The 2014 NBA draft is a fascinating one to look back at, with two future Hall-of-Fame centers getting selected in this class. One of them was a second-round pick, too, making this draft class look even more interesting in hindsight.
Second-round picks who overperformed expectations are a theme in this re-draft, as you're about to find out; multiple players who went after the Top 30 have found their way onto this list.
Below, check out our 2014 NBA re-draft, with the players taken in the order they should have been.
No. 1 pick: Nikola Jokic
The greatest second-round pick of all time, and it isn’t close, Nikola Jokic’s draft selection was famously announced during a commercial break of that night’s draft airing – during a Taco Bell commercial if you’ll believe it. A three-time MVP already, Jokic is one of the best big men to ever play the sport, a dominant force in efficient scoring, playmaking and rebounding with improved defensive abilities.
Actual position: No. 41
Career earnings: $304,984,295
Career stats: 22.2 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 7.5 apg, 56.1 FG%, 36.2 3P%
No. 2 pick: Joel Embiid
If it weren’t for Jokic, Joel Embiid would be seen in an even brighter light in this re-draft. Embiid won MVP in 2022-23 and had two other second-place finishes in the vote. Along with Jokic, Embiid helped modernize and revitalize the center position when it looked like it was dying a slow death. Embiid can score from the outside, from near the basket, shoot threes, face-up, post-up and is actually a more impactful defender than Jokic thanks to his shot-blocking. The 76ers took a bit of a gamble drafting Embiid third overall as he suffered a season-ending injury during his lone year with the Jayhawks, and it actually took him years to play his first NBA game. Still, the gamble has more than paid off.
Actual position: No. 3
Career earnings: $321,938,890
Career stats: 27.6 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 3.7 apg, 50.0 FG%, 33.9 3P%
No. 3 pick: Julius Randle
Despite a standout lone season at Kentucky, Julius Randle still took a slight tumble on draft night to No. 7 due to a perceived lack of outside shooting and his unwillingness to pass the ball in college. Few could have imagined how Randle would have blossomed in the NBA, as he’s actually now a plus-playmaker out of the frontcourt, a respectable outside shooter and an All-Star-level power forward overall.
Actual position: No. 7
Career earnings: $194,473,920
Career stats: 19.2 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 3.9 apg, 47.2 FG%, 33.2 3P%
No. 4 pick: Zach LaVine
A late-lottery pick in 2014, Zach LaVine was drafted even that highly purely on potential, as LaVine displayed awe-inspiring athleticism at UCLA but was a bit raw, averaging just 9.4 points on 44.1 percent shooting in college. Obviously, LaVine has beyond panned out, now an All-Star guard who was an elite athlete in his prime, and who developed into a high-scoring ball-handler from all three levels.
Actual position: No. 13
Career earnings: $256,839,617
Career stats: 20.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.9 apg, 47.0 FG%, 39.1 3P%
No. 5 pick: Aaron Gordon
Aaron Gordon falls to No. 5 in our re-draft, not too far from his actual 2014 draft position of fourth overall. Gordon is not a star-level player in the NBA, but he is a freakish athlete, a monster in transition, a good scorer on slashes and a versatile defender who can guard multiple positions. If anything, Gordon is a star-level role player, one who helped the Nuggets win a championship in 2022-23.
Actual position: No. 4
Career earnings: $181,659,460
Career stats: 13.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.7 apg, 48.5 FG%, 33.5 3P%
No. 6 pick: Andrew Wiggins
The top overall pick of the 2014 class, Andrew Wiggins, was a bit of a disappointment early on in his NBA career, putting up decent-enough numbers but never impacting games like many believed he could. That wasn’t a new issue with Wiggins, either, as even as a high-school, five-star, can’t-miss prospect, one of his main knocks was his willingness to just float through games, making an insane play here or there but never consistently enough. It took until he joined Golden State and slotted into being a third option on offense that he really shone, using his athleticism to shine on defense and the glass in helping guide the Warriors to the 2021-22 championship and becoming an All-Star that same season. Wiggins remains a very solid two-way player with tough shot-making ability.
