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The 2018 NBA Draft is proof that talent can be found all over the board each June, with an MVP landing outside the top 10 and a star who led his team to the NBA Finals falling outside the first round entirely.
Not every draft is as loaded with talent as the 2018 class, however. After eight seasons, the class has two MVPs, a Defensive Player of the Year award and plenty of key players who have impacted winning even if not emerging as bona fide stars.
After Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a title in 2025, New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson is hoping to add another trophy to the 2018 draft class's record.
The Sporting News redrafted the 2018 NBA Draft, from Luka Doncic to Collin Sexton. Here's a look at how the board would have changed with the benefit of hindsight.
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1. Luka Doncic, Suns
- Original pick: Deandre Ayton
- Doncic's original draft position: 3rd (traded to Mavericks)
It's tough to pick a player without an MVP over a player with two MVPs and a championship, but Doncic's unreal offensive game makes him the most tantalizing player in this draft class when surrounded by the right players.
While conditioning issues aren't something to totally ignore, a Suns team that had just hired a coach with a European background in Igor Kokoskov would have been an ideal destination for Doncic in hindsight. How it all would have worked with Devin Booker is something Phoenix gladly would take the time to sort out, in hindsight.
Best players still available: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson, Trae Young, Jaren Jackson Jr., Mikal Bridges
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kings
- Original pick: Marvin Bagley III
- Gilgeous-Alexander's original draft position: 11th (traded to Clippers)
The Kings got the short end of the stick in 2018 by drafting Marvin Bagley III, who didn't even show a real glimpse of promise like Deandre Ayton did ahead of him. While Sacramento had just drafted De'Aaron Fox a year earlier, the benefit of hindsight tells us taking a two-time MVP and simply figuring it out along the way is the only move that makes sense here.
Gilgeous-Alexander has his critics, but he has averaged more than 30 points per game in four consecutive seasons, showcasing some of the best consistency of any NBA star and proving he can do it in the playoffs by leading the Thunder to a championship in 2018. "SGA" is a franchise-changing player, and the Kings needed one in this scenario.
Best players still available: Jalen Brunson, Trae Young, Jaren Jackson Jr., Mikal Bridges, Michael Porter Jr.
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3. Jalen Brunson, Hawks
- Original pick: Luka Doncic (traded to Mavericks)
- Brunson's original draft position: 33rd (Mavericks)
From 33rd to third, Brunson slides up 30 picks and gives the Hawks a less volatile player than the one they ended up with after trading Doncic's rights to Dallas for Trae Young.
Like Young, Brunson is a shorter guard who can score in bunches, but the Knicks star has turned into a better all-around player with more consistency, better defensive production and more durability. Add in Brunson's leadership skills and the pick becomes fairly obvious in hindsight as Atlanta adds a franchise-changing guard no one would've expected eight years ago.
Best players still available: Trae Young, Jaren Jackson Jr., Mikal Bridges, Michael Porter Jr., Mitchell Robinson
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4. Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies
- Original pick: Jaren Jackson Jr.
- Jackson's original draft position: 4th (Grizzlies)
It gets difficult here at No. 4, with an offensive standout in Trae Young available and Mikal Bridges giving the Grizzlies another strong defensive option, but it might make the most sense to keep the former Defensive Player of the Year right here in Memphis.
Jaren Jackson Jr. hasn't necessarily become the rebounder some hoped and is prone to foul trouble, but the newest Jazz standout has three All-NBA Defensive selections and has averaged more than 18 points per game in each of the last four seasons, along with a career average of nearly two blocks per game.
Whether the Grizzlies would still take Ja Morant a year later is anyone's guess, but Jackson was the right pick for the modern NBA at this spot.
