NBA Draft: Re-Drafting the 1996 Lottery

The 1996 NBA draft is most infamously remembered for Kobe Bryant being traded for Vlade Divac.

However, there was much more talent in this class beyond Bryant, but there were also some monumental flops within the top ten selections.

Looking retrospectively, it's blatantly obvious that some of the clubs would like a do-over.

How would this class unfold if the 14 teams got to do exactly that?

14. Sacramento Kings: Samaki Walker

Original Pick: No. 9, Dallas

Walker never quite lived up to his billing as a Top 10 selection, but that doesn't mitigate what he was able to do throughout his career.

Despite bouncing around the league, Walker established himself as a solid but unspectacular role player, and that's more than many lottery selections can say.

He never garnered a large role and failed to average more than 25 minutes of court time, but there's a reason he was in the league for a decade.

13. Charlotte Hornets (Traded to Los Angeles): Derek Fisher

Original Pick: No. 24, Los Angeles

It's coincidental that the re-draft has Fisher going to Los Angeles just 11 picks earlier than he was actually taken, but his longevity just can't be ignored.

No, he's not a superstar, and no, he was never a huge contributor on the stat sheet, but the intangibles that he has brought to the Los Angels backcourt alongside Kobe Bryant are clear.

It was weird to see him in a different uniform when he wasn't playing for the Lakers, and it's rather fitting that he still winds up with the team here.

12. Cleveland Cavaliers: Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Original Selection: No. 20, Cleveland

Just like with Fisher, Ilgauskas winds up where he belongs—in Cleveland.

Despite joining Miami last season prior to retiring this offseason, Ilgauskas' heart was always with his former team, and he's one of the most revered players in the franchise's fanbase.

He averaged double-digit scoring for every season he was in Cleveland except for his final one, and it's awfully tough to find someone 7'3" with a jumper as sweet as his.

11. Golden State Warriors: Kerry Kittles

Original Selection: No. 8, New Jersey

The Kittles era in New Jersey was a fun one to watch, and it's a shame that his career concluded after just eight seasons.

Averaging 16.4 points per game during his rookie season, Kittles provided an instant injection of offense into the attack, and that's definitely something that any team could have used.

He was taken a smidgen too early considering how his playing days panned out, but off by just three spots, this one was almost right on the money.

10. Indiana Pacers: Peja Stojakovic

Original Selection: No. 14, Sacramento

The Pacers would've loved to have Stojakovic in his prime, as when he was playing early on for the Kings, he was lighting it up from a variety of spots all over the hardwood.

Although he struggled to acclimate during his rookie season, he showed marked improvement by his second season before absolutely exploding in his third year.

Stojakovic had five straight seasons for the Kings where he averaged approximately 20 points (only one season where he failed to reach 20), and there's no doubt the Pacers would've welcomed that production with open arms.

9. Dallas Mavericks: Jermaine O'Neal

Original Selection: No. 17, Portland

O'Neal really struggled when he joined Portland during his first four seasons in the league, but he found his groove in Indiana and turned into a star for the Pacers.

The big man enjoyed three straight seasons where he averaged double-digit marks in both scoring and rebounding, and he also had four consecutive years averaging better than 20 points per game.

He could've done big things for Dallas, but judging by how sluggishly his career began for the Blazers, it might not have ever even mattered.

8. New Jersey Nets: Antoine Walker

Original Selection: No. 6, Boston

It's not a far fall for Walker as he slides just two spots back, but this is truly a tale of what could have been for a guy who was embraced by Boston.

Currently attempting to show that he still has a love for the game, Walker was waived by the Idaho Stampede, his NBDL team, citing "personal reasons" as why the club made the move.

However, Walker did say that he'd be back with Idaho in December.

Putting aside his recent struggles, Walker could have been a force for the Nets as he came into the league with a bang right off the bat.

7. Los Angeles Clippers: Shareef Abdur-Rahim

Original Selection: No. 3, Vancouver

Would the Clippers have solved the team's woes at the small forward position had they the opportunity to nab Abdur-Rahim off the board?

Maybe, maybe not, but it's an awfully tantalizing thought to entertain. After averaging just shy of 19 points per game during his rookie season, Abdur-Rahim rattled off five straight seasons of better than 20 per contest, and even managed to average at least nine rebounds in three of those seasons.

One of the more under-appreciated players in league history, Abdur-Rahim's star could've shined brightly underneath the Hollywood lights.

6. Boston Celtics: Marcus Camby

Original Selection: No. 2, Toronto

Despite Camby looking pretty sweet in that old-school Raptors jersey, there's no doubt that he was picked just a tad too high coming out of UMass.

This is a story of "you can't teach size," and Camby had plenty of that when he threw his name into the draft hat as a junior.

He's enjoyed a lengthy and successful NBA career, but there are others who deserved to go ahead of him both now and then, and he would've done the Celtics well had the team wound up with him on the roster.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves (Traded to Milwaukee): Stephon Marbury

Original Selection: No. 4, Milwaukee (traded to Minnesota)

In this scenario, Marbury would have been picked by the team that wound up with him, only to be shipped to Milwaukee instead of winding up with the T-Wolves.

He certainly would have been an interesting fit in a market like Milwaukee, and even though his NBA tenure ended on a rocky note, there's no getting around his productivity in the league when he was stateside.

Everybody wanted him on their team when he was at his peak, and that doesn't change here just because we know how the Marbury saga played out at its end.

4. Milwaukee Bucks (Traded to Minnesota): Steve Nash

Original Selection: No. 15, Phoenix

Imagine a pairing of Steve Nash and Kevin Garnett on the same roster. Now imagine what you know about those two in the pick-and-roll game and enjoy the sight in your mind.

It's incredible to speculate about what Nash and Garnett could've done together during their younger days together for the T-Wolves.

Although it took him a while to find his groove, Nash eventually found it and has really taken his game to an entirely different echelon than anyone could have predicted.

3. Vancouver (Memphis) Grizzlies: Ray Allen

Original Selection: No. 5, Minnesota (traded to Milwaukee)

He's the all-time leader in three-pointers made, and that is the crowning achievement of his Hall of Fame career.

Allen has been a force ever since he entered the league with Milwaukee, and he even has a string of nine straight seasons of at least 20 points per game on his resume.

The veteran has demonstrated the ability to lead by example throughout his playing days, and he would've been an excellent addition to any locker room when he was selected out of UConn.

2. Toronto Raptors: Allen Iverson

Original Selection: No. 1, Philadelphia

He might have been the answer for Philadelphia, but this team was answering the wrong question.

Iverson was absolutely electric upon entering the Sixers lineup, and although he produced at a remarkable level for the team for about a decade, there was one player that would've been the better long-term bet for this roster.

People don't talk about Iverson's accomplishments in this league enough because the recent drama in his career has really detracted from his standing as a player.

However, it shouldn't belittle what he's already been able to accomplish.

1. Philadelphia 76ers: Kobe Bryant

Original Selection: No. 13, Charlotte (traded to Los Angeles)

It's tough to judge how a high school player might translate to the professional level, but Bryant slipping out of the top 10 and ultimately getting traded for Vlade Divac remains utterly incredible.

The franchise face of the Lakers, Bryant is a five-time champion, a 13-time All-Star, has made the All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team nine times each, and prior to getting drafted, he was named the Naismith Prep Player of the Year.

He went to high school at Lower Merion, was born in Philadelphia and would've been a natural fit for a Sixers team that was looking to find a star.

Bryant's took a little time to develop, and that was more than the Sixers had to offer.