The 2022 NBA Draft is a unique one. There wasn't a slam-unk No. 1 pick, but still, this class is loaded with talent, and having two lottery picks serve as complementary stars on a championship team just three years into their careers is rare. Despite many teams getting their picks right, plenty of others would like a mulligan.
Let's go back in time and re-draft the 2022 lottery, knowing what we know today and projecting the rest of these players' careers. The focus of this re-draft is more about the players' careers than the teams drafting them. Also, for simplicity's sake, any draft-day trades will be reflected in this re-draft order. Without any further ado, let's get into it.
More FanSided NBA re-drafts: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024
2022, along with 2018, is the lone re-draft I've done that has real controversy as to who the No. 1 pick should be. The Paolo Banchero-Jalen Williams debate blew up across social media this summer. Ultimately, I'll go with Paolo, the more proven No. 1 option whose play style is best suited to lead a team. That's nothing against J-Dub; we'll get to him in a second.
Banchero isn't an advanced stats darling. However, averaging 22.4 points throughout his career, including 25.9 points last season while being suffocated by the league's worst spacing, is no small feat. Paolo has also averaged an absurd 28 points in his two career playoff series. Undoubtedly, he is one of the most gifted difficult-shot makers in the league.
Now with Desmond Bane in the mix, Paolo and the Orlando Magic should be able to take another leap. For the purposes of this re-draft, it's cool to see Paolo staying in Orlando.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had a generational 2022 draft, which ultimately helped guide them to a championship in 2025. In this re-draft, they get to keep Jalen Williams, the No. 2 option from their 68-win title team. This time around, though, Williams goes 10 spots higher.
The Santa Clara product is a fantastic secondary creator and playmaker. He is coming off a season where he averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.3 stocks. Williams' 40-point performance in Game 5 of the Finals will be forever etched into NBA history. What's more is that Williams' versatility was central to the Thunder's elite defense, as he has a case to be the team's best defender.
Williams is the lone All-NBA player from this draft class to date, and he is clearly the ideal co-star next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Chet Holmgren's blend of upside and proven production makes him an easy choice with the No. 3 pick. It's fascinating to imagine him on a Houston Rockets team next to Alperen Şengün. Chet is one of the league's best rim protectors, averaging 2.3 blocks for his career. He also has impressive versatility.
Holmgren is also a gifted self-creator and 3-point shooter, which is rare for a 7-footer. Notably, Chet has averaged 16.1 points for his career and proved to be a key contributor for a championship squad. At 23, he isn't close to his offensive ceiling, which is terrifying given what he and the Thunder have already accomplished.
Andrew Nembhard marks our second Gonzaga player in a row. Originally selected with the 31st overall pick, Nembhard was one of the best draft-day steals in recent memory. His career averages of 9.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists don't jump off the page, but he's a proven playoff riser, averaging 13.5 points and 5 assists with a 13.8 percent leap as a 3-point shooter in the postseason.
Nembhard's blend of self-creation, on-ball defense and playmaking makes him an elite role player. He has proven to be a key piece on an Indiana Pacers team that went to (and nearly won) the NBA Finals. With Tyrese Haliburton sidelined this season, Nembhard is primed to make a massive leap, and don't be surprised if his numbers even go up from his playoff averages.
Dyson Daniels' career path is arguably the most intriguing from this draft class. After averaging 20 minutes and 4.8 points for his first two seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans, Daniels broke out with the Atlanta Hawks last season. He averaged a career high of 14.1 points and won the Most Improved Player award.
Daniels' true calling card, though, is of course his defense. The Great Barrier Thief racked up 3 steals per game and recorded 415 deflections, which shattered the previous record of 315. At 6-foot-8, he has elite positional size. Daniels is a spectacular defender on and off the ball, which is paired with some nice secondary playmaking and creation on offense. Overall, a stellar 2024-25 season with some more upside at 22 makes Daniels worthy of a top-five pick in retrospect.
Walker Kessler is truly an elite rim protector and drop coverage defender. The Auburn product has averaged 2.4 blocks for his career. Plus, he is a nightly double-double threat, averaging 11.1 points and 12.2 rebounds last season. Again, the focus of this re-draft isn't team fit, but it's interesting to think about how Kessler would adapt to the Pacers' uptempo style of play.
