2008 NBA Re-Draft After Russell Westbrook Retires

On Wednesday, after 18 seasons for seven different organizations, Russell Westbrook announced his retirement from the NBA.

He had, by just about any meaningful measure, one of the greatest careers in NBA history. That made him an incredible value in the draft, even for the fourth overall pick.

And that got us thinking, if that class was re-drafted, "Where would Russ go now, and how would the rest of 2008's first round shake out?"

Based on career achievements, longevity, peaks and trends that shaped the league in the years after 2008, we answer those questions below.

1. Chicago Bulls: Russell Westbrook (UCLA, G)

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Original Draft Spot: No. 4, Seattle SuperSonics

Career Stats: 20.9 points, 8.0 assists, 6.9 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 3.5 BPM

Career Accolades: 2016-17 MVP, 9x All-NBA, 9x All-Star, 2x Scoring Champ, 3x Assist Champ

Westbrook has naysayers all over the internet, but his numbers and achievements completely overwhelm the criticism.

From 2016-17 through 2020-21, the force-of-nature playmaker averaged 26.0 points, 10.3 rebounds and 10.1 assists. And his teams were significantly better when he was on the floor.

Knowing what we know now, the Chicago Bulls would have absolutely taken the 2016-17 MVP over the guy who won it in 2010-11 and given themselves a much longer contention window.

2. Miami Heat: Kevin Love (UCLA, F)

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Original Draft Spot: No. 5, Minnesota Timberwolves

Career Stats: 15.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.7 threes, 36.9 3P%, 3.2 BPM

Career Accolades: 2x All-NBA, 5x All-Star, 2010-11 Rebound Champ, 2016 NBA Champ

Westbrook's teammate at UCLA, Kevin Love, has had his career numbers drastically reduced by accepting smaller roles for a shot at winning, but he absolutely had superstar talent coming into the NBA. And he showed it at his first stop.

From 2010-11 through 2013-14, Love averaged 23.5 points, 13.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.8 threes, while shooting 37.0 percent from deep.

He looked a little like a better-rebounding, worse-passing version of Nikola Jokić before he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he put winning over numbers and secured a title with LeBron James.

3. Memphis Grizzlies: Brook Lopez (Stanford, C)

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Original Draft Spot: No. 10, New Jersey Nets

Career Stats: 15.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 1.0 threes, 35.3 3P%, 1.2 BPM

Career Accolades: 1x All-Star, 2x All-Defense, 2020-21 NBA Champ

Brook Lopez is one of the best stories of adaptation in the history of sports.

For much of the first part of his career, he was a dominant, old-school post scorer. And when the NBA dramatically shifted away from that style of big to the more skilled ones we often see today, he became a volume three-point shooter instead of a dinosaur.

And all along the way, Lopez remained one of the biggest, best and most consistent paint protectors in the NBA.

4. Seattle SuperSonics: Derrick Rose (Memphis, G)

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Original Draft Spot: No. 1, Chicago Bulls

Career Stats: 17.4 points, 5.2 assists, 1.2 BPM

Career Accolades: 2010-11 MVP, 2008-09 Rookie of the Year, 2010-11 All-NBA, 3x All-Star

Outside of Westbrook, you could argue that Derrick Rose had the highest one- or two-year peak of anyone in this class.

He was an unbelievable slasher and creator, both for himself and others. And within the Bulls' famously stingy defensive scheme under Tom Thibodeau, he might've been a more reliable defender than Westbrook.

But injuries had a horrible impact on Rose's career and threw it off course before he even hit his prime. He eventually recovered and became a solid backup guard, but the lack of longevity makes it tough to have him any higher than fourth.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves: DeAndre Jordan (Texas A&M, C)

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Original Draft Spot: No. 35, Los Angeles Clippers

Career Stats: 8.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 67.3 FG%, 1.1 BPM

Career Accolades: 3x All-NBA, 1x All-Star, 2x All-Defense, 3x Rebound Champ, 2023 NBA Champ

One of the most dominant rebounders of all time, DeAndre Jordan was also an integral part of one of the most dynamic attacks of the modern era: the Lob City Los Angeles Clippers.

And beyond the boards and rim-rattling finishes, at his peak, Jordan was also one of the league's most effective rim deterrents.

6. New York Knicks: Serge Ibaka (L'Hospitalet, F/C)

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Original Draft Spot: No. 24, Seattle SuperSonics

Career Stats: 12.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 35.9 3P%, 0.5 BPM

Career Accolades: 3x All-Defense, 2x Block Champ, 2019 NBA Champ

Rim protection is among the early themes developing for this class, and Serge Ibaka's skill set certainly lent itself to that.

