Redrafting the Raptors and Nets from the 2015 NBA Draft

Delon Wright (left) was selected 20th and Norman Powell (right) 46th in the 2015 NBA draft. (Frank Gunn/CP)

Looking back, the 2015 NBA draft probably should have marked the beginning of a new approach.

The Golden State Warriors winning the 2015 NBA championship marked the culmination of a climate change Mike D’Antoni and Steve Nash once tried to initiate with their Phoenix Suns. The Splash Brothers made it rain to prove jumpshots can win championships, while players who were once too small and too big — tweeners — were deemed invaluable for their positionless-ness.

As of Dec. 15 (yes, trade season is upon us), the Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets combine to hold the rights to four players who were drafted in 2015. D’Angelo Russell was drafted second, Jahlil Okafor third, Delon Wright 20th, and Norman Powell 46th. The Nets also drafted Chris McCollough with the 29th pick that year, but traded him before last season’s trade deadline in a deal for a 2017 first-round pick (Jarrett Allen).

Knowing what we know now, it can be said with some certainty that Powell would have had his name announced by Adam Silver instead of Mark Tatum in the second round. Okafor has become a victim of both The Process and the league’s transition away from traditional bigs, while Russell’s time under the bright lights of Los Angeles came to a tumultuous end.

So, where would they end up with the 20/20 vision of hindsight?

For the purpose of this thought experiment, I’ve tried to weigh both sides of the coin instead of just ranking the players now and have them assigned to the teams in that order. I’ve taken into account what the team needs were at the time as well. Also, bad teams make bad decisions.

  1. Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves)
  2. Kristaps Porzingis (Los Angeles Lakers) [D’Angelo Russell]
  3. Myles Turner (Philadelphia 76ers) [Jahlil Okafor]

Karl-Anthony Towns and Kristaps Porzingis look the cream of the crop at present, so Porzingis is a Laker (start the madness). While it’s conceivable that Russell would have been a good option for the Philadelphia 76ers considering their need for a point guard then, one of the reasons they drafted Okafor was the uncertainty over Joel Embiid’s health. Myles Turner is the best big available for the Sixers.

  1. Jahlil Okafor (New York Knicks) [Kristaps Porzingis]

The Knicks are gonna Knick.

Okafor drops one spot to the Knicks and is the “sure thing” Phil Jackson was hoping for. The former Bulls and Lakers coach claimed he would have picked Okafor over Porzingis if he had the chance, and so the Knicks mess this one up and continue their sorry ways without The Unicorn.

More importantly, do we still get this reaction for Okafor?

Present status: Okafor has a lot of work to do to earn his lottery-pick status, but a much needed change of scenery and a relative lack of competition at the center position could be half the battle. He has yet to feature for the Nets heading into Friday’s game against the Raptors, but it’s only a matter of time until the Russell-Okafor era begins.

  1. Devin Booker (Orlando Magic) [Mario Hezonja]
  2. Willie Cauley-Stein (Sacramento Kings)
  1. D’Angelo Russell (Denver Nuggets) [Emmanuel Mudiay]

The Nuggets need a point guard, and ideally someone that is more of a scorer and doesn’t necessarily need the ball in his hands. Emmanuel Mudiay hasn’t lived up to the hype and looks like a bad fit. They wouldn’t have had Canadian Jamal Murray at this point either.

Besides his off-court antics, Russell has struggled with turnovers and it’s easy to envision how he could benefit from not only the creativity of Nikola Jokic, but the off-ball threat of Gary Harris.

Russell is recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee after an excellent start to his Nets career. He was averaging 20.9 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.9 rebounds before the injury, and although Brooklyn expects him back at some point this season, it has yet to set a timetable for him to do so.

  1. Kelly Oubre Jr. (Detroit Pistons) [Stanley Johnson]
  2. Frank Kaminsky (Charlotte Hornets)
  3. Justise Winslow (Miami Heat)
  4. Stanley Johnson (Indiana Pacers) [Myles Turner]
  5. Trey Lyles (Utah Jazz)
  6. Mario Hezonja (Phoenix Suns) [Devin Booker]
  7. Josh Richardson (Oklahoma City Thunder) [Cameron Payne]
  8. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Atlanta Hawks) [Kelly Oubre Jr.]
  9. Terry Rozier (Boston Celtics)
  1. Norman Powell (Milwaukee Bucks) [Rashad Vaughn]

Milwaukee gets another player with an intimidating wingspan (six-foot-eleven), knows better than to trade him this time around, and adds a solid core piece to the Greek Freak era. While Powell was drafted 46th overall by the Bucks in reality, Milwaukee also gave up a 2017 first-rounder (now OG Anunoby) in exchange for Greivis Vasquez. Ouch.

Powell has regressed a bit this season, having started the 2017-18 season slowly after earning the starting small forward job. He had looked more comfortable coming off the bench after returning from a hip pointer injury, but is struggling once again with just 17 points total over his past five games.

  1. Bobby Portis (Houston Rockets) [Sam Dekker]
  2. Emmanuel Mudiay (Washington Wizards) [Jerian Grant]
  1. Delon Wright (Toronto Raptors)

At least the Raptors get one of their guys. Wright’s time with the Utah Utes had impressed Toronto’s front office aplenty, but when the opportunity to sign Cory Joseph presented itself, it was too good for Masai Ujiri to resist.

Serving as a third-string point guard for two seasons and dislocating his shoulder in July 2016 at Summer League has stunted Wright’s development some. At age 25, he’s now looking to make up for lost time. His ability to defend multiple positions at six-foot-five would make him an asset to any team in the league.

Wright suffered a second shoulder injury on Nov. 15 against the New Orleans Pelicans, but could make his return on Dec. 17 against the Sacramento Kings. He has played well this season and been one of the primary reasons the Raptors bench has been among the best in the NBA, but needs to become a better outside shooter to take the next step.

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