Best players still available: Trae Young, Mikal Bridges, Michael Porter Jr., Mitchell Robinson, Miles Bridges
Vincent Carchietta
5. Mikal Bridges, Mavericks
- Original pick: Trae Young (traded to Hawks)
- Bridges' original draft position: 10th (traded to Suns)
Mikal Bridges is coming off a down year offensively with the Knicks, but he is still a truly valuable player in the modern NBA between his defensive effort and remarkable durability. He isn't an offensive liability either. Bridges is still a nearly 38 percent 3-point shooter and 49 percent shooter from the field since the 2020-21 season, and it's not a coincidence he's been to the NBA Finals with two different teams.
The Mavericks, who had this pick before swapping with the Hawks at No. 3 in 2018, wouldn't necessarily be able to build around Bridges but could build with Bridges.
Best players still available: Trae Young, Michael Porter Jr., Mitchell Robinson, Miles Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo
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6. Trae Young, Magic
- Original pick: Mohamed Bamba
- Young's original draft position: 5th (traded to Hawks)
It's hard to justify Trae Young falling any further than No. 6, even if his stock isn't at its highest right now. While defensive issues and inconsistency from a shooting standpoint might not ever go away, Young is regularly at the top of the NBA assist leaderboard when healthy and can take over a game when he's hot from beyond the arc.
The rebuilding Magic didn't have anything to be excited about in their backcourt at this point. Young wouldn't have fixed it all himself, but he would've given fans a reason to watch.
Best players still available: Michael Porter Jr., Mitchell Robinson, Miles Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo, Deandre Ayton
7. Michael Porter Jr., Bulls
- Original pick: Wendell Carter Jr.
- Porter's original draft position: 14th (Nuggets)
Some Bulls fans wanted Porter at this spot in 2018, but concerns about a back injury led the former five-star recruit to slide to the back end of the lottery. While durability hasn't been Porter's strongest asset in the NBA, he justified the Nuggets' gamble by becoming a core piece of a championship roster in 2023.
Nearly a 40 percent career 3-point shooter, Porter is a strong rebounder as well and proved with the Nets that he can carry the load offensively, even if he isn't an ideal No. 1 option by any means. The Bulls were looking for a direction in 2018 and could have had the patience to let Porter work his way back from injury after sitting out his rookie season.
Best players still available: Mitchell Robinson, Miles Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo, Deandre Ayton
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8. Miles Bridges, Cavaliers
- Original pick: Collin Sexton
- Bridges' original draft position: 12th (traded to Hornets)
The Cavaliers had to effectively start from scratch after LeBron James' exit in 2018. There isn't a player here who can truly launch a team's rebuild, but this isn't the right spot for players like Mitchell Robinson or Donte DiVincenzo who play particular roles.
Miles Bridges, whose NBA career was once derailed by a domestic violence case, is at someone who can at least play a front-facing offensive role. Bridges has averaged more than 20 points per game on three occasions and can pass the ball as a forward.
Best players still available: Mitchell Robinson, Donte DiVincenzo, Deandre Ayton, Wendell Carter Jr., Collin Sexton
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9. Mitchell Robinson, Knicks
- Original pick: Kevin Knox
- Bridges' original draft position: 36th (Knicks)
The Knicks have three core players from the 2018 draft on their Finals roster, and none of them were taken at No. 9 overall. That honor belonged to Kevin Knox, who never became a starting-caliber player in the NBA.
Fortunately for the Knicks, their choice at No. 36 blossomed into a crucial rim-protector and rebounder. Mitchell Robinson, who was effectively an unknown after not playing in college, was an excellent gamble by New York in the second round, and his defensive ability slides him up an additional 25 picks in this re-draft.
Best players still available: Donte DiVincenzo, Deandre Ayton, Wendell Carter Jr., Collin Sexton, Grayson Allen
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10. Donte DiVincenzo, 76ers
- Original pick: Mikal Bridges (traded to Suns)
- DiVincenzo's original draft position: 17th (Bucks)
The 76ers infamously selected Mikal Bridges before trading him to the Suns for the pick that would become Zhaire Smith, which didn't work out even when ignoring that Bridges was from the Philadelphia area. With a chance to make it right, the Sixers take Bridges' Villanova teammate Donte DiVincenzo and make it three Wildcats in the top 10.
