2018 NBA Re-Draft, Does Luka Dončić or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Go No. 1?
We're now eight years beyond the 2018 NBA draft. And a class that was mostly hyped up due to Luka Dončić has proved far deeper than we thought it was at the time.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a soon-to-be-two-time MVP and, in a month or so, could be a two-time Finals MVP. Jalen Brunson has developed into one of the game's most clutch scorers. Several big men have become steady contributors.
The group was loaded with talent. Reordering it now is a tough ask, but it's one we're up for.
Based on several factors, including basic and advanced stats, team and individual success, durability, potential (several of these players are still in their mid-20s) and plenty of subjectivity, here's how a generic (or, non-team-specific) re-draft would go today.
14. Collin Sexton (Originally Drafted 8th)
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Stats: 18.3 points, 3.6 assists, 38.9 three-point percentage, -1.1 box plus/minus, 8.1 wins over replacement player
Accolades: 2018-19 All-Rookie
As you can see, the advanced stats haven't loved Collin Sexton's career. Over the course of it, his teams are minus-7.4 points per 100 possessions when he's on the floor. And they've been slightly better when he's off.
But when you watch Sexton play, despite being undersized (6'3") as a shooting or combo guard, you see a player who competes about as hard as anyone on both ends of the floor. And he's developed into a very efficient, mid-volume three-point shooter.
Ideally, he'd take a few more threes, be a little bigger and be a little more of a distributor, but Sexton has proven a very capable scorer off the bench or as a starter.
13. Wendell Carter Jr. (Originally Drafted 7th)
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Stats: 11.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.7 blocks, -0.3 box plus/minus, 14.3 wins over replacement player
Accolades: None
Wendell Carter Jr. drew some Al Horford comps during the pre-draft process, and he obviously hasn't lived up to those (at least not yet), but he's proved he can be a solid, multifaceted starting center for teams with lots of production from other spots.
In other words, Carter is more of a gap-filler than someone who can carry an offense. His defense is closer to adequate than dominant. And that's fine, assuming you have the other players capable of handling more responsibility.
If Carter could consistently shoot like he did in 2023-24 (when he hit 37.4 percent of his three-point attempts), create a bit more for others and make a few more plays on defense, he'd be higher in this re-draft, but it's not hard to justify keeping him in the lottery.
12. Grayson Allen (Originally Drafted 21st)
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Stats: 11.2 points, 2.2 assists, 2.2 threes, 40.3 three-point percentage, 0.3 box plus/minus, 17.8 wins over replacement player
Accolades: None
High-efficiency, high-volume three-point shooting is, in itself, extremely valuable. That's still true, even as most role players in the league are now as good or better than some of the league's best shooters from 20-30 years ago.
That's why Grayson Allen, despite a lack of high-end ancillary contributions, jumps into the lottery here.
Getting 5.5 three-point attempts up in just 25.8 minutes, while connecting on over 40 percent of those attempts makes him the kind of shooter that defenses have to constantly account for. And in recent years, he's proven capable of more.
Since the start of the 2023-24 campaign, Allen's averaged 13.3 points and 2.9 assists, while shooting 41.0 percent from deep.
11. Donte DiVincenzo (Originally Drafted 17th)
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Stats: 11.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.2 steals, 38.0 three-point percentage, 1.0 box plus/minus, 27.3 wins over replacement player
Accolades: 2021 NBA Champion
A re-draft implies you're getting the player going forward. So, Donte DiVincenzo's recently ruptured Achilles tendon has to be a factor.
But successful returns for Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum suggest the medical and basketball establishments may be improving the ways in which they react to that historically devastating injury.
And if DiVincenzo can be most of the way back by the 2027-28 campaign, it's not hard to justify him going in this lottery.
DiVincenzo brings a similar level of three-point shooting as Allen, while doing a bit more as a playmaker, defender and rebounder.
10. Miles Bridges (Originally Drafted 12th)
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Stats: 15.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.1 box plus/minus, 22.1 wins over replacement player
Accolades: None
Miles Bridges hasn't been as efficient a scorer as Allen or DiVincenzo, but simply being 6'7" makes a big difference. He's not a lockdown defender, but that size allows him to more reasonably be expected to guard multiple positions.
And his high-end athleticism makes him one of the better and more dynamic play finishers in the league.
Bridges is also a decent creator and passer for his size and position. Over his last four campaigns, he's averaged 3.5 assists.
It would certainly be nice if his three-point percentage (33.8) or defensive counting stats were better, but Bridges has still shown enough to sneak into this top 10.
