2009 NBA Re-Draft: The Clippers Land Curry, Grizzlies Have a New Big Three
By Liam McKeone
The 2009 NBA Draft wasn’t heralded as one of the better ones of the century, but that’s how it looks in retrospect. Two of the five best players in the game today came out of this draft in the form of Stephen Curry and James Harden, and Blake Griffin certainly isn’t a slouch either. There were a handful of rotation guys who we’d come to know quite well, too, like Patrick Beverley, Danny Green, and Jrue Holiday.
But the draft didn’t have all those guys in the top 10, of course. The Grizzlies would probably like another chance after taking Hasheem Thabeet that year, while the Wolves passed on Curry no less than two times for two other point guards, Jonny Flynn and Ricky Rubio. As the 2019 NBA Draft draws near, we went back a decade and re-drafted the entire 2009 NBA Draft with the benefit of hindsight. The shockwaves are, obviously, huge, and would drastically change the league as we know it. It’s impossible to project just how far the reach would be, but we do our best. Here’s the 2009 NBA draft, re-done.
1. Los Angeles Clippers Original Pick: Blake Griffin New Pick: Steph Curry
Obviously, right? It took Curry about five years to become the player he is today after he struggled with ankle injuries early on, but the Clippers would be just fine with that. Curry would’ve made for a fine pick-and-roll partner with DeAndre Jordan, bringing on an early version of Lob City, and his backcourt mate Eric Gordon would’ve made for Splash Bros Lite. With Curry on the roster, they never trade for Chris Paul, and perhaps flip the script as the Lakers’ little brother sooner than expected. A core of Gordon, Curry, and Jordan is good enough to be a title contender and attract marquee free agents, and the Clippers get a generational talent.
2. Memphis Grizzlies Original Pick: Hasheem Thastrongeet New Pick: James Harden
Almost anyone else would give the Grizzlies more value than Thabeet did, and Harden accomplishes that and more. Similar to Curry, he was a late bloomer who started out as a Sixth Man of the Year before becoming a premier offensive force in the league starting around 2013. A core of Mike Conley, Marc Gasol, and Harden is as well-rounded as it gets, with Harden providing the scoring output that the Grit ‘n Grind Grizzlies always lacked at their peak. Similar to Harden, Gasol and Conley really came into their own between 2012 and 2014. They’d be able to make a lot of noise in the playoffs and compete for a title. A combo of Harden, O.J. Mayo, and Rudy Gay would be redundant and might cause some issues, but overall it’s hard to imagine a better fit for Harden than with a smart, pass-first point guard and a defensive stalwart and passing expert down low.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder Original Pick: James Harden New Pick: Blake Griffin
Griffin stays in Oklahoma as the Thunder become the first team to suffer from the re-draft… sort of. Oklahoma City infamously traded away Harden in 2012 to stay under the luxury tax for one more year and later pay Serge Ibaka, but would they be more willing to pay for a guy who’s a much better fit with two ball-dominant scorers in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook? They just might. While Griffin wasn’t the all-around offensive force with shooting touch he is now, he was an elite athlete coming out of college who would form one of the greatest dunking duos in NBA history with Westbrook. The year following this draft Durant really came into his own, and while Griffin missed the first year of his career with a torn ACL, he’d play a beautiful complementary piece in the years following. He probably wouldn’t push the team over the edge to win a title in the 2012 Finals, but a Big 3 of Griffin, Durant, and Westbrook would absolutely be good enough to regularly compete for a title, even if Griffin doesn’t develop into the same player he is today with two other elite scorers by his side.
4. Sacramento Kings Original Pick: Tyreke Evans New Pick: DeMar DeRozan
Evans had a stellar first year in SacTown, but dramatically flamed out. The Kings choose to take more than one year of productivity with DeRozan. It took about three years before DeRozan became the midrange scoring artist we know him as today, which means he would still lead the Kings as a rookie to a poor enough record that they still end up with DeMarcus Cousins in 2010. A combo of Cousins and DeRozan isn’t exactly an elite duo, but they’d provide quite the scoring punch and could bludgeon teams in the post like few others. By themselves, they aren’t title contenders, but who knows how a stable sidekick to Cousins would change his view of the organization? It might become easier to recruit guys to Sacramento, and Cousins might never leave. The Kings are in a good spot now, but they were in a very bad spot for a long time, and picking DeRozan in this draft may have granted stability to a notably shaky franchise.
