets: Evan Mobley
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At 24 years old, Evan Mobley is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, has made an All-NBA team and has a top-10 MVP finish. He's the prototype of a modern two-way big and has room to evolve.
The USC product erases mistakes at the rim, switches onto guards without blinking and warps opposing game plans with his length and timing. Each season, he's added something to grow into a 20 point-per-game scorer. Still, his offensive evolution is the key to whether he unlocks a new level.
With the Cavs needing him to be more of a focal point following roster changes and early injuries to Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, Mobley leaned into the challenge. He took on more creation while still anchoring the defense and spending significantly more time at the 5 than in his traditional power forward slot.
That has come with some hiccups. His per-game numbers remain in line with last season's 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. But his shot profile changed significantly sans Garland, as he traded some rim pressure for longer-distance shooting, causing his efficiency to slip and raising concerns he's stagnated.
Still, while he's more comfortable punishing defenses that load up on Donovan Mitchell or overplay Garland, the deep shot and playmaking reads should get there. But even if he never becomes the clear-cut alpha on a title team, he still profiles as the kind of star-level second option who can be a huge cog in a championship engine.
— Dunbar
6. Portland Trail Blazers: Tyrese Maxey
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We all should have learned to stop putting a ceiling on Tyrese Maxey by now. The No. 21 pick in 2020 is galvanizing the 76ers fanbase and invoking whispers of Philadelphia legends past amid a potential All-NBA leap.
Apropos timing on his part, given the Allen Iverson-era throwbacks the team has back in rotation this season.
In the early going of 2025-26, the 25-year-old leads the NBA in minutes while playing at a breakneck speed and posting top-10 marks in points, assists, three-pointers and free throws per game. His efficiency is up as well, with career highs in PER and true-shooting percentage, while his box plus/minus and win shares are in the top 10.
According to the NBA's X account, he's the fourth player ever to have at least 500 points and 100 assists in his first 15 games of a season.
Alperen Şengün was hard to ignore in this spot, but if Maxey can sustain the consistency he's seemingly found amid taking face-of-the-franchise status so far, he'll warrant MVP votes and make this pick look too low.
Even if the truth falls somewhere between his current leap and his previous career highs of 26.3 points and 6.2 assists per game with a 3.1 BPM, this slotting will be more than justified.
— Dunbar
7. Orlando Magic: Alperen Şengün
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Alperen Şengün's evolution has been one of the best storylines from the past five NBA draft classes.
The 23-year-old has immaculate footwork for a 6'11" center. His career-best 7.1 assists per game this season speak for themselves, but there's also an art to his passing that can't be captured in a box score.
Combine all that with his career-high 22.4 points per game this season—not to mention 44.2 percent three-point shooting on nearly three triples per night—and you have a franchise face helping redefine the big man position in the year of our Jokić 2025.
At No. 7, we considered a couple of NBA champions in Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, as well as Amen Thompson and Paolo Banchero. This pick, more than any, caused the most internal debate for me as a general manager.
But in the end, Şengün's offensive impact as a modern big separated him from the rest. He's really a special player—one some just couldn't see coming.
— Knox
8. Toronto Raptors: Jalen Williams
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The last player on the board with an All-NBA nod to his name, Jalen Williams was also the second-most important contributor on a title-winner. That's easily a good enough resumé to pick him at No. 8.
Williams also earned an All-Defensive honor in 2024-25 (to go with his All-Star and All-NBA distinctions) and might be the most balanced, complete player in this entire pool. Short of the demonstrated ability to handle a full-time No. 1 option role, J-Dub has it all.
Oklahoma City's championship run saw Williams make real strides toward checking that final box.
The Thunder posted a plus-5.6 net rating in the 2025 playoffs when Williams was on the floor without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He averaged 22.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.0 steals in the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves before a wrist injury finally compromised his shooting. Playing hurt, Williams still put up 23.6 points per game in the Finals.
J-Dub isn't a first-option alpha just yet, but he might get there. Even if he doesn't, he'll still be a championship-winning, All-NBA, All-Defensive superstar. Pretty easy choice at No. 8—except for some question about whether Williams' teammate, Chet Holmgren, might be the higher-ceiling pick.
In related news, the Thunder are ridiculous.
— Hughes
9. New Orleans Pelicans: Chet Holmgren
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Chet Holmgren is the kind of talent that could have, maybe should have, gotten scooped up earlier.