9. Deandre Ayton (Originally Drafted 1st)
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Stats: 15.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, 59.9 field-goal percentage, 0.6 box plus/minus, 24.8 wins over replacement player
Accolades: 2018-19 All-Rookie
Going first overall in the NBA Draft has to be one of the most thrilling experiences an athlete can have. Almost instantly becoming an all-time draft blunder must be the opposite.
Taking Deandre Ayton over Luka seemed completely ludicrous at the time it happened, and the decision just looks worse with each passing year.
But when you're not analyzing Ayton through that lens (or in comparison to most other No. 1 picks), he's had a solid career for a traditional big man who's spent his career in the pace-and-space era.
The 2025-26 campaign was Ayton's first without averaging a double-double. He was a key contributor on the 2020-21 Phoenix Suns team that made the Finals. And he's coming off a series in which he often looked better than two-time All-Star Alperen Şengün.
When Ayton has a high-level playmaker to set him up (like Chris Paul in 2021 and Luka this season), he can be a difference-making center.
8. Mitchell Robinson
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Stats: 7.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 70.2 field-goal percentage, 2.3 box plus/minus, 27.3 wins over replacement player
Accolades: 2018-19 All-Rookie
There's still a sizable segment of NBA fandom who'd look at the basic, per-game averages of Ayton and Mitchell Robinson and determine that the former is better. It might even be fair to say Ayton has more talent and skill.
But it's not hard to justify Robinson being one spot higher, thanks to his embrace of the less glamorous aspects of being an NBA center.
Robinson plays with relentless energy on both ends of the floor. He's one of the most ferocious offensive rebounders of all time (he's second in career offensive rebounding percentage). He blocks more shots. And he's fine with his shot diet being mostly set up and right at the rim.
A role player who magnifies his role to the degree Robinson has is more valuable than one who still has visions of stardom.
7. Mikal Bridges (Originally Drafted 10th)
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Stats: 14.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals, 37.1 three-point percentage, 0.9 box plus/minus, 42.7 wins over replacement player
Accolades: 2021-22 All-Defense
Mikal Bridges is often analyzed through the lens of the trade that sent him to the New York Knicks. And that analysis is understandably less than flattering.
Four unprotected first-round picks, one protected first and one unprotected first-round pick swap for a player with the numbers above sounds ridiculous, especially when you consider the fact that Giannis Antetokounmpo may have become available afterward.
But if you can focus and look at his career in more of an "in a vacuum" sense, Bridges' durability and consistency as a three-and-D wing has been plenty valuable.
Bridges hasn't missed a single game in his career. With the amount of "load management" we've seen in recent years, that's massive. And it's not like he's just coasting in those games, either. He's averaged at least 28 minutes in every campaign, and he's often tasked with slowing down the opposition's best perimeter player.
Pair that with an above-average three-point percentage and respectable steal rate and Bridges is one of the safer bets here.
6. Michael Porter Jr. (Originally Drafted 14th)
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Stats: 17.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.6 threes, 39.8 three-point percentage, 1.0 box plus/minus, 24.0 wins over replacement player
Accolades: 2023 NBA Champion
After his 2025-26 campaign with the Brooklyn Nets, it's pretty clear Michael Porter Jr. accepted a smaller role with the Denver Nuggets that helped Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray flourish.
In his first season as a No. 1 option, MPJ averaged 24.2 points, 3.4 threes and 3.0 assists (all career highs). When he was on the floor without any of Brooklyn's 2025 first-round picks (Egor Dëmin, Ben Saraf, Nolan Traoré, Danny Wolf and Drake Powell), the Nets were plus-15.6 points per 100 possessions. That's a staggering number for a team that was minus-10.7 for the season.
The sample size on that is small, but Porter absolutely looked the part of a dynamic leading scorer throughout 2025-26. And though his mobility on defense can still be a problem, it's pretty clear the injury concerns that drove him down the board in the actual draft don't outweigh his talent.
5. Jaren Jackson Jr. (Originally Drafted 4th)
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Stats: 18.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 1.0 steals, 35.1 three-point percentage, 0.8 box plus/minus, 24.8 wins over replacement player
Accolades: 2018-19 All-Rookie, 2-Time All-Star, 3-Time All-Defense, 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year
It's easy to nitpick Jaren Jackson Jr.'s rebounding. Prior to 2025-26, when he averaged an encouraging 3.0, his assist numbers were almost nonexistent.
But the combination of rim protection, outside shooting and decent-volume scoring still make it pretty easy to justify having Jaren Jackson Jr. in this top five.
That's especially true after the last couple postseasons, when it's become clear that we may be entering another "defense wins championships" era.
Teams that can bully their opponents, switch on the perimeter and protect the paint look a lot more capable of deep playoff runs than finesse, offense-first ones, and JJJ can easily represent the paint-protection while also providing plenty of points on the other end.
