2006 NBA re-draft: The way it should have been
The 2006 NBA Draft was nothing to write home about – and that’s putting it kindly. This class has two players who’ll make a case to reach the Hall of Fame, but neither are first-ballot locks.
It’s not like this draft class has a bunch of great role players to talk about either, with the majority of this class being made up of fringe rotation players. Below, check out our 2006 NBA re-draft, in the order they should have gone in.
No. 1 pick: LaMarcus Aldridge
Recently retired LaMarcus Aldridge checks in at No. 1 in this re-draft, one spot ahead of his actual draft position. At his prime, Aldridge was a face-up power forward who could really shoot it from the midrange and befuddle foes with rim attacks. His high release point made it difficult for defenders to contest his jumper, too, though he wasn’t an elite defender or rebounder. Still, he was an elite offensive weapon out of the frontcourt and one of the better bigs in the league in his heyday.
Actual position: 2
Career earnings: $215,090,968
Career stats: 19.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.1 bpg, 49.3 FG%, 32.0 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 2 pick: Kyle Lowry
No. 3 pick: Rajon Rondo
The better player at his peak, though, was obviously Rajon Rondo, who was an assist machine and a very impactful defender. Rondo was never much of a shooter, which is part of why his NBA career ended earlier than Lowry’s, but in his prime, he was very quick, had long arms, was super creative with the ball in his hands and could even score when need be.
Actual position: 21
Career earnings: $117,193,091
Career stats: 9.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 7.9 apg, 45.6 FG%, 32.4 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 4 pick: Paul Millsap
Paul Millsap came out of Louisiana Tech, which is why he fell to No. 47 in his draft class despite an illustrious college career that saw him be named 1st Team All-WAC twice. Millsap’s lack of size and average athleticism also played a factor. Regardless, Millsap made his draft-night fall look silly during his NBA career, becoming a four-time All-Star thanks to his two-way play, face-up scoring and low-post prowess.
Actual position: 47
Career earnings: $193,541,787
Career stats: 13.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, 48.9 FG%, 34.1 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 5 pick: Rudy Gay
In hindsight, Rudy Gay will go down as one of the better players to never make an All-Star roster, averaging nearly 20 points and six rebounds over an eight-year stretch in his prime. Gay was a great scorer, a wing with prototypical size and length who could really shoot it from the midrange, and occasionally throw down the monster dunk, too. A UConn legend, Gay lived up to the hype of being the No. 7 pick of his draft class.
Actual position: 8
Career earnings: $171,936,165
Career stats: 15.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.0 apg, 45.2 FG%, 34.6 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 6 pick: Brandon Roy
Had injuries not, unfortunately, cut his prime down quickly and brutally, Brandon Roy was well on his way to being considered the best player from the 2006 class. Roy was a three-time All-Star and a two-time All-NBAer despite his prime ending after his age-25 season, which is crazy to consider. A confident scorer with a smooth pull-up game, Roy could get buckets with the best of them in his prime.
Actual position: 6
Career earnings: $95,751,295
Career stats: 18.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.7 apg, 45.9 FG%, 34.8 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 7 pick: JJ Redick
A superstar at Duke who won National Player of the Year and was a two-time All-American in college, JJ Redick did well to adjust his game to the pros where his lack of athleticism didn’t allow him to reach the same heights as a pro. Redick was an elite shooter in the NBA and a feisty enough defender to not get totally exposed on that end of the floor.
Actual position: 11
Career earnings: $118,345,008
Career stats: 12.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 44.7 FG%, 41.5 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 8 pick: PJ Tucker
Another second-round success story from 2006, PJ Tucker was drafted 35th overall but spent six of his first seven seasons as a pro overseas before finally breaking out in the NBA. Tucker is a corner three-point specialist but a versatile defender who often lays his body on the line to recover loose balls. Along with Kyle Lowry, Tucker is the only other player from this draft class who still has a role in the NBA, and a rather big one, at that.
Actual position: 35
Career earnings: $57,427,354
Career stats: 6.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.4 apg, 42.5 FG%, 36.6 3P%
Scouting Report
No. 9 pick: Jose Juan Barea
For obvious reasons, Jose Juan Barea went undrafted in 2006, which is hard to fault teams over considering his size. Players of Barea’s stature – he was listed rather generously at 5-foot-10 – just don’t pan out in the NBA the way Barea did, becoming a solid bench scorer and playmaker for many years, even playing a vital role in the Dallas Mavericks 2010-11 championship run.
