Yahoo Sports 2009 NBA re-draft: The way it should have been
The 2009 NBA draft is a fun one for us to re-draft, as although it features multiple Hall-of-Famers and former All-Stars, there were also some big-time misses, including Hasheem Thabeet at No. 2, Johnny Flynn at No. 6, Jordan Hill at No. 8 and Tyler Hansbrough at No. 13.
Fun fact, Hansbrough was the best player on a national champion North Carolina team that features three of his teammates on this re-draft, but not him.
Below, our 2009 NBA re-draft, the way it should have been.
No. 1 pick: Stephen Curry
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Just like he was overlooked by top colleges despite being the son of Dell Curry and growing up around multiple major basketball programs, Stephen Curry was likewise overlooked by various NBA teams, including the Minnesota Timberwolves – who took not one but two point guards ahead of him. Curry would go on to change the game, making it acceptable to shoot the ball from anywhere on the floor as he won four championships (and counting) to go with his two league MVP awards playing in that style.
Actual position: No. 7
Career earnings: $257,859,052
Career stats: 24.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 6.5 apg, 47.5 FG%, 42.8 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 2 pick: James Harden
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
The Oklahoma City Thunder do deserve credit for hitting on James Harden, the only player who went ahead of Curry who you could make a case for that not being totally ridiculous, kinda like how Hakeem Olajuwon went first overall to the Houston Rockets while they passed on Michael Jordan. The Rockets don’t catch as much flak as the Portland Trail Blazers (who had the No. 2 pick Jordan’s year but took Sam Bowie) for that because Olajuwon, like Harden, went on to be an all-timer himself. Of course, we can criticize the Thunder for letting Harden walk rather than give him a huge extension when he would go on to become a league MVP in Houston, but that’s a conversation for another time.
Actual position: No. 3
Career earnings: $272,039,833
Career stats: 24.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 7.0 apg, 44.2 FG%, 36.3 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 3 pick: DeMar DeRozan
John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
After being an All-American in high school, DeMar DeRozan went to USC for just one year before declaring for the draft, where he’d eventually fall to the No. 9 pick due to his numbers in college – 13.9 points and 5.7 rebounds – being rather mundane. That wound up being a great pick by the Toronto Raptors, as DeRozan would go on to become one of the franchise’s greatest players ever, a midrange assassin with elite-level scoring to this day.
Actual position: No. 9
Career earnings: $202,705,770
Career stats: 21.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4.0 apg, 46.8 FG%, 29.2 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 4 pick: Blake Griffin
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Before even playing a single NBA game, Blake Griffin would suffer a knee injury that caused him to miss his rookie season. That should have given us a hint as to how his entire career would go, as Griffin’s prime, impressive as it was, would end far too early as his body lost the outstanding athleticism that made him special. Griffin wasn’t just a high-flyer, either, as he could score in the post and the midrange and was a solid playmaker and rebounder.
Actual position: No. 1
Career earnings: $258,432,713
Career stats: 19.1 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, 49.3 FG%, 32.8 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 5 pick: Jrue Holiday
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The first high riser from this draft class, Jrue Holiday fell out of the lottery in 2009 but moves up to No. 5 in our re-draft, and with good reason, as Holiday remains one of the best guard defenders in basketball today, is a solid scorer and playmaker and already has one championship under his belt. You could make a case for Holiday over Griffin and maybe even DeRozan, but our voters didn’t see it that way.
Actual position: No. 17
Career earnings: $188,214,724
Career stats: 16.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 6.5 apg, 46.1 FG%, 36.5 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 6 pick: Ricky Rubio
Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
One of the two point guards that Minnesota took over Curry was Ricky Rubio, who was a YouTube sensation prior to getting to the NBA thanks to an otherworldly highlight tape that made him look like a magician of a floor general with outrageous passing and ball-handling skills.
Rubio wound up being a solid NBA point guard, a starter-level player for many years, though maybe not one as flashy as his teenage highlight tape would indicate he could have been.