He isn't just a shot-swatting floor-spacer. He is a Defensive Player of the Year-type fulcrum, with a burgeoning offensive toolbelt that now features drives in which he's more comfortable finishing through contact.
Checkered availability is what (likely) leaves him closer to No. 10 than fifth overall. That's my (hypothetical) franchise's gain.
Amen Thompson, Scottie Barnes and Paolo Banchero are the toughest names to pass up here. But Holmgren is a much better shooter than all of them. There aren't enough hairs to split beyond that for me to shift another direction.
The delta on defense, insofar as one even exists, between Thompson and Holmgren is nanoscopic. Banchero is more equipped to run an offense, but isn't nearly as plug-and-play. Barnes' ceiling feels a touch higher given his ball-handling and passing, and he might be reaching his peak in real time.
I need to see it for an entire year, though, before giving him the nod over Holmgren.
— Favale
10. Utah Jazz: Amen Thompson
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By this point of the re-draft, Orlando Magic fans are assuredly losing their minds that Paolo Banchero remains on the board. They're about to become even angrier.
Banchero is far more established as a scoring threat than Amen Thompson. However, Thompson finished fifth in the Defensive Player of the Year race last season as a sophomore, and he earned the first of what figure to be many All-Defense nods, too.
With veteran point guard Fred VanVleet sidelined by a torn ACL this year, Thompson has absorbed more of the playmaking responsibilities for Houston. He's averaging a career-high 17.9 points and 5.2 assists per game, which ranks third and second on the team, respectively.
Thompson's per-game stats might not jump off the screen like some of the other players selected in this range, but his defense separates him from the pack.
In NBA.com's GM survey heading into the season, he ranked third when the GMs were asked to identify the league's best perimeter defender, and he won a plurality of the vote (18 percent) for the NBA's most versatile defender.
Having an elite perimeter stopper who can also playmake on offense is a franchise-building cheat code. Thompson's three-point shot (or lack thereof) remains his biggest swing skill, but his defense alone would make him a cornerstone worth building around.
— Toporek
11. Indiana Pacers: Jalen Johnson
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Again, I can hear Magic fans shrieking, "How could you possibly take Jalen Johnson over Paolo Banchero?" To which I'd reply: Other than drawing free throws, what does Banchero definitively do better than Johnson?
Johnson is a more efficient three-point shooter than Banchero. He's a better playmaker than Banchero, too. He's also better than Banchero on defense. All of those things seem kind of important.
Johnson's breakout 2024-25 campaign got cut short by a torn labrum in his left shoulder, but he's picked up right where he left off last year.
In the absence of star point guard Trae Young, Johnson has absorbed far more of the playmaking responsibility and has thrived in that role, putting up a career-high 7.0 assists per game.
Banchero has more of an established track record as a No. 1 option on offense than Johnson, but these past few weeks have demonstrated Johnson can handle that role as well. In fact, he's played so well that it may force the Hawks to further reconsider their long-term future with Young, who's set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
There's a chance this selection ages poorly if Banchero levels up as a defender or begins to bomb away from deep. However, there's also a chance this winds up looking prophetic if the Hawks do move in from Young and turn the controls of their team over to Johnson. That's a gamble worth taking here.
— Toporek
12. Sacramento Kings: Paolo Banchero
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Congratulations to the theoretical Sacramento Kings for making an excellent decision. We're already light-years ahead of the real-life Kangz.
Condolences to my colleague, Bryan Toporek, on making an inexplicably poor decision. Rolling with Jalen Johnson over Paolo Banchero is the genre of take you post on X to generate rage-bait revenue that you don't actually believe.
People will fuss over the latter's efficiency until they're an Orlando Magic-shade of blue in the face. They will seldom, if ever, acknowledge the cramped confines in which the 23-year-old has needed to work his entire career.
Oh, yeah, by the way: He's still only 23. We're trying to start a franchise here, folks. And we can't rule out his efficiency or fit on this year's Magic improving upon his return from a groin injury. The balletic brutality with which he punishes opponents (and generates free throws) is worth the dice roll.
Especially when we've seen him play like a killer in the postseason.
— Favale
13. Brooklyn Nets: Scottie Barnes
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The Rookie of the Year in 2021-22 and an All-Star in 2023-24, Scottie Barnes is playing this season as if he intends to add All-NBA and All-Defensive hardware to the trophy case.
His work on D for a surprising real-life Toronto Raptors team so far seems particularly award-worthy.