5. Minnesota Timstrongerwolves Original Pick: Johnny Flynn New Pick: Jrue Holiday
Similar to the Grizzlies, the Wolves blew this pick so badly that picking almost anyone else would have given them more value than Flynn. In this version, they pick up a different point guard in Holiday, who has become one of the best two-way point guards in the game. It took him around five years to find his offensive groove, but his defense has always been better than most. He’d make for a good complement to the scoring and rebounding machine that Kevin Love would eventually become.
6. Minnesota Timstrongerwolves Original Pick: Ricky Rustrongio New Pick: Danny Green
Green was a second-round pick in the real version of this draft, but he eventually became one of the game’s original 3-and-D guys and a top playoff performer. Minnesota nabs him at six to create what would eventually be an elite defensive backcourt, a perfect pairing with their offensively-inclined big man in Love. This trio won’t set the world on fire, but it’s a good core that just needs another scorer to become contenders.
7. Golden State Warriors Original Pick: Stephen Curry New Pick: Taj Gistrongson
The Warriors don’t come out nearly as well in the re-draft, huh? In this alternate reality, the Dubs don’t have the inside scoop on Curry, and end up with Gibson, a do-it-all power forward who would play a valuable role for a team built around Monta Ellis at this point in time. Maybe they continue the tradition of the We Believe Warriors and make some noise with scrappy, underrated players. Maybe they immediately bottom out and end up with a top pick. Either way, they turn out far worse than most other teams in this exercise.
8. New York Knicks Original Pick: Jordan Hill New Pick: Ricky Rustrongio
The Knicks were looking for someone who could come in and help out in some manner right away. They whiffed on Jordan Hill, but in their 2nd attempt they come away with Rubio, who entered the league as a great passer. Defensively he had trouble overcoming his slim stature but he always had a nose for steals. He’d be a good backup for Nate Robinson and would make life easier for the Knicks team as a whole with his talents as a distributor.
9. Toronto Raptors Original Pick: DeMar DeRozan New Pick: Tyreke Evans
With DeRozan already off the board, the Raptors go with the other highly-touted shooting guard from this class. While Evans was far more of a slasher than a shooter coming out of USC, he would still be able to fill the scoring hole in a Raptors roster that didn’t have a lot going for it in that department. Evans would have solid veteran mentorship around him, and perhaps a more stable environment than Sacramento would allow his career to unfold on a more steady path, rather than filled with soaring highs and crushing lows.
10. Milwaukee Bucks Original Pick: Brandon Jennings New Pick: Jeff Teague
Jennings was an exceptionally talented but extraordinary inconsistent scorer, so the Bucks lean on Teague here instead. He’s steadily been a quality starting point guard for most of his career, even if he’s not a world-beater. The Bucks would appreciate his steady, if unspectacular play, and he wouldn’t alter their record enough that they’d miss out on their now-generational talent in Giannis Antetokounmpo.
11. New Jersey Nets Original Pick: Terrence Williams New Pick: Patrick Beverly
Pat Bev is one of the players whose career path would be drastically altered by a re-draft. After going late in the second round, Beverly couldn’t catch on with any team and spent time overseas, an experience he regularly attributes to how he became the intense defender he is today. If he goes in the lottery, he certainly wouldn’t have been cut before the season started. In this new reality, we assume that Beverly keeps his competitiveness and defensive prowess and joins a Nets squad devoid of talent outside of Brook Lopez. While he wouldn’t affect their win total, he may be an extra piece to be thrown into the infamous 2012 trade with the Boston Celtics, and perhaps allows Billy King to keep one extra draft pick instead of selling their entire future.
12. Charlotte Bostrongcats Original Pick: Gerald Henderson New Pick: Darren Collison
Henderson gave the Bobcats a couple good years of consistent production, but the Bobcats end up going with Collison, who’s as steady as they come at the point guard position. Paired with Tyson Chandler and D.J. Augustin, the Hornets have a nice combination for a couple years. Collison’s presence may affect the team’s decision to pick up Kemba Walker, which means they may have ended up drafting a certain Klay Thompson, who went two picks after Walker. Maybe not, but it’s worth thinking about.