Actual position: No. 5
Career earnings: $122,294,046
Career stats: 10.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 7.4 apg, 38.9 FG%, 32.5 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 7 pick: Danny Green
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
The first second-round pick to appear on our re-draft, Danny Green was a top role player on multiple elite North Carolina teams in college, including a national-title-winning one in 2009, but fell to the second round due to being a four-year college player without huge numbers and with average athleticism.. Had NBA teams known Green’s shooting and defense would translate as well as they did, there’s no chance he gets out of the lottery in his draft year.
Actual position: No. 46
Career earnings: $92,693,631
Career stats: 8.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.5 apg, 42.1 FG%, 40.0 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 8 pick: Jeff Teague
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
An eventual All-Star with the Atlanta Hawks, Jeff Teague was a fun college player at Wake Forest, a speedy point guard who could score and one that was named a 2nd Team All-American as a sophomore. Teague’s elite quickness, along with his solid scoring and playmaking, would translate well in the NBA, where he was an above-average starter for many seasons. He would even win a championship playing a minor role on the 2020-21 Milwaukee Bucks behind Holiday.
Actual position: No. 19
Career earnings: $99,236,542
Career stats: 12.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 5.6 apg, 44.4 FG%, 36.0 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 9 pick: Patrick Beverley
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Another second-round success story from the 2009 draft, Patrick Beverley was actually drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, who traded his rights to the Miami Heat. Miami would cut Beverley before the 2009-10 season and the feisty point guard would spend the next three seasons in Europe before finally landing a role in the NBA in 2012-13. Considering how badly Miami needed a two-way point guard with spot-up shooting during the Big 3 era, it’s hard not to wonder what Beverley could have done on those Heat teams that gave so many minutes to the likes of Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, Carlos Arroyo and even a late-career Mike Bibby.
Actual position: No. 42
Career earnings: $65,502,839
Career stats: 8.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.4 apg, 41.4 FG%, 37.5 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 10 pick: Wesley Matthews
Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Now the highest-paid undrafted player of all time (by far), Wesley Matthews was not among the 60 names called on draft night in 2009 but remains in the NBA to this day. At his peak, Matthews was a great two-way off-ball player, a guard who could score off of spot-up opportunities and as a cutter, and one who gave a lot of effort and made an impact defensively.
Actual position: Undrafted
Career earnings: $111,928,177
Career stats: 11.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.9 apg, 42.0 FG%, 37.6 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 11 pick: Taj Gibson
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Veteran big man Taj Gibson fell on draft night in part due to his age, as his rookie season in the NBA was his age-24 campaign. Shockingly enough, he remains in the NBA to this day as an almost-38-year-old. Gibson was a solid role player for many seasons, a fringe starter, high-end backup type who provided teams with toughness, post scoring and rebounding.
Actual position: No. 26
Career earnings: $83,702,655
Career stats: 8.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.0 apg, 51.8 FG%, 25.3 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 12 pick: Patrick Mills
Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports
Another second-round success story from 2009, Patrick Mills won a championship with the 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs, his second team after getting drafted by the Blazers, a title run he played a large part in thanks to his quick, elite shooting prowess.
Actual position: No. 55
Career earnings: $67,903,853
Career stats: 9.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.3 apg, 42.6 FG%, 38.9 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 13 pick: Joe Ingles
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
It took until his age-27 season for Joe Ingles to find a job in the NBA but once he did, he never looked back, as he became a top-end role player for the Utah Jazz, an elite outside shooter with defensive versatility who could even run some pick-and-roll. Ingles remains a solid role player to this day, now a teammate of Holiday’s in Milwaukee.
Actual position: Undrafted
Career earnings: $65,743,702
Career stats: 8.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.7 apg, 44.9 FG%, 40.8 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 14 pick: Darren Collison
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Had he not left the NBA early to pursue religious ventures, Darren Collison would have probably ranked higher in this re-draft, as Collison was an above-average starting point guard in his prime when he called it quits. Collison was a high-level shooter and could create for teammates while being an absolute pest defensively. He even lead the league in three-point percentage in 2017-18 at 46.8 percent.
Actual position: No. 21
Career earnings: $43,494,962
Career stats: 12.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 5.0 apg, 47.1 FG%, 39.4 3P%
Darren Collison Rumors
No. 15 pick: Brandon Jennings
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
A torn Achilles suffered in his prime spelled the end of Brandon Jennings’ NBA career, a shame considering he was an exciting floor general with an ability to get hot at a moment’s notice. Jennings had a flashy style of play, peaking in 2011-12 as a member of the Bucks, averaging 19.1 points, 5.5 assists and 1.6 steals that season.