4. Trae Young (Originally Drafted 5th)
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Stats: 25.1 points, 9.8 assists, 2.6 threes, 1.0 steals, 35.2 three-point percentage, 2.6 box plus/minus, 53.2 wins over replacement player
Accolades: 2018-19 All-Rookie, 4-Time All-Star, 2021-22 All-NBA
Listing Trae Young right after a take on the importance of defense may seem a little odd, especially after a season in which he only played 15 games, put up the worst numbers of his career and got salary-dumped to the Washington Wizards at the trade deadline.
But Young, assuming he can come back at full strength for 2026-27, is still one of the better and more consistent sources of offense in the NBA, despite what his detractors may think of him or heliocentric basketball, in general.
Say what you will about the long bombs that must drive old-school head coaches crazy and pound-the-ball playmaking, prior to 2025-26, Young's teams had scored more per 100 possessions when he was on the floor in each and every season.
And in 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25, Young averaged at least 24 points and 10 assists in three consecutive seasons. Oscar Robertson (five) is the only player in league history with more total 24-10 campaigns.
Young has to be surrounded by the right defenders. And a lot of his teammates probably need to be willing to be little more than catch-and-shoot threats on offense. But there is still a team construct that Young is capable of leading to title contention.
3. Jalen Brunson (Originally Drafted 33rd)
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Stats: 19.2 points, 5.3 assists, 38.5 three-point percentage, 2.4 box plus/minus, 50.8 wins over replacement player
Accolades: 3-Time All-Star, 2-Time All-NBA
If you just do a head-to-head comparison of their career numbers, you might be able to make the argument that Trae could be higher than Jalen Brunson, but that would obviously ignore the context Brunson's first few years.
As a second-round pick on a team with Luka, Brunson had to spend some time forcing his way up the league's hierarchy. Since he joined the New York Knicks, few players have been more productive.
Over those four seasons, Brunson has put up 26.3 points and 6.8 assists, while shooting 39.0 percent from three.
And even more important than that, he's always been able to find another gear in the playoffs. He's taken the Knicks to the postseason in every campaign he's had there, and his playoff averages are an eye-popping 29.5 points and 6.7 assists.
2. Luka Dončić (Originally Drafted 3rd)
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Stats: 29.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 3.2 threes, 1.3 steals, 35.2 three-point percentage, 7.8 box plus/minus, 121.0 wins over replacement player
Accolades: 2018-19 All-Rookie, 2018-19 Rookie of the Year, 2-Time Scoring Champion, 6-Time All-Star, 5-Time All-NBA, 2023-4 Western Conference Finals MVP
We've never seen another player in NBA history produce, right out of the gate, quite like Luka has.
He's played 514 regular-season games and totaled 15,021 points, 4,376 rebounds, 4,230 assists and 661 steals. No one else in NBA history reached all of those totals in their first 514 games.
Luka checks the same offensive engine box that Young does, only more thoroughly. He's a better rebounder than all but the best bigs in the class. He's third in NBA history in career scoring average and fourth in career box plus/minus.
Given all of the above, it's hard to imagine how anyone could be higher than Dončić on this list, but that's how good SGA has been over the last few years.
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Originally Drafted 11th)
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Stats: 25.3 points, 5.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 0.8 blocks, 36.0 three-point percentage, 6.3 box plus/minus, 99.6 wins over replacement player
Accolades: 2018-19 All-Rookie, 4-Time All-Star, 3-Time All-NBA, 2024-25 Scoring Champion, 2024-25 MVP, 2024-25 Western Conference Finals MVP and 2024-25 Finals MVP
The head-to-head comparison between Luka and Shai requires context similar to the Trae-Brunson comp. Dončić was given the keys in Dallas almost immediately. SGA had to be traded and then took a couple years after that to develop into the player we see today.
But over the last several years, the numbers and accomplishments have both flipped to SGA's side of the ledger.
Since the start of the 2022-23 campaign, his scoring (31.3) and assist (6.2) averages are within shouting distance of Dončić's (32.2 and 8.5), and he's ahead of him in steals, blocks, field-goal percentage, three-point percentage, free-throw percentage, box plus/minus and wins over replacement player.
He's also about to have two MVPs to his rival's zero. And there's a pretty good chance a second title and second Finals MVP are on the way, too.
Whether people are ready to admit it or not, the more appropriate comparison, at this point, might be between Gilgeous-Alexander and Michael Jordan.
Outside of scoring efficiency, Jordan has slight advantages in most categories (and SGA plays in an era with potentially inflated individual production), but the numbers from both players' age-24 through age-27 seasons are eerily similar.
We're witnessing the building of an all-time great's resume in real time. And he and Dončić, together, could end up being the best "top two" in any draft class in NBA history.
