The 2020 NBA Draft class is collectively about to enter its prime. It's proving to be a strong draft class well beyond headliner Anthony Edwards. There are multiple All-Stars emerging from this class, one of which could be Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija.
Avdija and others are having breakout campaigns as they finally approach the ceilings that made them coveted prospects in the first place. We know Avdija would go higher than his original No. 9 overall selection by the Washington Wizards, a team that likely wishes they had kept their rising star right about now.
But Avdija faces a lot of other competition in this draft class. That raises the question of how far he would realistically climb in a re-draft, and what other prospects did teams initially overlook?
The Minnesota Timberwolves are on the clock, but the real re-draft starts at pick No. 2.
Re-drafting the 2020 NBA Draft
No. 1: Minnesota Timberwolves select Anthony Edwards
Original pick: Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards has proven to be one of the strongest No. 1 overall picks of the past decade, with three All-Star selections already on his resume at 24 years old. Minnesota landed its franchise cornerstone in the actual draft and has absolutely no reason to shake up this selection. Edwards was the No. 4 overall selection in Bleacher Report's five-year re-draft using classes 2020-24, and even that seems too low.
No. 2: Golden State Warriors select Tyrese Maxey
Original pick: James Wiseman
Which Tyrese you want to take here is up for debate, as Tyrese Haliburton certainly has a strong case to make here as well. Haliburton is likely even the consensus selection here following the Indiana Pacers' historic NBA Finals run. But we're not letting recency bias get in the way here. Going forward, Maxey is the guard we want.
As a career 38.2% three point shooter, he'd be perfect in Steve Kerr's system in the backcourt alongside Steph Curry, giving them an ideal Klay Thompson replacement. James Wiseman was expected to fill a need at center, but wound up being the biggest bust in the entire class.
Who knows how much longer this Golden State dynasty could've lasted with Maxey in the picture?
No. 3: Charlotte Hornets select Tyrese Haliburton
Original pick: LaMelo Ball
Charlotte landed a franchise piece in LaMelo Ball, but should be thrilled to land a more reliable version of him in Tyrese Haliburton. Both have great positional size and are unselfish playmakers constantly looking to set up teammates. Despite the criticism surrounding LaMelo, that is an ideal player archetype to build around.
We give the nod to Haliburton here as he's already proven his game translates to winning at the highest level. And despite the untimely Achilles tear, he's also the more reliable option in terms of health.
No. 4: Chicago Bulls select Deni Avdija
Original pick: Patrick Williams
Entering the year, Deni Avdija would likely be the No. 6 overall selection. This is the start of a new tier, and the players going after Avdija are interchangeable based on team need as well as personal preference. Blazers bias aside, we give the nod to Avdija here.
The one thing going against Avdija is that his recent star ascension gives him a small sample size relative to the other available options. But at his current peak, Avdija is the superior player. He's durable and has very few flaws in his game after drastically improving his three-point shot since his final season with the Wizards.
No. 5: Cleveland Cavaliers select LaMelo Ball
Original pick: Isaac Okoro
LaMelo Ball is understandably a very polarizing player. After all, he's the best player on a Charlotte Hornets team that hasn't had much success, which some attribute to his "streetball" style of play. But to be fair, how many stars could win with this Hornets roster?
Ball is perceived as an unserious player who can't impact winning at the highest level, but that seems to be blown out of proportion. The reality is, we don't know that for certain because he hasn't had the opportunity to prove himself. Ball would get that shot in Cleveland.
They don't necessarily need a point guard here with Darius Garland in the mix, but they have continually fallen short with the Garland-Donovan Mitchell backcourt, which is painfully reminiscent of the Blazers' former Damian Lillard-CJ McCollum pairing.
Ball provides the Cavs with more positional size and is a better fit alongside Mitchell. He's also the best player available at this point, despite what his critics may say.
No. 6: Atlanta Hawks select Desmond Bane
Original pick: Onyeka Okongwu
The Orlando Magic overpaid for Desmond Bane this summer, but he's still a solid player capable of being a third or fourth option on a legitimate contender, thanks to his shot creation and floor spacing. He'd be a perfect fit in Atlanta with their style of play and uncertainty at the forward positions outside of rising star Jalen Johnson.
Onyeka Okongwu wasn't a bad pick by any means and is actually an underrated big man in the scheme of things, but he doesn't have the borderline All-Star upside of Bane.
No. 7: Detroit Pistons select Jaden McDaniels
Original pick: Killian Hayes
The 2020 draft turned out to be a strong class, but the top ten selections surprisingly included a lot of misses, one of which was Detroit going with Killian Hayes here. Jaden McDaniels is having a career season in Minnesota and only continues to improve as a lengthy two-way wing. His defense and floor spacing would have been a perfect complementary piece alongside Cade Cunningham and Co.
McDaniels' stock is rising as quickly as anyone in this draft class; it wouldn't be surprising if he climbs up the re-draft board in the coming years as he continues to improve on the offensive end as more of a shot creator.
No. 8: New York Knicks select Onyeka Okongwu
Original pick: Obi Toppin
Mitchell Robinson has struggled at center this season and, unfortunately, continues to have injury issues. Karl-Anthony Towns and Onyeka Okongwu are two versatile bigs capable of playing both the power forward and center positions, making this a seamless fit.
Okongwu would bolster a Knicks frontcourt in need of another reliable piece. He's one of the most underrated bigs in the league and is an excellent fit for the modern NBA with his ability to guard out on the perimeter and space the floor. He would've addressed the frontcourt issues that New York was hoping to resolve with Obi Toppin.
No. 9: Washington Wizards select Payton Pritchard
Original pick: Deni Avdija
This is where things get very interesting. There are a lot of options here at No. 9, including Devin Vassell, Immanuel Quickley, and Aaron Nesmith. That goes to show the quiet depth of this class, as the entire re-draft lottery consists of legitimate starting options.
Here, we give the nod to Payton Pritchard. He's already proven to impact winning at a high level and is an ideal role player who can fit alongside just about anyone with his defense, playmaking, and shooting.
Of course, the Wizards would've preferred to have their original pick, Deni Avdija, here. This is the only point in the top ten of the re-draft in which the team downgrades from their actual pick. But they should have thought about that before sending Avdija to Portland after nailing the pick!
No. 10: Phoenix Suns select Immanuel Quickley
Original pick: Jalen Smith
No arguments from us if you go with Vassell or Nesmith here. While teams picking this high should typically go with the best player available, we gave Quickley the edge due to his fit with the Phoenix Suns roster. They already have plenty of shooting guards, well beyond superstar Devin Booker. Quickley is much more capable of being that lead ballhandler they need alongside Booker while still offering similar floor spacing as the other available options.
Jalen Smith was a miss for this franchise, and that decision looks worse in retrospect, given the multiple options they could've gone with. Quickley is another underrated player from this draft class who is quietly carving out a strong career in Toronto. He would've done the same in Phoenix, giving them a formidable Kentucky Wildcat backcourt.