Actual position: No. 1
Career earnings: $251,390,650
Career stats: 18.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, 45.1 FG%, 36.2 3P%
No. 7 pick: Clint Capela
Another high-riser in this re-draft, Clint Capela was a late first-rounder in 2014 but very much outplayed his draft position, developing into a high-level pick-and-roll finisher, a feisty shot-blocker, and one of the league’s premier rebounders, a double-double machine at center through and through. He lacks the skill as a ball-handler and shooter of the actual top centers of this era, but Capela is just a tier or two below the top guys.
Actual position: No. 25
Career earnings: $142,143,968
Career stats: 11.1 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 1.0 apg, 61.3 FG%, 54.6 FT%
No. 8 pick: Marcus Smart
A former Defensive Player of the Year, even as questionable as that award victory might have been, Marcus Smart truly was one of the best guard defenders in the NBA. An absolute pest on that end of the floor, he also provides some solid playmaking, though his shooting is still very inconsistent.
Actual position: No. 6
Career earnings: $126,466,399
Career stats: 10.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.4 apg, 38.9 FG%, 32.4 3P%
No. 9 pick: Jerami Grant
Cracking the Top 10 is an impressive feat for a former second-round pick. A two-way swingman who really developed into a tough-shot maker and solid scorer.
Actual position: No. 39
Career earnings: $171,300,972
Career stats: 13.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.6 apg, 44.9 FG%, 36.7 3P%
No. 10 pick: Spencer Dinwiddie
The story of this draft seems to be overperforming second-round picks, with Spencer Dinwiddie being yet another guy to go in the lottery of this re-draft despite falling out of the first round on draft night. Of course, Dinwiddie likely wouldn’t have fallen that far had he not just torn his ACL during his final season at Colorado. It’s impressive that Dinwiddie was able to bounce back from those injuries, though he’s had other major issues since the one that ended his college career prematurely.
Actual position: No. 38
Career earnings: $93,675,781
Career stats: 13.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 5.1 apg, 41.4 FG%, 33.3 3P%
No. 11 pick: Jordan Clarkson
One of many late-first-round, second-round steals for the Lakers during this time frame, Jordan Clarkson was another hit for Los Angeles on draft night. A former Sixth Man of the Year, Clarkson was one of the craftiest scorers in the league at one point, getting buckets in ways that may have seemed unorthodox but were very effective.
Actual position: No. 46
Career earnings: $140,478,315
Career stats: 15.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.8 apg, 43.7 FG%, 33.6 3P%
No. 12 pick: Jusuf Nurkic
Fun fact: Jusuf Nurkic actually started games for the Nuggets before Jokic did, a decision that would draw ire from Denver fans once Jokic would check in and do things from the center position we had never seen before. That didn’t last that long, obviously, with Nurkic shipped to Portland in just his third season, but it did happen. Still, for a mid-first-round pick, Nurkic has performed well as an NBA player, developing into a starter-level center with good scoring chops down low and underrated playmaking from the mid-post. Plus, that brutal leg injury sapped him of the potential to be more, as Nurkic looked to be on an upward trajectory before breaking his leg.
Actual position: No. 16
Career earnings: $126,473,304
Career stats: 11.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2.6 apg, 50.2 FG%, 29.4 3P%
No. 13 pick: Dwight Powell
Another hit out of the second round from this draft, Dwight Powell went 45th overall out of Stanford back in 2014 and has greatly outplayed that draft slot. There’s a chance Powell could have ranked even higher in this re-draft, had it not been for a torn Achilles in January of 2020. Still, Powell posted a nice career as a high-energy big man with good finishing chops out of the pick-and-roll.
Actual position: No. 45
Career earnings: $83,861,520
Career stats: 6.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.0 apg, 60.6 FG%, 29.4 3P%
No. 14 pick: Joe Harris
Yet another second-round pick from 2014 to crack the lottery in this re-draft, Joe Harris at one time looked like one of the best standstill three-point shooters in the NBA. Injuries caused him to taper off and eventually ended his career, but at one point, Harris was one of the top three-point specialists in the league, with some off-the-dribble scoring skills to go with that.
Actual position: No. 33
Career earnings: $92,234,674
Career stats: 10.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.6 apg, 47.9 FG%, 43.6 3P%
No. 15 pick: TJ Warren
TJ Warren was a smooth midrange scorer at NC State before getting drafted as the final lottery pick of 2014. He became that in the NBA and then some. But a major foot injury just four games into 2020-21 pretty much ended his NBA career, which is a shame, as it looked like he was ready to hit another level after a fantastic showing the season prior, particularly in the Orlando bubble.