Actual position: Undrafted
Career earnings: $46,505,958
Career stats: 8.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 3.9 apg, 42.4 FG%, 35.2 3P%
Jose Juan Barea Rumors
No. 10 pick: Thabo Sefolosha
One of the NBA’s many solid 3-and-D wings for various years, Thabo Sefolosha didn’t offer much outside of spot-up shooting and defense, but he performed well enough in that role to enjoy a long NBA career.
Actual position: 13
Career earnings: $$47,289,981
Career stats: 5.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.4 apg, 44.9 FG%, 34.9 3P%
Thabo Sefolosha Rumors
No. 11 pick: Andrea Bargnani
The No. 1 pick in the 2006 draft falls to No. 11 in our re-draft, and it would be even lower if this draft class wasn’t so weak in talent. Andrea Bargnani was a serviceable player but never came close to being a star, a big man who could space the floor from three but provided little in the way of rebounding or defense.
Actual position: 1
Career earnings: $73,156,908
Career stats: 14.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.2 apg, 43.9 FG%, 35.4 3P%
Andrea Bargnani Rumors
No. 12 pick: Randy Foye
Randy Foye entered the NBA with some hype as the reigning Big East Player of the Year but didn’t really live up to it, settling in as more of a secondary scorer and playmaker than anything else.
Actual position: 7
Career earnings: $34,106,401
Career stats: 10.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.8 apg, 40.1 FG%, 36.6 3P%
Randy Foye Rumors
No. 13 pick: CJ Watson
A decent backup point guard for quite some time, CJ Watson could offer some spot-up shooting and run a second-unit offense but was never much of a game-changer.
Actual position: Undrafted
Career earnings: $23,756,506
Career stats: 7.2 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.5 apg, 41.9 FG%, 37.3 3P%
CJ Watson Rumors
No. 14 pick: Ronnie Brewer
Had Ronnie Brewer not had one of the funkiest three-point strokes in league history, he might have lasted longer in the NBA, as he was a solid defender who could guard multiple positions and a decent-enough slasher. But his lack of shooting really limited his prospects of long-term NBA success.
Actual position: 14
Career earnings: $19,688,040
Career stats: 7.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.6 apg, 49.0 FG%, 25.4 3P%
Ronnie Brewer Rumors
No. 15 pick: Jordan Farmar
A two-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, Jordan Farmar was a solidly impactful backup point guard on those Lakers teams, a floor general with good quickness and toughness who was a respectable outside shooter.
Actual position: 26
Career earnings: $19,807,293
Career stats: 7.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.9 apg, 42.3 FG%, 37.4 3P%
Jordan Farmar Rumors
No. 16 pick: Daniel Gibson
Daniel Gibson gained acclaim for being part of the Cleveland Cavaliers 2006-07 team that LeBron James dragged to the NBA Finals, a shooting specialist who thrived playing off of James. But he lasted just seven seasons in the NBA despite being nearly a 41 percent three-point shooter for his career.
Actual position: 42
Career earnings: $22,100,174
Career stats: 7.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 40.2 FG%, 40.7 3P%
Daniel Gibson Rumors
No. 17 pick: Steve Novak
Another shooting specialist, Steve Novak was a teammate of Dwyane Wade’s at Marquette before reaching the pros. Novak had good size for a wing but lacked the athleticism to be anything more than a spot-up shooting specialist in the NBA. Novak impressively led the league in three-point accuracy in 2011-12, hitting 47.2 percent of his threes that season.
Actual position: 32
Career earnings: $21,227,530
Career stats: 4.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.3 apg, 43.7 FG%, 43.0 3P%
Steve Novak Rumors
No. 18 pick: Tyrus Thomas
Tyrus Thomas started off well enough in the NBA, immediately slotting in as an elite shot-blocker for the early-career Derrick Rose teams that gave contenders – namely the Boston Celtics – some trouble in the playoffs. Thomas had a three-season stretch where he averaged 1.1 steals and 1.7 blocks. However, his career lasted just over 400 games as his lack of shooting and poor feel for the game doomed his longer-term NBA prospects.