That shouldn't come as a shock for a guy who entered this season as the only player in the pool with at least 350 career steals and 250 career blocks. He and Wembanyama are the only ones who've averaged at least one block and one steal per game, and (checks notes), it looks like Wemby came off the board a little while ago.
Barnes is also one of four in the pool to average at least five assists and five rebounds for his career. Though we're not compiling a fantasy team here, the versatile forward's across-the-board contributions warrant a mention.
As will be the case with basically everyone still available, Barnes' ability to lead a good team as an offensive engine is uncertain. But at the moment, he's the most important two-way force and clear best player on a Raptors squad that would have a top-four seed in the East if the playoffs started today.
Franz Wagner has been a better high-usage offensive option, and if you squint, you might view LaMelo Ball as the kind of transformative offensive force that Barnes may never be. But you can't beat the upside, versatility and two-way production Barnes provides.
— Hughes
14. Chicago Bulls: Franz Wagner
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Franz Wagner goes No. 14 as one of the safest, most steadily ascending wings in this draft pool.
His consistent growth—including higher usage, tougher shot attempts and expanded creation while maintaining efficiency—reveals a player who keeps taking on more without losing a bit of production.
At this point in the re-draft, Austin Reaves' breakout, LaMelo Ball's creation upside, and Deni Avdija's surge demanded consideration. But each comes with a level of volatility.
Meanwhile, in Wagner's case, his team has leaned on him as both a scoring engine and secondary creator more and more over the years. He's delivered in every setting. That holds weight when seeking a face of your franchise.
— Knox
15. Atlanta Hawks: Austin Reaves
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Austin Reaves has put himself in the conversation among the best undrafted players of all time, but there's no chance the Lakers afterthought-turned-star guard holds that distinction in our fictional world.
He's taken clear statistical leaps every year since his rookie season in 2021-22, checking in at 20.2 points, 5.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game with an 18.1 PER and 1.9 BPM in 2024-25.
As it turns out, Reaves had even more in him. He sits in the top 15 leaguewide in both scoring and assists per game with greater efficiency in the early going this season, and he has been a monster at getting to the line.
He's become a locker room hub and has shown he can be an offensive fulcrum sans his star teammates, at least for stretches.
As our Dan Favale recently pointed out, Reaves has piloted the equivalent of a top-10 offense over the last three years when on the floor without star teammates LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Anthony Davis. With a sure-to-be-declined player option looming, he's also in line for a megadeal in free agency this offseason.
He's essentially evolved into a high-usage, three-level offensive threat with efficiency built on craft, pacing and foul-drawing rather than burst. That's not a bad skill set to fall in Atlanta's lap here at No. 15.
— Dunbar
16. OKC Thunder: Desmond Bane
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This pick comes down to whether you believe LaMelo Ball can be a star on a legit title contender. Former players see him as unserious, while teams have questioned his dedication to the game. Pass.
Hence, Desmond Bane, the supercharged three-and-D sniper who teammate Anthony Black recently dubbed a "junkyard dog with a bag," per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk.
One of the oldest players in this pool at 27 years old, he's a power guard who bends defenses with shooting and strength. Though his numbers have suffered during his early transition from Memphis to Orlando, everything starts with his deep range and career 40 percent three-point shooting.
Bane can also put the ball on the deck, punish hard closeouts and work from the pick-and-roll as a secondary creator capable of operating as a de facto point guard for stretches.
Defensively, the 6'6" Bane plays like a compact linebacker on the perimeter who's sturdy at the point of attack and strong enough to bother bigger opponents. He carries a chip from his underdog path as the 30th pick in 2020 who's taken advantage of every opportunity granted and channels that to the floor.
— Dunbar
17. Los Angeles Lakers: LaMelo Ball
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LaMelo Ball goes No. 17 because his creativity, scoring pop and natural playmaking still give him one of the highest ceilings in the available player pool.
Even with Charlotte's constant churn, he has shown he can guide an offense at a high level. He bends defenses with the ball in his hands, and he creates shots most young guards can't manufacture.
When he is healthy and in rhythm, he changes the entire flow of a possession.
The downsides matter, though. Ball's efficiency has dipped with a tougher shot diet, and his turnovers remain high. Injuries have repeatedly stalled his development and have made it tough to trust him. That's why, despite his upside, he fell out of the lottery in our five-year re-draft.
At No. 17, we also considered Jalen Duren's steady two-way value, Deni Avdija's breakout versatility and Josh Giddey's sudden triple-double surge.
Ball remains the rare case, though, who can be viewed as both a snub and an overreach in this five-year re-draft. Ultimately, he earns the nod here because his upside as a lead creator outpaces the alternatives.