Actual position: No. 14
Career earnings: $60,304,306
Career stats: 14.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.2 apg, 50.5 FG%, 35.1 3P%
No. 16 pick: Gary Harris
Out of Michigan State, Gary Harris went 19th overall, yet another player who would start their career in Denver from this draft class. Injuries slowed him down, but at one point, Harris was a very solid two-way guard who could shoot from the outside, score off the dribble and do some playmaking and rebounding.
Actual position: No. 19
Career earnings: $119,696,768
Career stats: 9.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.8 apg, 44.6 FG%, 37.0 3P%
No. 17 pick: Kyle Anderson
A celebrity in the basketball world before even getting to college, Kyle Anderson had one of the most fun high-school mixtapes out of anyone, earning the nickname Slo Mo for seeming to move in slow motion despite absolutely dominating as a prospect. Anderson still has a unique game, moving very slowly but using his freakish size and length well to create some offense.
Actual position: No. 30
Career earnings: $78,715,758
Career stats: 6.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.8 apg, 48.0 FG%, 34.0 3P%
No. 18 pick: Bogdan Bogdanovic
Bogdan Bogdanovic was a star overseas, winning a multitude of awards and championships in Serbia and Turkey before finally joining the Kings three seasons after they drafted him in 2014. Bogdanovic was somewhat worth the wait, as he has been a solid scoring 2-guard in the NBA with deep shooting range on his jumper.
Actual position: No. 27
Career earnings: $132,980,000
Career stats: 14.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.2 apg, 43.6 FG%, 38.1 3P%
No. 19 pick: Doug McDermott
Doug McDermott didn't really live up to the lottery-pick billing, falling eight spots in this re-draft. McDermott has been a very good outside shooter in the NBA, but his inability to impact games in other ways, or do much scoring outside of the spot-up three-point variety, really limited his ceiling.
Actual position: No. 11
Career earnings: $80,874,358
Career stats: 8.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.9 apg, 46.8 FG%, 41.0 3P%
No. 20 pick: Rodney Hood
Another player who saw his career greatly affected by injury, Rodney Hood was a decent lefty scorer at his peak, who could really shoot the basketball, including off the dribble and from the midrange.
Actual position: No. 23
Career earnings: $27,910,065
Career stats: 10.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.6 apg, 42.0 FG%, 36.6 3P%
No. 21 pick: Dario Saric
Dario Saric was another relative lottery disappointment, not a huge bust by any means, as he remained an NBA player for quite some time, but he was just a so-so player at the highest level. Saric could do a bit of everything, score, rebound and create, but he never really mastered a single trait in the NBA to help set him apart.
Actual position: No. 12
Career earnings: $51,053,914
Career stats: 10.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.9 apg, 44.3 FG%, 36.0 3P%
No. 22 pick: Elfrid Payton
A total lack of shooting from the outside hindered Elfrid Payton’s chances of being a star in the NBA. Still, he was a starting point guard for a long time in the league, and for various teams, too, so overall, it’s hard to call him a huge disappointment.
Actual position: No. 10
Career earnings: $29,955,280
Career stats: 9.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 5.8 apg, 44.4 FG%, 28.6 3P%
No. 23 pick: Jabari Parker
One of the biggest fallers in this re-draft, the unfortunate career of Jabari Parker is a particularly sad one, as repeated major knee injuries pretty much ruined any chance he had to live up to the billing of being the No. 2 pick of 2014. It’s especially unfortunate that his second major injury came in his third season, 50-plus games in, when he was putting up over 20 points and six rebounds nightly, looking like the star Milwaukee thought he would be when it took him that high in his draft class.
Actual position: No. 2
Career earnings: $56,838,727
Career stats: 14.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 49.4 FG%, 32.6 3P%
No. 24 pick: Shabazz Napier
After a standout career at UConn, one that saw him win two national titles and earn Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors in 2014, Shabazz Napier was drafted 24th overall in 2014 by the Miami Heat, reportedly because Miami believed LeBron James to be high on the college star guard. James wound up leaving Miami to rejoin Cleveland that summer anyway, and Napier's Miami career would last just one season. Overall, Napier lasted just six years in the NBA, as his lack of size and athleticism prevented him from making the same impact he made in college in the pros. Still, he has enjoyed a solid overseas career, winning the Bundesliga Finals MVP in 2025.