Actual position: 4
Career earnings: $55,331,772
Career stats: 7.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.3 bpg, 43.8 FG%, 23.5 3P%
Tyrus Thomas Rumors
No. 19 pick: Shannon Brown
Along with Farmar, Shannon Brown helped form a solid bench unit for the contending Lakers teams that won two rings. Brown’s athleticism and explosiveness were a huge boost for Los Angeles off the bench, as the team’s starting lineup wasn’t all that athletic.
Actual position: 25
Career earnings: $14,710,354
Career stats: 7.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.1 apg, 42.0 FG%, 33.2 3P%
Shannon Brown Rumors
No. 20 pick: Sergio Rodriguez
Spanish floor general Sergio Rodriguez had two stints in the NBA, first from 2006-07 through 2009-10 before returning for 68 games in 2016-17 in his age-30 season. Rodriguez did much more in Europe than in the NBA, winning two EuroLeague championships and being named EuroLeague MVP once thanks to his wizardry as a playmaker.
Actual position: 27
Career earnings: $11,469,835
Career stats: 4.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 3.4 apg, 40.9 FG%, 33.7 3P%
Sergio Rodriguez Rumors
No. 21 pick: Craig Smith
Undersized for a big man in the NBA, Craig Smith could do some tidy scoring down low but offered little in the way of defense and spacing, causing his NBA career to last just six seasons.
Actual position: 36
Career earnings: $9,392,854
Career stats: 7.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 0.8 apg, 55.3 FG%, 66.1 FT%
Craig Smith Rumors
No. 22 pick: Shawne Williams
Shawne Williams, on the other hand, was a more modernized big man, able to space the floor from three to an extent. Still, Williams’ career would last just over 300 games, as he lacked the athleticism for the NBA – a shame considering he was a five-star prospect coming out of high school.
Actual position: 17
Career earnings: $15,551,812
Career stats: 5.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.5 apg, 40.3 FG%, 33.9 3P%
Shawne Williams Rumors
No. 23 pick: Leon Powe
A valued member of the Celtics’ 2007-08 championship team, Leon Powe was undersized for a power forward but could do some face-up scoring and post-up effectively. However, a torn ACL in 2008-09 would pretty much be the end of Powe’s NBA career, as he could never recover the form he had prior to the injury.
Actual position: 49
Career earnings: $3,688,078
Career stats: 6.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 0.3 apg, 51.5 FG%, 68.2 FT%
Leon Powe Rumors
No. 24 pick: Lou Amundson
Lou Amundson was far from a star but he was effective in his role as a high-energy big man who liked to draw charges and lay out for loose balls. Amundson didn’t offer much scoring but his energetic play helped his last 10 seasons in the NBA.
Actual position: Undrafted
Career earnings: $10,823,684
Career stats: 3.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 0.7 apg, 47.4 FG%, 44.4 3P%
Lou Amundson Rumors
No. 25 pick: Chris Copeland
Chris Copeland deserves credit for his four-season NBA career, as it took until his age-28 campaign for him to find a home in the league, having had to grind out a career overseas prior to that. Copeland did eventually get to the NBA after going undrafted thanks to his decent outside shooting ability for a big man.
Actual position: Undrafted
Career earnings: $7,753,604
Career stats: 5.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.6 apg, 42.7 FG%, 36.5 3P%
Chris Copeland Rumors
No. 26 pick: Ryan Hollins
A pick-and-roll specialist, Ryan Hollins had some athleticism and finishing ability near the rim, which helped him last a while in the NBA.
Actual position: 50
Career earnings: $13,254,914
Career stats: 3.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 0.5 bpg, 58.4 FG%, 64.9 3P%
Ryan Hollins Rumors
No. 27 pick: Renaldo Balkman
An energy swingman, Renaldo Balkman could offer some scoring and defense off the bench.
Actual position: 20
Career earnings: $10,979,217
Career stats: 4.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 0.5 bpg, 51.0 FG%, 17.2 3P%
Renaldo Balkman Rumors
No. 28 pick: Shelden Williams
After a stellar career at Duke that saw him become a 1st Team All-American, Shelden Williams went fifth overall in 2006 thanks to his outrageous shot-blocking ability in college, where he averaged 3.5 blocks over his final three seasons in the ACC. However, Williams never lived up to that potential in the NBA, lasting just six seasons in the league and never averaging more than 0.7 blocks.