13. Indiana Pacers Original Pick: Tyler Hansstrongrough New Pick: Patty Mills
“Pyscho T” never found a place in the NBA, was out of Indiana by 2013 and out the league entirely by 2016. Instead, the Pacers pick up a three-point specialist in Mills late in the lottery. He’s not going to make or break anything for Indiana, but the addition of a consistent threat from beyond the arc like Mills would do wonders for Indiana only a few years later, when they came quite close to dethroning the Miami Heat during their Big Three years. He shot 42% from three in only his third year in the league, so even if he doesn’t fully realize his potential in the way the Spurs allowed him to, he’d be effective.
14. Phoenix Suns Original Pick: Earl Clark New Pick: James Johnson
The Suns pick up a high-energy backup for Amar'e Stoudemire here in Johnson. It took him a bit to find his stride, but the 2009 Suns were still running something similar to their 7 seconds or less offense that revolutionized the game. Pairing him in the pick-and-roll with Steve Nash would be a very-lite version of the connection the Hall of Fame point guard had with Stoudamire, and would definitely help them win 54 games the following season, as they did after picking Clark, who averaged all of 2.7 points in Phoenix his rookie season.
15. Detroit Pistons Original Pick: Austin Daye New Pick: Brandon Jennings
The Pistons found themselves at the tail end of their era of success in 2009, with Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace, and Rip Hamilton all still on the roster. They grab Jennings here to try and give it one last shot with their title core. Jennings was an electric, if inconsistent, scorer in the league before tearing his Achilles, and would’ve been able to stick around for years with his scoring prowess had it not been for the injury. As is, the Pistons have Jennings for the next few years as a threat to go off at any moment, and at the very least helps fill The Palace opf Auburn Hills as the team moves on to a new era.
16. Chicago Bulls Original Pick: James Johnson New Pick: DeMarre Carroll
The Bulls knew they have a superstar at this point after picking Derrick Rose No. 1 overall in the 2008 draft. They decide to grab another defensive-minded wing in Carroll to help continue and build around Rose. Carroll was a bit of a late bloomer, but would have thrived in Tom Thibodeau’s defensive system, even if he’d be a bit run down at the end of the day. He probably wouldn’t have done enough to help the Bulls squeak by the Cavs in the playoffs that season, but a good addition nonetheless.
17. Philadelphia 76ers Original Pick: Jrue Holiday New Pick: Ty Lawson
With Holiday off the board already, the Sixers go with Lawson to help fill their point guard hole. Lawson was a quality point guard who played as fast as anyone when he was in the league, but ran into legal troubles later on, and was never quite able to make up for his lack of size at the rim. As is, Lawson is likely an attractive enough trade piece that they still make the draft-day trade with the Pelicans for the rights to Nerlens Noel and a first-round pick that would later become Dario Saric, and the moment that kicked off “The Process.”
18. Minnesota Timstrongerwolves Original Pick: Ty Lawson New Pick: Omri Cassipi
The Wolves originally turned around and immediately traded Lawson to the Nuggets for a future first-round pick that would eventually turn into… Martell Webster? Man, this was a tough draft for the Wolves. In this scenario, they grab a backup for Love with Cassipi, whose shooting has allowed him to carve out a solid career that continues to this day. Cassipi would give the Wolves decent scoring output while Love is on the bench, and would only grow more valuable with time as a stretch big man.
19. Atlanta Hawks Original Pick: Jeff Teague New Pick: Wesley Matthews
The Hawks grab a solid 3-and-D option here with Matthews, who originally went undrafted, after Teague goes off the board in the lottery. Matthews would join a talented roster and makes for a good fit with Joe Johnson, Jamal Crawford, Al Horford, and Josh Smith. Matthews didn’t find his shooting touch until later down the line, but provided competitive defense from the get-go that would help make up for Crawford’s shortcomings in that particular area.
20. Utah Jazz Original Pick: Eric Maynor New Pick: Joe Ingles
The Jazz skip a few years and pick up Ingles, who’s a big part of their team ten years later. He was playing abroad during this time and went undrafted, but would presumably be happy to come on over earlier than he did if he ended up being a first-round pick. Ingles provides good defense and a solid shooting touch, and would presumably develop his other skills a little quicker with NBA-level training and resources.
