1992 NBA Redraft: Where Are They Now?

It’s been nearly 30 years since the 1992 NBA draft Where are those Top Picks now? We take a look at what they’re doing today.

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Introduction

On June 24, 1992, the Chicago Bulls selected Duke University’s Grant Hill with the third pick in the NBA Draft It was a move that would change the course of NBA history

At the time, the selection of Hill was widely criticized. The Bulls already had a young star in Scottie Pippen and many thought that they should have drafted a player who could have helped them win immediately.

In retrospect, it is clear that the Bulls made the right decision. Hill went on to have a Hall of Fame career, while the player they drafted with the next pick (La Phonso Ellis) averaged just 6.9 points per game in his NBA Career

Here is a look at what the 1992 NBA Draft would look like if it were redrafted today:

Top Picks

In the 1992 NBA draft Shaquille O’Neal was the first overall pick. He was drafted by the Orlando Magic and went on to have an illustrious career, winning four NBA championships three Finals MVPs, and one regular season MVP.

Alonzo Mourning was drafted second overall by the Charlotte Hornets He also had a very successful career, winning two NBA Championships two Defensive Player of the Year Awards, and making seven All-Star teams.

Jim Jackson was drafted fourth overall by the Dallas Mavericks He had a long and productive NBA career playing for twelve different teams over eighteen seasons.

Kenny Anderson was drafted twelfth overall by the New Jersey Nets He also enjoyed a long NBA career playing for nine different teams over fourteen seasons.

Second Rounders

In the 1992 NBA draft some future All-Stars and Hall of Famers were drafted in the first round. But what about the second round? There were some Great players drafted in the second round of that draft as well, including Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O’Neal, and Latrell Sprewell Here is a look at where those second rounders from the 1992 NBA Draft are now.

Alonzo Mourning was drafted 2nd overall by the Charlotte Hornets He played for the Hornets for four seasons before being traded to the Miami Heat where he spent most of his career. He was a seven-time All-Star and two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He won an NBA Championship with the Heat in 2006. He is now an executive with the Charlotte Hornets

Shaquille O’Neal was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the 1st pick in the 1992 NBA Draft He played for six teams during his Hall of Fame career. He was a 15-time All-Star and four-Ime Nba Champion. He is now a analyst on TNT’s Inside The NBA

Latrell Sprewell was drafted by the Golden State Warriors with the 18th pick in the 1992 NBA Draft He played for five teams during his 14-year career. He was a three-time All-Star and an All-NBA Second Team selection in 1994. He is now an analyst on ESPN’s First Take.

Busts

The following is a list of players who, had the 1992 NBA draft been redone, would have likely been drafted much lower than they were originally. Some of these “busts” went on to have semi-successful careers, while others were out of the league within a few years.

-Shawn Bradley: Originally selected 2nd overall by the Philadelphia 76ers, Bradley was a massive disappointment. Standing 7’6″, Bradley had the size to be a dominant force in the paint, but he was slow and lacked strength. He averaged just 8.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game during his 12-year career and is widely considered one of the biggest busts in NBA history

--Greg Anthony Anthony was originally drafted by the New York Knicks with the 12th overall pick in 1992. He was a solid player during his 14-year career, averaging 10.9 points and 3.8 assists per game but he never lived up to his draft status.

-Jimmy Jackson: Jackson was one of the most highly touted prospects in 1992, but he failed to live up to expectations during his 12-year nba career. He averaged 16.2 points per game during his career, but he was often hampered by injuries and off-court issues.

All-Stars

The 1992 NBA All-Star game was played on February 9, 1992, at the Orlando Arena in Orlando, Florida. The West team defeated the East team 153–113. Michael Jordan was named the game’s Most Valuable Player for a record third time.

This was the first All-Star Game to be televised by NBC Russian television. This would also be the final year that Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas would share an All-Star MVP Award as they would both retire before the next season’s All-Star Game This is also the only All-Star Game that has been broadcast in multiple languages internationally.

Hall of Famers

In the 1992 NBA redraft there were a total of 22 Hall of Famers that were either drafted or signed as undrafted free agents These Hall of Famers have had successful careers in the NBA, and some of them are still playing today. Here is a list of the 22 Hall of Famers from the 1992 NBA Redraft:

Drafted:
-Alonzo Mourning (2nd overall by Charlotte Hornets)
-Shaquille O’Neal (1st overall by Orlando Magic)
--Chris Webber (1st overall by Golden State Warriors)
-Anfernee Hardaway (3rd overall by Orlando Magic)
--Dominique Wilkins (3rd overall by Atlanta Hawks)
--Reggie Miller (11th overall by Indiana Pacers)
--Steve Smith (5th overall by Miami Heat)
--Dennis Rodman (27th overall by Detroit Pistons)

Signed as undrafted free agents
--Karl Malone (Utah Jazz)
– John Stockton (Utah Jazz)
-Vlade Divac (Los Angeles Lakers)

Role Players

The beauty of the NBA is that is takes all types to win a championship. The superstar level talent may get all of the headlines but role players are what help teams round out their roster and become true contenders. Here’s a redraft of the 1992 NBA draft focusing on where the role players from that class are now.

48. Omaha Racers- Chris Mullin: Olympic Gold Medalist & Basketball Hall of Famer
50. Detroit Pistons Stacey Augmon: Assistant Coach for Atlanta Hawks
56. Cleveland Cavaliers Anthony Miller: Retired Professional Basketball Player

International Players

In the 1992 NBA Draft there were a number of International Players that were drafted. These players came from all over the world, including Europe, South America, and Africa. Here is a look at where some of these players are now.

Drazen Petrovic was one of the best shooters in NBA history He was drafted in the 3rd round by the Nets, but he only played 3 seasons in the NBA before he passed away tragically in a car accident

Toni Kukoc was another National Player who had a long and successful NBA career. He was drafted by the Bulls in the 2nd round, and he went on to win 3 NBA titles with them. He also won an Olympic gold medal with Croatia in 1992.

Vlade Divac is another player who had a long and successful NBA career He was drafted by the Lakers in the 1st round, and he played for a number of teams during his 16-year career. He is now retired from playing basketball but he remains active as the President of the Serbian Olympic Committee.

What If?

In 1992, the NBA had a very different look. Michael Jordan was in his prime, but the rest of the league was wide open. In a redraft, where would the Top Players from that class end up?

The 1992 NBA Draft was loaded with talent. Michael Jordan was the clear-cut No. 1 pick, but there were plenty of other great players available. In a redraft, where would they all end up?

In this redraft, we take a look at where the top players from that class would end up if they were drafted today. We’ve taken into account their career achievements, their current playing status and their potential future impact on the league.

No. 1: Michael Jordan – Chicago Bulls
No. 2: Shaquille O’Neal – Orlando Magic
No. 3: Alonzo Mourning – Charlotte Hornets
No. 4: Christian Laettner – Minnesota Timberwolves
No. 5: Jimmy Jackson – Dallas Mavericks
No. 6: Harold Miner – Sacramento Kings
No 7: Latrell Sprewell – Golden State Warriors

Conclusion

In conclusion, the 1992 NBA Redraft is an interesting “what if” exercise that allows us to look back at one of the most stacked drafts in NBA history and see where the career trajectories of these great players might have gone had they been drafted by different teams. It’s also a reminder of how much can change in a player’s career in just a few short years.