Actual position: No. 24
Career earnings: $10,032,282
Career stats: 7.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.5 apg, 39.7 FG%, 34.5 3P%
No. 25 pick: Tyler Johnson
From going undrafted to earning over $34 million in his NBA career, Tyler Johnson was a great success story from the 2014 draft. Johnson was a tough lefty point guard who could hit shots from three and the midrange, and who also had some finishing ability near the rim. His career fell off pretty quickly after his time in Miami, but even so, Johnson was a huge success, considering no one expected him to have an eight-year NBA career.
Actual position: Undrafted
Career earnings: $34,289,342
Career stats: 9.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.3 apg, 42.6 FG%, 36.0 3P%
No. 26 pick: Langston Galloway
Another undrafted player in 2014 to make this re-draft, Langston Galloway, had a decent run in the NBA, providing teams with two-way play out of the backcourt, with some scoring and playmaking juice.
Actual position: Undrafted
Career earnings: $29,755,235
Career stats: 8.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.6 apg, 39.7 FG%, 36.8 3P%
No. 27 pick: Vasilije Micic
A star overseas, Vasilije Micic played just 101 games in the NBA, averaging 6.8 points and 3.9 assists with Charlotte, OKC, and Phoenix. Micic won two Euroleague titles as a member of Anadolu Efes and was named EuroLeague MVP in 2021. Micic has, without a doubt, been one of the best guards in the world outside of the NBA in his career; he just wasn't that effective of an NBA player due to his lack of athleticism.
Actual position: No. 52
Career earnings: $17,446,000
Career stats: 6.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 3.9 apg, 39.5 FG%, 31.5 3P%
No. 28 pick: Walter Tavares
Like Micic, Walter Tavares makes this list thanks to his overseas contributions, as at one point, he was considered one of the best centers in the world outside of the NBA. Tavares has won two Euroleague titles and was named a EuroLeague 1st Teamer twice, all accolades that came with Real Madrid.
Actual position: No. 43
Career stats (Euroleague): 9.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.7 bpg
No. 29 pick: Dante Exum
One of the big busts from the 2014 draft, Dante Exum, did not pan out whatsoever in the NBA, in part due to injuries, but also because he simply lacked the skill to make a huge impact as a modern NBA guard, particularly with his shooting. Still, Exum was a solid defender if nothing else, and has made a lot of money in his career, so at least at a personal level, the Australian guard can't feel too bad about how his NBA career went.
Actual position: No. 5
Career earnings: $52,429,199
Career stats: 6.2 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.3 apg, 43.5 FG%, 34.3 3P%
No. 30 pick: Noah Vonleh
Noah Vonleh was drafted ninth overall in 2014 based on a whole lot of potential thanks to having good size, movement skills, and ability as a shooter and ball-handler. Unfortunately for him, he was never able to put it all together in the NBA, slotting into more of a role as an energy big man who set good screens but little more.
Actual position: No. 9
Career earnings: $17,154,393
Career stats: 4.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 0.7 apg, 45.9 FG%, 30.7 3P%
Biggest risers
Nikola Jokic: From No. 41 to No. 1 (+40)
Jordan Clarkson: From No. 46 to No. 11 (+35)
Dwight Powell: From No. 45 to No. 13 (+32)
Jerami Grant: From No. 39 to No. 9 (+30)
Spencer Dinwiddie: From No. 38 to No. 10 (+28)
Vasilije Micic: From No. 52 to No. 27 (+25)
Joe Harris: From No. 33 to No. 14 (+19)
Clint Capela: From No. 25 to No. 7 (+18)
Highest picks not listed
Nik Stauskas: No. 8
Adreian Payne: No. 15
James Young: No. 17
Tyler Ennis: No. 18
Bruno Caboclo: No. 20
Mitch McGary: No. 21
Jordan Adams: No. 22
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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: 2014 NBA re-draft: The way it should have been
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