After he didn't agree to an extension with the Utah Jazz, trade rumors heated up about Kessler, so it's possible he ends up finding a new home. Regardless, Kessler is an impactful two-way player who is well deserving of a 16-spot boost from his original selection.
Jaden Ivey is a tricky evaluation. He is coming off a knee injury that will keep him sidelined to start the season. Regardless, Ivey's talent is too tantalizing for him to rank any lower. The Purdue product is a dynamic scoring and crafty playmaker.
Ivey has averaged 16.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists in his career to date. It will be interesting to see if Ivey takes a leap with a full season under JB Bickerstaff; he showed improvements as a shooter through 30 games last season. For the purposes of this re-draft, thinking about how Ivey would replace Shaedon Sharpe with the Portland Trail Blazers is intriguing.
If there's one word that comes to mind with Christian Braun, it's winner. Braun won a championship with the Denver Nuggets as a rookie and a national championship with Kansas the year before that. Braun does all the little things, including making hustle plays and being a connective playmaker.
Following the departure of Kentaivous Caldwell-Pope, Braun had a breakout season, averaging 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He can finish at the rim and space the floor. Ultimately, Braun is an ideal complementary wing who every team would love to have.
Bennedict Mathurin proved he can contribute to winning basketball during the Pacers' Finals run, a microwave scorer who attacks the rim with extreme power and speed. Per Databallr, Mathurin has ranked within the 90th percentile for rim frequency throughout his career. Netting 34.2 percent of his shots from beyond the arc, Mathurin is a league-average shooter, which feels like a major win given the rest of his profile.
Mathurin also brings defensive energy. With Haliburton sidelined, Mathurin could average close to 20 points per game in a contract year. The Arizona product ends up two spots lower than where he was drafted, but he's still had a very solid career thus far.
Shaedon Sharpe undoubtedly has the most upside out of anyone left on the board. Falling to No. 10 could age like milk, but while he is a gifted scorer, averaging 14.5 points for his career and 18.5 points last season, he might simply be a microwave guy off the bench.
Outside of shot creation, Sharpe doesn't offer much. He is a career 33-percent shooter, a below-average defender and has barely averaged more assists (2.1) than turnovers (1.7). Nevertheless, Sharpe is a gifted scorer and explosive athlete at 22; he still has plenty of potential.
Talk about a perfect fit for the Thunder. Tari Eason is one of the most disruptive defenders in the league, averaging 2.1 stocks for his career. Furthermore, Eason ranks in the 100th percentile for steals per 100 possessions and the 87th percentile for blocks per 100 possessions.
Eason is an impressive on-ball defender who can guard multiple positions. The 6-foot-8 forward also crashes the glass and attacks the rim at a high level. If Eason ever develops as an outside shooter, that would be a scary thought for the rest of the league.
Many people were puzzled when the Sacramento Kings gave Keegan Murray a five-year, $140 million extension this week. However, Murray is an elite role player and a player all teams would love to have. This makes his extension more than reasonable.
Murray has served as the Kings' primary wing defender, and he spaces the floor at a high level. Notably, he has netted 37.2 percent of his career 3-point attempts. The Iowa product is very much a 3-and-D player who doesn't have as much upside as the players above him. Regardless, he is an impactful player and a seamless fit with any team, especially OKC.
Some things just don't change, right? That's certainly the case for Jalen Duren in this re-draft, as he once again ends up with the Detroit Pistons. Since entering the league, Duren has been a nightly double-double threat. In fact, the Memphis product has averaged 11.5 points and 10.2 rebounds for his career.
Duren is a high-level lob threat and screener who also has solid passing chops, averaging 2.1 assists for his career. What holds Duren back is that his defense isn't as good as one might expect. Cleaning the Glass ranks Duren in the 20th percentile for points allowed per possession, and he had a plus-6.1 defensive on-off swing. Nevertheless, Duren is a solid starting center.
Many people expected Jabari Smith Jr. to be the No. 1 pick back in 2022. Smith ultimately dropped to No. 3, and he hasn't lived up to his lofty pre-draft expectations just yet. Regardless, Smith has been a productive pro with the Rockets.
At 6-foot-11, he has excellent positional size for a power forward and can guard multiple positions. He is a solid floor spacer, netting 35.4 percent of his career 3-pointers. Smith's versatility and high-level scoring make him well-deserving of a spot in the lottery.