Throughout his career, he was one of the best shot-blockers in the league, but that was especially true during his first six seasons, when he averaged 2.6 blocks and led the league in that category twice.

And like Lopez, Ibaka wasn't brushed aside when the NBA embraced shooting from power forwards and centers. On the contrary, Ibaka became a reliable floor spacer and eventually helped the Toronto Raptors win the 2018-19 NBA Finals.

7. Los Angeles Clippers: Danilo Gallinari (Olimpia Milano, F)

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Original Draft Spot: No. 6, New York Knicks

Career Stats: 14.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 38.1 3P%, 1.7 BPM

Danilo Gallinari falling one spot has more to do with the strength of the players ahead of him than it does any of his own shortcomings.

He was one of the league's early "moneyball" players. And, had injuries not taken their toll, he could well have made All-Star teams.

Gallinari was an effective off-ball finisher alongside playmakers like Ty Lawson, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, but his ability to create efficient offense for himself made him such a valuable frontcourt commodity.

8. Milwaukee Bucks: Nicolas Batum (Le Mans, F)

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Original Draft Spot: No. 25, Portland Trail Blazers

Career Stats: 9.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 threes, 0.9 steals, 0.6 blocks, 37.1 3P%, 1.4 BPM

He never put up huge numbers or really threatened to make an All-Star team, but Nicolas Batum has spent his entire career as a steady-handed, long and versatile forward.

He hit threes, defended multiple positions and even created a bit for himself and others. And his ability to check so many boxes (even if he didn't check them all thoroughly) made him one of the league's best gap-fillers for almost two decades.

9. Charlotte Bobcats: Goran Dragić (Olimpija, G)

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Original Draft Spot: No. 45, Phoenix Suns

Career Stats: 13.3 points, 4.7 assists, 1.2 threes, 36.2 3P%, 0.5 BPM

Career Accolades: 2013-14 All-NBA, 1x All-Star

His career-long numbers were affected by spending a few years as Steve Nash's backup and then playing well into his 30s, but Goran Dragić peaked as one of the more dynamic offensive guards in the league.

From 2012-13 through 2019-20, Dragić averaged 16.8 points and 5.6 assists. And at the end of that stretch, he was a key contributor to the Miami Heat making a surprise run to the 2020 Finals.

10. New Jersey Nets: George Hill (IU Indianapolis, G)

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Original Draft Spot: No. 26, San Antonio Spurs

Career Stats: 10.4 points, 3.1 assists, 1.2 threes, 38.0 3P%, 1.1 BPM

The "point guard who can play with a ball-dominant wing" archetype was made famous by the likes of Ron Harper (with Michael Jordan) and Derek Fisher (with Kobe Bryant), but it's become even more important in today's NBA.

And George Hill is maybe the best example of this type of player that the 2008 draft class has to offer.

Hill had a couple seasons over 16 points per game, but he was mostly a steady and willing floor spacer, defender and floor general, rather than a volume scorer or assist man.

And if you had one of those ball-dominant wings, he was exactly the kind of guard you'd want alongside him.

11. Portland Trail Blazers: Ryan Anderson (California, F)

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Original Draft Spot: No. 21, New Jersey Nets

Career Stats: 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.0 threes, 38.0 3P%, 1.0 BPM

Ryan Anderson didn't push the envelope quite as much as Dirk Nowitzki or Kevin Garnett, but he was absolutely part of the NBA's skilled bigs revolution.

In 2011-12, the 6'9" forward led the league in total three-pointers made and attempted. From the start of that season through the end of 2015-16, he averaged 16.1 points and 2.4 threes per game while shooting 37.6 percent from deep.

12. Sacramento Kings: Eric Gordon (Indiana, G)

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Original Draft Spot: No. 7, Los Angeles Clippers

Career Stats: 15.2 points, 2.7 assists, 2.2 threes, 37.3 3P%, -0.8 BPM

Career Accolades: 2016-17 Sixth Man of the Year

Eric Gordon was a little undersized as a 2 and not enough of a playmaker to be an offensive engine. And though he had his moments as a stout, fire hydrant-like perimeter defender, he was rarely a lockdown guy.

But what Gordon did consistently, for almost 20 years, was take and make tons of threes. And he was among the pioneers of the long three-ball.

Stathead's shot finder tracks back to the start of the 1996-97 season, and in that stretch, Gordon is sixth among all players in career 28-footers (behind only Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, Trae Young, Luka Dončić and Jordan Poole).

