Redrafting the 2011 NBA Draft: Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard battle for 1st pick, Klay Thompson rises
For every fanbase who got the 30th pick in the NBA draft, there was always hope that they might just bump into the next Jimmy Butler.
The truth is, with the last pick in the first round of the 2011 draft, Butler was a unique steal. More often, teams are stuck with a Lazar Hayward or Christian Eyenga, the two players who ranked No. 30 in the two years before Butler.
Butler is now one of the greatest playoff players in recent history, a six-time All-Star, has been named to five All-Defensive Second Teams and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame when he hangs up his jersey. Twelve years later, every team in the league is chafing that they didn’t take a chance on the skinny kid from Marquette with the guts.
How far would Butler climb in a rewrite today? That draft produced some other great players, and there were some notable absentees at the top. Two of our writers – Stephen Noh and Scott Rafferty – donned their GM hats and reformulated the 2011 lottery.
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Recast of the 2011 NBA Draft
1. Jimmy Butler, Cavaliers
- original selection: Kyrie Irving
- Butler’s original positional design: 30th (Bulls)
Butler vs. Leonard was a tough pick for top pick in this draft. Leonard was the better player at his peak and boasts two Finals MVPs. But Butler has also guided some teams with much worse support talent into deep playoff runs, most notably the Heat to the Finals in the 2020 bubble. Butler has also played many more minutes than Leonard. That was the deciding factor for me. – No
2.Kawhi Leonard, Timberwolves
- original selection: Derrick Williams
- Leonard’s original position design: 15th (Pacers, traded to Spurs)
I have an easy task because as good as some of the other players in this draft are, we all knew the #2 pick would be either Butler or Leonard. One of just 11 active players on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, Leonard is one of the greatest defensemen of all time and has turned into an absolute killer on offense. Despite all the injury history, there is no argument that he falls out of this selection. – Rafferty
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3. Kyrie Irving, Jazz
- original selection: Enes Kanter
- Irving’s original draft position: 1st (cavaliers)
Irving has proven to be one of the best shooters in the game. Its handle and bag are the envy of its peers. He has won at the highest level, winning the championship in 2016. Of course, he also had a lot of luggage with him, which made him fall back to third place in this new version. – No
4. Klay Thompson, Cavaliers
- original selection: Tristan Thompson
- Thompson’s original draft position: 11th (warrior)
Another easy decision for me. Thompson is still a hit, but it’s easy to forget just how good a defender he was before his injuries. When Thompson was at the peak of his career, there wasn’t a team in the league that he wasn’t a part of. Irving and LeBron James have obviously had a lot of success together, but it’s fun to imagine an alternate universe where James returns to a Cavaliers team with Butler, Thompson and Nikola Jokic. – Rafferty
5. Nikola Vucevic, Raptors
- original selection: Jonas Valanciunas
- Vucevic’s original position draft: 16th (76ers)
From this point on, the class begins to falter. Vucevic has had a rock-solid career, making two All-Star Games and averaging 17.0 points and 10.5 rebounds since his draft. It’s not the most attractive résumé for a No. 5 pick, but he was a highly talented player who made his teams better with his passing, shooting and frantic post movement. – No
6. Kemba Walker, magician
- original selection: Jan Vesely
- Walker’s original draft position: 9th (hornets)
Knee injuries deprived Walker of a longer heyday, but he was one of the top point guards in the NBA for four seasons. Between 2016-17 and 2019-20, he was named to the All-Star selection and All-NBA Third Team selection four consecutive times, averaging 23.1 points and 5.5 assists per game. – Rafferty
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7. Tobias Harris, Kings
- original selection: Bismack Biyombo (traded to Hornets)
- Harris’ original draft position: 19th (traded to Bucks)
Putting Harris’ ridiculous contract aside (he was the 19th highest-paid player in 2023), one begins to appreciate that he’s been a fine pro throughout his career. He can be a nice third-scorer on a good team as he hits 36.9 percent of his career 3-pointers and has the ability to turn dribbling into his own offense. Add in some position size of 1.90 and Harris is a solid two-way starter. – No
8. Isaiah Thomas, Flask
- original selection: Brandon Knight
- Thomas’ original position draft: 60th (Kings)
As with Walker, injuries have robbed Thomas of a lengthy heyday. And like Walker, Thomas was one of the most electrifying point guards in the NBA for a few seasons. Don’t forget that he came fifth in the 2016-17 MVP contest. He was an absolute killer in the fourth quarter of games this season. – Rafferty
9.Bojan Bogdanovic, Hornets
- original selection: Kemba Walker
- Bogdanovic’s original draft position: 31st (Heat, given to Nets)
Bogdanovic spent all of his seasons abroad before the age of 25, which diminished his worth. When he finally came around, he had a great career. He’s a stunning 3-pointer and has a surprisingly versatile basket off the post. Later in his career, he has shown his ability to pull off shots whenever his team needs one. – No
10. Jonas Valanciunas, Bucks
- original selection: Jimmer Fredette
- Valanciunas’ original design position: 5. (raptors)
Valanciunas drops a few picks in our re-draft, but he’s been a solid center for most of his NBA career. While he’s always been a good rebounder, he’s blossomed into a great postscorer, useful defender, and good shooter. He’s not someone teams can take a night off against. – Rafferty
11. Chandler Parsons, warrior
- original selection: Clay Thompson
- Parsons’ original design position: 38th (rockets)
Parsons’ legacy will always be marred by the $94 million the Grizzlies gave him later in his career when injuries decimated his physique. He would certainly get a red flag in this draft. But in those first five relatively healthy seasons, Parsons was exactly what the NBA craves these days — a 3-and-D winger with some ball-handling skills. Even if you could only get a few productive years out of it, it was good enough to warrant a selection here in a not-so-profound draft. – No
12.Tristan Thompson, Jazz
- original selection: Alec Burks
- Thompson’s original draft position: 4th (cavaliers)
That might raise some eyebrows, but I can’t get over how important Thompson was to the Cavaliers as they won the championship. Not only was he a problem on offense, but he also provided the kind of versatility Cleveland needed in its center to even have a chance of keeping up with Golden State. – Rafferty
13. Nikola Mirotic, Suns
- original selection: Markieff Morris
- Mirotic’s original positional design: 23rd (missiles, delivered to cops)
Mirotic left the NBA after just five years to win MVPs and drink fine wine in Spain. When he was in the league he was an underrated player. He played a much better defense than his reputation would suggest and could throw a lot of three-pointers. He would be much more valuable today than in 2011. – No
14. Marcus Morris, Rockets
- original selection: Marcus Morris
- Morris’ original design position: The same thing
Apologies to Reggie Jackson which I also considered for this spot. You can’t go wrong with either, but I like the 3-point shooting, toughness, and versatility that Morris offers as a small ball power forward in today’s NBA. – Rafferty
Best available players: Enes Kanter, Kenneth Faried, Markieff Morris, Reggie Jackson, Bismack Biyobo, Cory Joseph, Alec Burks, Iman Shumpert