I want to do one of these for every NBA team. This is a look at every missed chance each team had during each year’s draft, starting from 2000 to the present. I’m not accounting for at the time roster needs, trades, or exact pick numbers. I’m strictly showing who each team picked, and who was left on the board after they made their pick. Some of these are surprising. I also know that some, if not most, of these players listed developed later in their career as an NBA player. Again, I strictly want to show who each team missed out on and how different the present day NBA could be if different choices were made. Please Enjoy.
2000: (drafted Chris Carrawell)
- Michael Redd
2001: (drafted Tony Parker) *would keep Parker
2002: (drafted Luis Scola)
- No notable players available
2003: (drafted and traded Leandro Barbosa to Phoenix)
2004: (drafted Beno Udrih)
- Trevor Ariza
2005: (drafted Ian Mahinmi)
- David Lee
- Monta Ellis
- Marcin Gortat
2006: (drafted and traded Damir Markota to Milwaukee)
2007: (drafted Tiago Splitter, Marcus Williams)
- Marc Gasol
2008: (drafted George Hill, Goran Dragic; traded to Phoenix for Malik Hairston, drafted James Gist)
- DeAndre Jordan
2009: (drafted DeJuan Blair, Nando de Colo)
- Jonas Jerebko
- Danny Green
2010: (drafted James Anderson, Ryan Richards)
- Trevor Booker
- Hassan Whiteside
- Lance Stephenson
2011: (received Kawhi Leonard from Indiana for George Hill, drafted Cory Joseph) *would keep Leonard
*after Cory Joseph:
- Jimmy Butler
- Isaiah Thomas
2012: (No Draft Picks)
2013: (drafted Livio Jean-Charles, DeShaun Thomas)
- Archie Goodwin
- Allen Crabbe
- James Ennis
2014: (drafted Kyle Anderson, drafted and traded Jordan McRea to Philly, and Cory Jefferson to Brooklyn)
- Nikola Jokic
- Jordan Clarkson
2015: (drafted Nikola Milutinov, Cady Lalanne)
- Larry Nance Jr.
- Montrezl Harrell
- Josh Richardson
Analysis: The Spurs are an exemplary organization in the NBA. This includes their players, staff, fans, and success. They draft pretty well too. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobli came before the 2000 draft, but Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard are two of the best pick up for any team out of the draft in the last 15 years. One year that sticks out to me is 2007, when the Spurs drafted Tiago Splitter over Marc Gasol. Could you imagine Duncan and Gasol leading their front court? They also picked Cory Joseph, who isn’t a bad player at all, right before the Bulls took Jimmy Butler. I would love to have watched Kawhi play the three spot with Butler manning the shooting guard position. Overall, the Spurs are a fantastic team and organization. They win many games in the right fashion, and are the template of what other NBA teams should strive to be.
John Van Dam 4/21/2016
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