13. Indiana Pacers: Roy Hibbert (Georgetown, C)

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Original Draft Spot: No. 17, Indiana Pacers

Career Stats: 10.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, -1.1 BPM

Career Accolades: 2x All-Star, 2013-14 All-Defense

The King of Verticality, Roy Hibbert, was one of the most dominant rim protectors in the league for a few years in the 2010s.

From 2011-12 through 2013-14, he averaged 11.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.

But, unlike some of the other bigs above, Hibbert's offense never really came along, and he was out of the league by his age-30 campaign.

14. Golden State Warriors: JaVale McGee (Nevada, C)

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Original Draft Spot: No. 18, Washington Wizards

Career Stats: 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 0.0 BPM

Career Accolades: 3x NBA Champ

Toward the end of their Gilbert Arenas era, the Washington Wizards were about as much a joke as they were a basketball team. And JaVale McGee, who was a fixture on Shaqtin a Fool early in his career, undoubtedly got swept up in that.

But in spite of organizational dysfunction during those formative years, McGee developed into a dynamic shot-blocker and rim-runner who was a meaningful contributor to three different championship teams.

Picks 15-30

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The remaining selections are listed in redraft order, using the original 2008 first-round pick slots.

15. Phoenix Suns: D.J. Augustin

A steady-handed floor general who averaged 9.5 points and shot 38.1 percent from deep for his career, D.J. Augustin made it 14 years in the NBA as a sub-six-footer.

16. Philadelphia 76ers: Courtney Lee

He was a little undersized as a wing, but Courtney Lee lasted over a decade in the NBA by magnifying his role and shooting 38.8 percent from deep for his career.

17. Toronto Raptors: Mario Chalmers

Mario Chalmers is another one of those reliable "point guards in name only" who would willingly give the ball up to the star wing or forward and still be dangerous as a catch-and-shoot option.

18. Washington Wizards: O.J. Mayo

One of the biggest raw talents of this draft class, O.J. Mayo averaged 18.0 points in his first two seasons, but his defense and playmaking never came along and he was dismissed from the NBA in 2016 after violating the league's anti-drug program.

19. Cleveland Cavaliers: Michael Beasley

Another freakishly talented player, Michael Beasley had games, weeks and even months when he looked like a truly unstoppable offensive force, but he never developed the intangibles that lead to NBA stardom.

20. Charlotte Bobcats: Nikola Peković

A mountain of a post presence, Nikola Peković only played six seasons in the NBA, but he had a four-year peak in which he averaged 15.4 points and 8.2 rebounds.

21. New Jersey Nets: Robin Lopez

Though he never developed the skill that made his brother a champion and one of the best players in this class, Robin Lopez was a reliable defender and rebounder for 16 years.

22. Orlando Magic: Brandon Rush

He never really fleshed out the rest of his game, but Brandon Rush lasted nearly a decade in the league by shooting 40.2 percent from deep.

23. Utah Jazz: Luc Mbah a Moute

The shooting component of the three-and-D equation never really came along, but Luc Mbah a Moute's size and versatility on defense helped him last 12 years in the NBA.

24. Seattle SuperSonics: Marreese Speights

Marreese Speights had a lower career box plus/minus than each of the three bigs who'll follow, but he gets extra credit for developing a three-point shot late in his career and being a meaningful contributor to the 2014-15 champion Golden State Warriors.

25. Houston Rockets: Kosta Koufos

A solid big man who defended and rebounded without demanding a ton of post touches, Kosta Koufos averaged 13.2 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per 75 possessions for his career.

26. San Antonio Spurs: J.J. Hickson

He wasn't as steady a defender as Koufos, but J.J. Hickson was the more confident and productive (on a per-game basis) big man, and he had three seasons with a double-digit scoring average.

27. New Orleans Hornets: Ömer Aşık

There wasn't a ton else to his game, but Ömer Aşık was a legitimately dominant rebounder who averaged 10.1 points and 11.7 boards in 2012-13.

28. Memphis Grizzlies: Jerryd Bayless

Summer League legend Jerryd Bayless never quite caught the same kind of fire during NBA regular seasons, but 8.4 points and a 36.1 three-point percentage over 11 years is a solid NBA career.

29. Detroit Pistons: Anthony Randolph

Anthony Randolph was out of the NBA before he was 25, but his success overseas suggests some other team might've done a better job of uncovering and developing his potential as a three-point shooter and shot-blocker.

30. Boston Celtics: Darrell Arthur

A decent jump shooter and defender, Darrell Arthur averaged 14.1 points, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per 75 possessions.