Actual position: 5
Career earnings: $12,256,869
Career stats: 4.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 0.5 bpg, 46.2 FG%, 22.2 3P%
Shelden Williams Rumors
No. 29 pick: Rodney Carney
Rodney Carney was a solid role player in the NBA, a player who could offer up some bench scoring, though not all that efficiently.
Actual position: 16
Career earnings: $6,150,341
Career stats: 5.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.4 apg, 42.2 FG%, 33.8 3P%
Rodney Carney Rumors
No. 30 pick: Adam Morrison
Adam Morrison was selected third overall after a superstar career at Gonzaga that saw him average over 28 points and five rebounds as a junior, when he was named a 1st Team All-American. However, injuries and a lack of athleticism doomed him in the NBA, as Morrison would play just 163 total games in the Association.
Actual position: 3
Career earnings: $16,920,989
Career stats: 7.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.4 apg, 37.3 FG%, 33.1 3P%
Adam Morrison Rumors
No. 31 pick: Marcus Williams
Actual position: 22
Career earnings: $4,408,679
Career stats: 5.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.8 apg, 38.6 FG%, 23.1 3P%
Career Salary Info
No. 32 pick: Joel Freeland
Actual position: 30
Career earnings: $9,000,000
Career stats: 3.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 0.4 apg, 45.9 FG%, 72.8 FT%
Career Salary Info
No. 33 pick: Pooh Jeter
Actual position: Undrafted
Career earnings: $473,604
Career stats: 4.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 2.6 apg, 40.9 FG%, 20.0 3P%
Career Salary Info
No. 34 pick: Solomon Jones
Actual position: 33
Career earnings: $6,299,429
Career stats: 3.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.4 apg, 46.7 FG%, 11.1 3P%
Career Salary Info
No. 35 pick: Tarence Kinsey
Actual position: Undrafted
Career earnings: $1,429,832
Career stats: 4.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.5 apg, 45.3 FG%, 32.4 3P%
Career Salary Info
No. 36 pick: Chris Quinn
Actual position: Undrafted
Career earnings: $4,159,072
Career stats: 4.5 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 1.9 apg, 39.9 FG%, 37.7 3P%
Career Salary Info
No. 37 pick: Pops Mensah-Bonsu
Actual position: Undrafted
Career earnings: $1,107,37
Career stats: 3.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.2 bpg, 41.0 FG%, 58.9 FT%
Career Salary Info
No. 38 pick: Loukas Mavrokefalidis
Actual position: 57
Euroleague career stats: 6.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.5 apg, 52.3 2P%, 25.0 3P%
No. 39 pick: Rodney Carney
Actual position: 16
Career earnings: $6,150,341
Career stats: 5.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.4 apg, 42.2 FG%, 33.8 3P%
Career Salary Info
No. 40 pick: Quincy Douby
Actual position: 19
Career earnings: $4,087,399
Career stats: 4.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 0.7 apg, 38.9 FG%, 31.2 3P%
Career Salary Info
No. 41 pick: Hilton Armstrong
Actual position: 12
Career earnings: $9,790,616
Career stats: 3.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.3 apg, 50.1 FG%, 28.6 3P%
Career Salary Info
No. 42 pick: Cedric Simmons
Actual position: 15
Career earnings: $4,887,360
Career stats: 2.2 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 0.2 apg, 40.9 FG%, 39.0 FT%
Career Salary Info
No. 43 pick: Bobby Jones
Actual position: 37
Career earnings: $1,186,106
Career stats: 3.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.5 apg, 44.2 FG%, 30.6 3P%
No. 44 pick: James White
Actual position: 31
Career earnings: $1,672,542
Career stats: 2.7 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.5 apg, 43.8 FG%, 34.0 3P%
Career Salary Info
No. 45 pick: Kosta Perovic
Actual position: 38
Career earnings: $1,800,000
Career stats: 1.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 0.1 apg, 30.0 FG%, 66.7 FT%
Career Salary Info
No. 46 pick: Josh Boone