— Knox
18. Minnesota Timberwolves: Jalen Duren
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Jalen Duren's ascent has been a sight to see this season, and everyone's had eyes on it because the Detroit Pistons big man, busting out on both ends, is a huge reason his team is currently sitting atop the Eastern Conference.
New offensive layers have made Duren a threat to blow past his man from above the arc in isolation. He's timing his rolls to the rim better, setting cleaner screens and turning what were once flashes of intriguing passing into consistent setups for his teammates.
Defensively, Duren is processing the game faster, fouling less frequently than last year (a feat on the hack-happy Pistons) and generally making positive defensive contributions for the first time in his career. Largely because he's now a plus stopper, his Estimated Plus/Minus sits in the 97th percentile leaguewide.
Framed more simply, he's developed into a top-five center and a potential All-NBA force. He also just turned 22. By the time he's 25, Duren will probably have deemed the NBA too easy and turned to punching threatening comets out of Earth's atmosphere.
I thought long and hard about Deni Avdija here, convinced myself Dan wouldn't snipe the breakout Portland forward and was then disappointed (but also, on some level, proud) when he took him with the next pick.
— Hughes
19. Miami Heat: Deni Avdija
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Deni Avdija's star remains in ascent as you read this. The year-over-year improvement he's shown these past three seasons is as absurd as it is dramatic.
Combo forwards who can run your offense, play at blazing-fast speeds, drill threes, pummel opponents with an explosive elegance and be a net-positive on defense are franchise-cornerstone material.
Avdija has so far fallen short of that billing because of early-career inconsistency, and also probably because not enough people have watched the Washington Wizards or Portland Trail Blazers.
Some of his strides admittedly feel rickety. Defenses do not treat him as a 37 percent three-point shooter when he's working away from the ball. But the havoc he inflicts when on it is brilliant. And the 25-point, five-assist line on above-average efficiency still means something.
This decision is fairly easy when considering who else is on the board. Stephon Castle has not shown enough as a shooter for me to bet on his upside when starting a team from scratch. Reed Sheppard is calling my name, but less than a quarter-season's worth of proof can't outstrip Avdija's sustainable, still-rising impact.
— Favale
20. Memphis Grizzlies: Josh Giddey
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The Chicago Bulls became a punchline last season for trading Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder straight up for Josh Giddey. Although that trade helped propel the Thunder to last year's championship—and perhaps the NBA's next dynasty—it might wind up being a win-win deal.
Giddey got off to an inconsistent start in Chicago, but he took off after the Bulls traded Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings at the beginning of February. From that point forward, Giddey averaged 20.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game while shooting 49.1 percent overall and 45.1 percent from deep.
Lest anyone suspect those inflated averages were simply a byproduct of the unserious basketball typically found in the NBA throughout Mickey Mouse March, Giddey has carried that production right over into this season. Through 15 games, he's averaging 20.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game while shooting 46.3 percent overall and a career-high 38.8 percent from downtown.
With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the fold, the Thunder were never going to maximize Giddey by allowing him to play on the ball as much as he needs to. The Bulls have granted him that privilege, and he's responded by turning into a nightly triple-double threat.
Giddey still needs to prove his newfound three-point stroke is sustainable, particularly in the playoffs, before he's considered one of the top young players in the league. In this range of the draft, though, it was worth gambling on his continued development given what he's shown over the past 12 months.
— Toporek
21. Dallas Mavericks: Trey Murphy III
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Every NBA team is on a constant search for forwards who can scorch the nets from deep. Trey Murphy III has become one of the league's highest-volume three-point bombers at his position.
Over the past three seasons, he has attempted 8.0 three-pointers per game while shooting 37.2 percent from deep. The former ranks fifth among all players between 6'6" and 6'11" across that span, trailing only LaMelo Ball, Luka Dončić, Jayson Tatum and Kon Knueppel. Three of those four are guards.
Zion Williamson already missed time early this season with a hamstring injury, which opened the door for Murphy to also average career highs in rebounds (6.3) and steals (1.7) per game. He's in the 94th percentile among all wings in defensive rebounding percentage this season, according to Cleaning the Glass.
It's unclear whether Murphy has the on-ball chops to develop into a top option on a championship team, which is likely why he slid here. However, the same goes for just about everyone else who was still left on the board at this slot.
Although Stephon Castle was awfully tempting here, Murphy's longer track record of production made him the pick.