Actual position: No. 10
Career earnings: $40,141,001
Career stats: 12.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 5.0 apg, 47.1 FG%, 39.4 3P%
Brandon Jennings Rumors
No. 16 pick: Tyreke Evans
AP Photo/Michael Conroy
The player who actually won Rookie of the Year over Curry in 2009-10, Tyreke Evans was a tough, strong guard who could score at the rim, rebound and create, though he struggled as an outside shooter, leading to some inconsistencies for him in his career. Drug issues ended Evans’ NBA career in 2019, a shame considering in 2017-18 with the Grizzlies, Evans posted a 19.4/5.1/5.2 stat line, albeit on a bad Memphis team.
Actual position: No. 4
Career earnings: $76,584,468
Career stats: 15.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.8 apg, 44.0 FG%, 32.3 3P%
Tyreke Evans Rumors
No. 17 pick: Ty Lawson
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
A teammate of Green’s at North Carolina, Ty Lawson was one of the two main stars on that Tar Heels squad that won the 2009 national championship thanks to his elite speed and great outside shooting marks. Lawson’s NBA career got off to a good start, too, with the diminutive point guard seeing a four-year peak in which he averaged 16.4 points and 8.0 assists on 45.3 percent shooting. But he fell off abruptly and was never able to regain that form before heading overseas to continue his playing career.
Actual position: No. 18
Career earnings: $43,445,250
Career stats: 12.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 6.0 apg, 46.0 FG%, 35.9 3P%
Ty Lawson Rumors
No. 18 pick: James Johnson
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
A Swiss Army Knife of an NBA player, James Johnson was and is one of the toughest players in the league, a player that, when given the opportunity, can do a bit of everything: create, be a screener or ball-handler in the pick-and-roll or slash off the ball. He’s also quite versatile defensively. He just never mastered any one trait to be a major difference-maker in the NBA, though he was talented enough to last this long in the top basketball league in the world.
Actual position: No. 16
Career earnings: $79,653,106
Career stats: 7.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.1 apg, 47.4 FG%, 30.2 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 19 pick: Wayne Ellington
Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Looking back, is it any surprise North Carolina won the national title in 2009, with Green, Lawson and now Wayne Ellington on the same team? By the way, the actual best player on that team, Tyler Hansbrough, didn’t even make it onto this re-draft. Ellington was a role player in his NBA career, one who specialized in spot-up outside shooting.
Actual position: No. 28
Career earnings: $45,512,346
Career stats: 8.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.1 apg, 41.0 FG%, 38.2 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 20 pick: Garrett Temple
Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
From undrafted to making over $42 million in the NBA, Garrett Temple was a decent role player and a highly-respected locker-room presence. At his best, Temple could do some spot-up shooting and gave effort defensively, though he wasn’t ever some hugely impactful player.
Actual position: Undrafted
Career earnings: $42,365,445
Career stats: 6.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, 40.1 FG%, 34.4 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 21 pick: DeMarre Carroll
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
A 3-and-D swingman, DeMarre Carroll was a solid role player who could defend multiple positions, though maybe not at an elite level, and knock down threes on the other end of the floor.
Actual position: No. 27
Career earnings: $81,515,187
Career stats: 8.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.3 apg, 43.0 FG%, 35.8 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 22 pick: Gerald Henderson
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Lack of outside shooting hurt Gerald Henderson when he was at his peak, though he was a dynamic athlete who could throw down big-time dunks and score from the midrange off of pull-ups.
Actual position: No. 12
Career earnings: $37,537,846
Career stats: 11.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.9 apg, 44.0 FG%, 32.7 3P%
Gerald Henderson Rumors
No. 23 pick: Sergio Llull
ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP via Getty Images
Without having played a minute in the NBA, Sergio Llull cracks our re-draft as the magician of a guard has won just about everything there is to win outside of the NBA, as a member of the Spanish National Team but more importantly as a playmaker for Real Madrid, arguably the biggest basketball team outside of the Association.