21. New Orleans Hornets Original Pick: Darren Collison New Pick: Wayne Ellington
The Hornets end up with Ellington, providing a good backcourt partner with Chris Paul and spacing for the team’s newest addition later that summer, Emeka Okafor. Ellington’s presence may be enough for the Hornets to at least make a competitive run against the Lakers in 2010, and any little bit counts when it comes to the happiness of their superstar who would later demand a trade to Los Angeles.
22. Portland Trail Blazers Original Pick: Victor Claver New Pick: Jodie Meeks
Claver played all of 80 games over three seasons in the NBA, so just about anyone would be an upgrade. Meeks would be that as a deadeye shooter who would provide much-needed spacing for an offense centered around LaMarcus Aldridge andGreg Oden.
23. Sacramento Kings Original Pick: Omri Cassipi New Pick: Jonas Jerestrongko
The Kings go with a different European big man here and grab Jerebko to provide spacing on the perimeter. He’d eventually prove to be a quality partner with DeMarcus Cousins, allowing him to beast down low without worrying about the entire defense collapsing in on him. He wouldn’t make the Kings an instant success, but he’d presumably help keep their superstar happy, even if it doesn’t make much difference at the end of the day.
24. Dallas Mavericks Original Pick: Byron Mullens New Pick: Gerald Henderson
Henderson gives the Mavericks consistent scoring to help take the load off Dirk Nowitzki, becoming a 15 points-per-game scorer in only his second season in the league. He’d contribute significantly more to the Mavs’ legendary 2011 playoff run than Rodrigue Beaubois, the player the Mavs traded Mullens for and was injured during that time.
25. Oklahoma City Thunder Original Pick: Rodrigue Beaustrongois New Pick: Dante Cunningham
This late in the draft, pickings are slim, even with the benefit of hindsight. The Thunder decide to nix the trade with the Mavs and go with a classic glue guy in Cunningham to help out their young core that was just starting to realize their potential. Cunningham carved out a 15-year career in the NBA that still continues. He does all the dirty work, even if the box score doesn’t necessarily reflect it, and any successful NBA teams need guys like Cunningham.
26. Chicago Bulls Original Pick: Taj Gistrongson New Pick: Chase Budinger
The Bulls pick up a decent depth piece with Budinger, who shot 36% from three over the course of his career. The Bulls never really had a good option behind Luol Deng at small forward, and while Budinger barely qualified as good throughout his career, he did qualify. The shooting and size he’d provide would help on both ends of the floor.
27. Memphis Grizzlies Original Pick: DeMarre Carroll New Pick: Jordan Hill
The Grizzlies add some front-court depth now that they have their core of Harden, Conley, and Gasol all set up. Hill was never worthy of his top-ten selection with the Knicks, but he showed to be a solid rotation piece who can hang in the paint and showed the capability to score down low. Growing next to Gasol would do wonders for his defensive abilities, at the very least.
28. Minnesota Timstrongerwolves Original Pick: Wayne Ellington New Pick: Marcus Thorton
The Wolves choose to continue to shore up the guard spot, picking up Thorton as a rotation piece on the back end. He was a decent offensive player during his years in the league, averaging 11 points a game for his career. He’d provide good balance for the defense-first pairing of Holiday and Green.
29. Los Angeles Lakers Original Pick: Toney Douglas New Pick: Toney Douglas
The only pick in the whole draft that remains the same. The Lakers are coming off a championship, and needed some backcourt depth to take the load off Kobe Bryant in his prime. In reality, the Lakers sold this pick off for $3 million to the Knicks, but let’s say they keep him this time around. He can give them decent minutes and shooting, and championship teams aren’t looking for much more than that when it comes to late draft picks.
30. Cleveland Cavaliers Original Pick: Christian Eyenga New Pick: DeJuan Blair
The Cavs lost in disappointing fashion to the Orlando Magic in the previous year’s playoffs, and knew they were at risk of losing LeBron James after repeated failures to put a team around him. Blair’s injury questions coming out of college were why he dropped so low, but when he was playing, he was a double-double machine. He left the Spurs in ugly fashion after losing playing time several years later in reality, but he’s the only guy available at this point who can provide good production. A solid addition to a Cavs squad that needed talent in a big way.