DiVincenzo made his name as a 3-point shooter, shooting better than 39 percent from deep over the last four seasons, but he's been able to thrive in various roles, from a more front-facing role with the Knicks to de facto point guard for the Timberwolves late this past season. With Joel Embiid in place, the 76ers can ignore Deandre Ayton and Wendell Carter Jr. here.
Best players still available: Deandre Ayton, Wendell Carter Jr., Collin Sexton, Grayson Allen, Robert Williams
11. Deandre Ayton, Hornets
- Original pick: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (traded to Clippers)
- Ayton's original draft position: 1st (Suns)
The Hornets don't get a re-do on Gilgeous-Alexander, but they do have an opportunity to land the No. 1 overall pick at No. 11, which they sent to L.A. on draft night.
Charlotte could go in a number of directions here with few core pieces on the roster and Kemba Walker a year away from free agency, but Ayton solves the need for a big man. While he didn't live up to lofty expectations, Ayton was a valuable player for the Suns during their terrific 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, playing a key role in Phoenix's run to the NBA Finals in 2021.
His limitations will always be there, but Ayton's offensive game and rebounding ability are enough to make him a lottery pick in a re-draft.
Best players still available: Wendell Carter Jr., Collin Sexton, Grayson Allen, Robert Williams, Anfernee Simons
12. Wendell Carter Jr., Clippers
- Original pick: Miles Bridges (traded to Hornets)
- Carter's original draft position: 7th (Bulls)
The Clippers solved their need for a big man by trading for Ivica Zubac at the 2019 deadline, but they could solve it right here by taking Wendell Carter Jr. out of Duke.
Carter has quietly been a steady starter for the Magic since 2021, averaging about 12 points and eight rebounds. While he doesn't have the abilities of a true modern NBA big man, Carter is consistent enough in the frontcourt to be worth a lottery pick in a re-draft.
L.A. originally owned this pick before trading up one spot with the Hornets and taking Gilgeous-Alexander, who was sent to Oklahoma City in the Paul George deal a year later.
Best players still available: Collin Sexton, Grayson Allen, Robert Williams, Anfernee Simons, Landry Shamet
13. Grayson Allen, Clippers
- Original pick: Jerome Robinson
- Allen's original draft position: 21st (Jazz)
Here come the Clippers again, this time adding a player who had a bit of a limited ceiling after a long career at Duke but still became a valuable role player in the NBA.
Grayson Allen is a career 40.3 percent 3-point shooter, including an NBA-best 46.1 percent in 2023-24, and he averaged a career-high 16.5 points per game for the Suns this past season. Allen has become more of a passer, and his effort on the defensive end is all Phoenix can ask for. There isn't a franchise-changing player on the board, but Allen's ability to thrive in his role makes him a strong fit for L.A. at No. 13.
Best players still available: Collin Sexton, Robert Williams, Anfernee Simons, Landry Shamet, De'Anthony Melton
14. Collin Sexton, Nuggets
- Original pick: Michael Porter Jr.
- Sexton's original draft position: 8th (Cavaliers)
Collin Sexton leaves a lot to be desired as a player. His scoring ability is his bread and butter, but he generally isn't a playmaker and doesn't provide defensive value. With that being said, all of the players on the board here have flaws. Scoring is important, and Sexton's offensive game makes him the top option for Denver.
The former Alabama guard has averaged less than 15 points per game only once in eight seasons and is shooting 48.8 percent from the field over the last four. Sexton has also shown an ability to pick his spots well from 3-point range even without being a true shooter. Ideally, the Nuggets add more defensive help in 2019 and beyond after this pick.
Best players still available: Robert Williams, Anfernee Simons, Landry Shamet, De'Anthony Melton, Bruce Brown
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