Actual position: No. 34
Euroleague stats: 10.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 3.6 apg, 39.4 FG%, 33.4 3P%
Sergio Llull Rumors
No. 24 pick: Jonas Jerebko
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
A decent role player for a long time, Jonas Jerebko knew his role and seldom tried to do too much, spotting up for threes, playing hard on defense and occasionally scoring in transition or off of cuts.
Actual position: No. 39
Career earnings: $35,385,264
Career stats: 6.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.8 apg, 45.7 FG%, 36.3 3P%
Jonas Jerebko Rumors
No. 25 pick: Aron Baynes
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
A respectable backup center, Aron Baynes was a bruiser down low who could finish when set up but wasn’t much of a one-on-one scorer. Still, he deserves credit for developing his game as his career went on, even becoming a decent outside shooter near the end of his time in the NBA.
Actual position: Undrafted
Career earnings: $38,075,340
Career stats: 6.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 0.8 apg, 48.9 FG%, 30.8 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 26 pick: Omri Casspi
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Another solid wing player at his peak, Omri Casspi was another one of the prototypical 3-and-D swingmen, who didn’t try to do too much but did well in his role playing off the ball and providing some defensive versatility.
Actual position: No. 23
Career earnings: $18,320,477
Career stats: 7.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.1 apg, 45.4 FG%, 36.8 3P%
Omri Casspi Rumors
No. 27 pick: Milos Teodosic
Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
His time in the NBA was far too short, as Milos Teodosic provided some of the craziest and most fun passing highlights we’ve ever seen during his prime playing overseas in Europe. He probably lacked the athleticism for the NBA but still, look up his highlights from Europe. You’ll be impressed.
Actual position: Undrafted
Career earnings: $12,300,000
Career stats: 8.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 4.0 apg, 42.0 FG%, 37.8 3P%
Milos Teodosic Rumors
No. 28 pick: Nando De Colo
LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images
Another player who only had a cup of coffee in the NBA but was a star overseas, Nando De Colo remains one of the best guards in Europe, winning a whole lot of silverware playing some of the toughest non-NBA basketball competition in the world.
Actual position: No. 53
Career earnings: $2,863,000
Career stats: 3.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.7 apg, 42.9 FG%, 36.3 3P%
Nando De Colo Rumors
No. 29 pick: Dante Cunningham
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Dante Cunningham was a solid backup big man in the NBA, one who could spot up from three, and do some scoring off of face-ups thanks to his quickness, ball-handling and shooting.
Actual position: No. 33
Career earnings: $18,958,724
Career stats: 5.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 0.7 apg, 46.9 FG%, 34.5 3P%
Dante Cunningham Rumors
No. 30 pick: Jodie Meeks
Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
A bombastic three-point shooter, Jodie Meeks had crazy elevation on his jumper that allowed him to get shots off quickly and over contests. He could get hot quickly, too, as evidenced by his once dropping 42 points in a game.
Actual position: No. 41
Career earnings: $31,090,760
Career stats: 9.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.1 apg, 42.0 FG%, 37.3 3P%
Jodie Meeks Rumors
Biggest risers
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Wesley Matthews: From undrafted to No. 10
Joe Ingles: From undrafted to No. 12
Garrett Temple: From undrafted to No. 20
Aron Baynes: From undrafted to No. 25
Milos Teodosic: From undrafted to No. 27
Patrick Mills: From No. 55 to No. 13 (+42)
Danny Green: From No. 46 to No. 7 (+39)
Patrick Beverley: From No. 42 to No. 9 (+33)
Nando De Colo: From No. 53 to No. 28 (+25)
Taj Gibson: From No. 26 to No. 11 (+15)
Jonas Jerebko: From No. 39 to No. 24 (+15)
Highest picks not listed
Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Hasheem Thabeet: No. 2
Jonny Flynn: No. 6
Jordan Hill: No. 8
Terrence Williams: No. 11
Tyler Hansbrough: No. 13
Earl Clark: No. 14
Austin Daye: No. 15
Eric Maynor: No. 20
Victor Claver: No. 22
BJ Mullens: No. 24
Rodrigue Beaubois: No. 25
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