— Toporek
22. Philadelphia 76ers: Reed Sheppard
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If you re-draft this group of players purely based on who will have the most illustrious career, we are officially at the point in which you should take Reed Sheppard.
A gradual developmental approach from the Houston Rockets has suppressed his numbers and playing time. Rest assured, though, the skeleton of a primary offensive creator who doesn't submarine the defense is intact.
Sheppard is currently clearing 28 points, six assists and three steals per 100 possessions while essentially knocking down a preposterous 49 percent of his triples, including over 46 percent of his self-created treys. The list of players who have even sniffed the 25/5/3 benchmarks since 2020 features Jimmy Butler…and that's it. And he wasn't swishing triples at this rate.
Extrapolating what Sheppard looks like as a franchise tentpole when he's coming off the bench for one of the NBA's deepest teams is difficult. But the only other players I might even consider here are Jabari Smith Jr. or Jalen Suggs, neither of whom is hard-wired to initiate half-court offense at the same level.
— Favale
23. New York Knicks: Jalen Suggs
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Jalen Suggs' 2023-24 season, the only one in which he's started more than 45 games or appeared in more than 53, is doing a lot of the lifting here. That campaign saw him turn questionable shooting into a strength, as he canned 39.7 percent of his treys.
On D, he has always been among the best backcourt smotherers in the sport. He earned an All-Defensive nod in 2023-24, though he surely would have grabbed a few more of those distinctions if he'd been able to stay healthy.
Good news. Suggs got a late start to this season but has held up well physically and appears to be very similar to the two-years-ago version of himself. The Magic are being careful with his minutes, but he's been a terror when in the game, posting per-36 averages of 21.6 points, 6.9 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals while drilling 37.3 percent of his threes.
I'm not sure you can build an offense around Suggs, which isn't ideal for a point guard. But the draft pool ran out of those players a while ago, so an elite defender who plays exceptionally hard, spaces the floor and scores with decent efficiency is a good get here.
— Hughes
24. Cleveland Cavaliers: Payton Pritchard
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Nearly a year ago to date, B/R's Dan Favale completed a 2020 NBA re-draft, slotting Payton Pritchard in at No. 13. That was a massive leap compared to the guard's original draft slot, No. 26.
However, if that 2020 re-draft were held today, Pritchard would likely see another major spike.
Last season, Pritchard officially broke out onto the scene, winning the 2025 Sixth Man of the Year. This season, his sixth in the NBA, has seen him become a full-time starter and average career-bests in points (16.6), assists (5.1) and rebounds (4.3) per game.
Although there were higher-ceiling players available at No. 24, Pritchard is a stable, low-risk pick late in this draft. Players such as Stephon Castle, Shaedon Sharpe and Jabari Smith Jr. were tempting. But even at 27, Pritchard keeps getting better. And that can't be ignored.
— Knox
25. Golden State Warriors: Stephon Castle
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Already looking like the best player to come out of the 2024 draft class, Stephon Castle could thrust himself into the Most Improved Player conversation if his early sophomore returns are any indication of what's to come.
Maybe that's a bit of a backhanded compliment given how weak the top of that group was. (Just three players from the class made our top 30.) But it shouldn't dampen the excitement around his potential leap to above-average starter.
At 6'6", he's an All-Defensive-level guy who won Rookie of the Year with 14.7 points, 4.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. His jumper is his glaring weakness, though in 13 games this season before a hip flexor strain knocked him out, his field-goal percentage rose to 49.7 percent.
His outside shot is still his bugaboo. But he's opened his second season with higher volume and better efficiency while posting 17.3 points, 7.5 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game and looks improved in most facets.
The majority of his damage still comes from his aggressiveness at the rim. If the outside shot climbs to respectability, his mix of size, defense and offensive potential gives him a path to potential All Star-level impact.
Given that ceiling, this feels like a steal at No. 25.
— Dunbar
26. Los Angeles Clippers: Jaden McDaniels
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Jaden McDaniels entered 2025-26 with a solid baseline of All-Defensive-level perimeter play, a rep as a killer in transition and encouraging flashes of offensive production. But he's had a notably inconsistent three-point shot.
A leap might be in the offing.
The career 34.8 percent shooter from deep is knocking down 44.6 percent of his threes on similar volume through 16 games in 2025-26. Though he recently lost a streak of 157 straight regular-season games played, he's also one of the NBA's ironmen.
