2016 NBA Draft: where are they now?

11. Domantas Sabonis, Orlando Magic

In recent draft history, the Orlando Magic usually found themselves just outside of the range of getting one of the upper echelon prospects. The one year that they had one of the top two picks they came away with Victor Oladipo (who would end up prospering elsewhere).

In the 2016 NBA Draft, they paired Oladipo with the draft rights to Domantas Sabonis and sent them both to the Oklahoma City Thunder in return for Serge Ibaka. Though the Thunder were unsure of what Kevin Durant’s plans were in free agency, they were attempting to re-tool the team in hopes of surrounding Durant and Russell Westbrook with a better supporting cast.

Sabonis is the son of Hall of Fame center Arvydas Sabonis, unlike his dad, he opted to spend his developmental years in America instead of overseas. Domantas attended Gonzaga for two years and showed in his sophomore season that he was great on the glass and could be an impactful player on offense either by scoring or passing. While he wasn’t a great athlete by any stretch of the imagination, he possessed a high basketball IQ that allowed him to be in the right spots and disrupt plays as a defender.

With Durant choosing to leave the Thunder for the Golden State Warriors that summer, Sabonis’ role with Oklahoma City changed drastically. Sabonis would start 66 games as a rookie and though his numbers wouldn’t jump off the page–Westbrook’s triple-double quest had an impact on that–he looked the part of serviceable NBA player right away. His feel for the game allowed him to contribute right away for the Thunder.

However, Sabonis’ time with the Thunder wouldn’t last beyond one season. The following summer he was dealt to the Indiana Pacers (once again along with Oladipo) for disgruntled star Paul George. With more responsibility on his shoulders with the Pacers, Sabonis’ stats improved right away. He now is part of Indiana’s current core and has helped them climb the Eastern Conference ladder of late.