Actual position: 23
Career earnings: $5,456,088
Career stats: 5.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 0.5 apg, 54.4 FG%, 44.5 FT%
Career Salary Info
No. 47 pick: Damir Markota
Actual position: 59
Career earnings: $412,718
Career stats: 1.7 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.2 apg, 36.5 FG%, 37.5 3P%
Career Salary Info
No. 48 pick: David Noel
Actual position: 39
Career earnings: $1,100,174
Career stats: 2.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.0 apg, 36.7 FG%, 32.1 3P%
Career Salary Info
No. 49 pick: Alexander Johnson
Actual position: 45
Career earnings: $1,100,174
Career stats: 4.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.3 apg, 51.7 FG%, 67.2 FT%
No. 50 pick: James Augustine
Actual position: 41
Career earnings: $1,100,174
Career stats: 1.6 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.1 apg, 51.4 FG%, 50.0 FT%
Career Salary Info
No. 51 pick: Hassan Adams
Actual position: 54
Career earnings: $709,881
Career stats: 2.5 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.2 apg, 53.4 FG%, 64.3 FT%
Career Salary Info
No. 52 pick: Paul Davis
Actual position: 34
Career earnings: $1,509,078
Career stats: 2.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 0.4 apg, 40.2 FG%, 73.2 FT%
Career Salary Info
No. 53 pick: Yotam Halperim
Actual position: 53
Euroleague career stats: 6.3 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.8 apg, 54.8 2P%, 41.8 3P%
No. 54 pick: Patrick O'Bryant
Actual position: 9
Career earnings: $7,398,120
Career stats: 2.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 0.3 apg, 49.4 FG%, 58.3 FT%
Career Salary Info
No. 55 pick: Dee Brown
Actual position: 46
Career earnings: $651,285
Career stats: 2.1 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, 34.0 FG%, 25.0 3P%
No. 56 pick: Mardy Collins
Actual position: 29
Career earnings: $4,769,702
Career stats: 3.9 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.7 apg, 38.0 FG%, 29.9 3P%
Career Salary Info
No. 57 pick: Will Blalock
Actual position: 60
Career earnings: $412,718
Career stats: 1.8 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 1.2 apg, 30.0 FG%, 20.0 3P%
Career Salary Info
No. 58 pick: Oleksiy Pecherov
Actual position: 18
Career earnings: $4,340,160
Career stats: 3.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 0.2 apg, 38.6 FG%, 29.0 3P%
Career Salary Info
No. 59 pick: Mike Hall
Actual position: Undrafted
Career earnings: $135,895
Career stats: 1.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.5 apg, 25.0 FG%
Career Salary Info
No. 60 pick: Saer Sene
Actual position: 10
Career earnings: $6,316,560
Career stats: 2.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.5 apg, 42.7 FG%, 58.9 FT%
Career Salary Info
Biggest Risers
Jose Juan Barea: From undrafted to No. 9 (+52)
CJ Watson: From undrafted to No. 13 (+48)
Paul Millsap: From No. 47 to No. 4 (+43)
Lou Amundson: From undrafted to No. 24 (+37)
Chris Copeland: From undrafted to No. 25 (+36)
Pooh Jeter: From undrafted to No. 33 (+28)
PJ Tucker: From No. 35 to No. 8 (+27)
Tarence Kinsey: From undrafted to No. 35 (+26)
Daniel Gibson: From No. 42 to No. 16 (+26)
Leon Powe: From No. 49 to No. 23 (+26)
Chris Quinn: From undrafted to No. 36 (+25)
Pops Mensah-Bonsu: From undrafted to No. 37 (+24)
Ryan Hollins: From No. 50 to No. 26 (+24)
Kyle Lowry: From No. 24 to No. 2 (+22)
Biggest Slippers
Saer Sene: No. 10 to No. 60 (-50)
Patrick O’Bryant: No. 9 to No. 54 (-45)
Oleksiy Pecherov: No. 18 to No. 58 (-40)
Hilton Armstrong: No. 12 to No. 41 (-29)
Cedric Simmons: No. 15 to No. 42 (-27)
Adam Morrison: No. 3 to No. 30 (-27)
Mardy Collins: No. 29 to No. 56 (-27)
Shelden Williams: No. 5 to No. 28 (-23)
Josh Boone: No. 23 to No. 46 (-23)
Rodney Carney: No. 16 to No. 39 (-23)
Quincy Douby: No. 19 to No. 40 (-21)
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