Per The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski, a focused summer of work on his handle and jumper has produced a smoother, more confident stroke and a more varied shot diet. He still takes 3.5 threes per game, but he now attempts 12.0 shots overall, with a larger share coming inside the arc. His scoring has climbed to 16.5 points per game with increased efficiency, in part thanks to a 62.8 true shooting percentage.
If he can sustain his offensive improvement, opposing teams will no longer be able to hide weak defenders on him, elevating McDaniels from role player to one of the league's better two-way wings.
— Dunbar
27. Phoenix Suns: Shaedon Sharpe
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Shaedon Sharpe is the pick because his mix of athletic pop, shot creation and steady year-to-year growth gives him rare upside this late in this re-draft.
In 2025-26, he is posting career highs in scoring, usage and free-throw volume, and he looks confident being the focal point for stretches on offense. The 22-year-old is getting to the rim with ease, hitting tough mid-range looks and finishing with the same burst that's always made him such an intriguing prospect.
Sharpe's three-point shot is still a question mark. His mechanics look clean, but his percentages keep dipping as the attempts rise, and defenses know they can duck under against him. His defense can waver, too, although he has shown better effort in years when his offensive role has depended on it.
At No. 27, we took long looks at Jabari Smith Jr.'s shooting-and-defense combo, Onyeka Okongwu's dependability and the flashes from both Jonathan Kuminga and Ausar Thompson. However, Sharpe gets the nod since his athletic ceiling and current leap were too tough to pass up.
— Knox
28. Milwaukee Bucks: Alex Sarr
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Alex Sarr's remarkable growth is going unnoticed, which is understandable. The Washington Wizards are a tough enough watch to qualify as court-sanctioned punishment for most misdemeanors.
This is why nobody seems to notice he's addressed critical flaws (two-point finishing) and added layers (nearly doubled his drives per game) while rounding into one of the most promising young centers in the league.
In his age-20 season, Sarr is on track to put up over 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks per game. Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick in this whole exercise, is the only other player to finish a season with those averages at such a young age.
Until the Wizards are a serious basketball team, we'll have to wonder whether Sarr's production actually means anything. Still, the big man's physical tools and early-career numbers suggest he's going to be a high-end starter who can impact winning on both ends—eventually.
Ausar Thompson was a consideration for each of my final three picks, but shooting questions made it too hard to commit. Brandon Miller's injury-related absences simply made his sample too small. Those two might make me regret this pick.
— Hughes
29. Denver Nuggets: Jabari Smith Jr.
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Jabari Smith Jr.'s total offensive package is peppered with awkwardness. He doesn't get to the rim a ton, isn't yet a confident enough driver and needs to fall out of love with mid-range jumpers.
Still, give me the combo 3-4-5 who spaces the floor and is exceptional on defense.
The fact that he's comfortable dribbling or standstilling his way into mid-rangers is also a potentially promising harbinger for when he's no longer fourth in the pecking order. And even if he can't be a primary offensive option, I think the straight-line handle can get tight enough for him to capitalize on more catch-and-go opportunities.
Plenty of talent is left on the board here. Brandon Miller is most appealing to yours truly, though he doesn't have nearly a large enough healthy sample for me to take the leap.
I would rather bank on Smith successfully expanding his offensive usage than on Dyson Daniels as an initiator. Matas Buzelis has playmaking questions and most definitely doesn't have Jabari beat on defense.
— Favale
30. Boston Celtics: Onyeka Okongwu
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Did my fellow drafters miss the recent game in which Onyeka Okongwu drilled a career-high eight three-pointers? Perhaps they're unaware he's shooting a career-best 40.7 percent from deep on a career-high 4.8 three-point attempts per game?
Six years into his NBA career, the Atlanta Hawks have yet to commit to Okongwu as their locked-in starting center, which raises some questions. Granted, Clint Capela was blocking him at that spot for most of his career, and he's now battling with Kristaps Porziņģis for the job.
With Porziņģis in and out of the lineup early on, Okongwu is setting new career highs in points (16.2), assists (2.7) and minutes (29.6) per game. He's also rocking the highest estimated plus/minus of his career at plus-0.5, which ranks in the 70th percentile leaguewide.
Brandon Miller was tempting here, although it's hard to look past how much time he's missed over the past two seasons due to wrist and shoulder injuries.
Dyson Daniels, Tari Eason, Walker Kessler, Christian Braun and Quentin Grimes were under consideration here, too. But three-point-shooting centers are worth their weight in gold in today's NBA, which makes it worth gambling on Okongwu's newfound stroke from deep.
— Toporek
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