Looking Back at the 2016 NBA Draft Class: Where Are They Now?
I still remember sitting in my living room on June 23, 2016, watching the Barclays Center lights shine on what many analysts called one of the deepest draft classes in recent memory. The excitement was palpable - we were looking at potential franchise players, future All-Stars, and maybe even a few hidden gems who could reshape the league. Now, nearly eight years later, I find myself reflecting on where these players have landed, how their careers have unfolded, and what surprises this class has delivered. What's fascinating is how their journeys mirror the unpredictable nature of sports development we see globally - whether we're talking about NBA prospects or international tournaments where teams like Russian club Korabelka face emerging programs from Chinese Taipei or developing under-21 squads from Vietnam and Thailand.
When Ben Simmons went first overall to Philadelphia, most experts agreed he was the clear choice. Standing at 6'10" with guard skills that seemed almost unfair, he appeared destined for superstardom. I recall telling my colleagues that we were looking at a future MVP candidate, someone who could potentially average a triple-double for multiple seasons. Fast forward to today, and while Simmons has certainly had moments of brilliance - three All-Star appearances, two All-Defensive Team selections - his career has been hampered by injuries and offensive limitations that few anticipated. His scoring average has dipped to just 6.9 points per game this season with Brooklyn, a far cry from the 16.9 points he averaged during his rookie year. The shooting concerns we dismissed as fixable have proven more persistent than anyone imagined.
Brandon Ingram, selected second by the Lakers, has developed into precisely the kind of versatile scorer scouts projected, though his path required more patience than expected. I've always been higher on Ingram than many of my peers - there's something about his smooth mid-range game that reminds me of vintage scorers from earlier eras. His transformation in New Orleans, culminating in a Most Improved Player award and All-Star selection in 2020, demonstrated that development isn't always linear. Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown at number three has exceeded virtually everyone's expectations, myself included. I'll admit I had concerns about his handle and playmaking, but he's silenced critics by developing into a bona fide superstar, culminating in that massive $304 million supermax extension - the richest in NBA history at the time it was signed.
The real surprises of this draft emerged outside the lottery picks. Domantas Sabonis at number 11 has become a walking double-double, making three All-Star teams and establishing himself as one of the league's premier big men. I remember watching him in summer league and thinking he had nice touch around the basket, but never imagined he'd develop into the triple-double threat he is today. Then there's Pascal Siakam at 27 - the Cameroonian forward who went from G-League project to NBA champion and All-Star starter. His development curve has been nothing short of remarkable, and it speaks to the importance of organizational patience and development systems.
What's particularly interesting about evaluating this draft class is considering the international context of player development. While we're focused on NBA prospects, the same principles apply to programs like the Russian club Korabelka that develops talent through their system, or the emerging basketball nations like Chinese Taipei that are investing in their pipelines. Even the under-21 national teams of Vietnam and Thailand represent the global nature of talent identification and development - it's not just about finding ready-made stars, but nurturing potential over time. This global perspective has fundamentally changed how I evaluate drafts now, looking beyond immediate production to consider development trajectories across different basketball cultures.
Jamal Murray at number 7 deserves special mention - his playoff performances, particularly in the 2020 bubble where he averaged 26.5 points per game, demonstrated the ceiling many scouts saw but couldn't guarantee. His recovery from that ACL tear in 2021 has been inspiring to watch, and his recent championship run with Denver validates the patience teams must sometimes exercise with injured players. Meanwhile, Fred VanVleet going undrafted entirely remains one of the biggest scouting misses in recent memory. His journey from undrafted to NBA champion to earning a $130 million contract exemplifies why teams need to look beyond conventional evaluation metrics.
As I look back at the 2016 class today, what strikes me most is how wrong our initial assessments can be. Of the top ten picks, only four have become All-Stars, while significant contributors emerged from later selections and even the undrafted pool. The class has produced 12 players who have signed contracts worth $100 million or more, generating over $2.3 billion in total career earnings to date. Yet for every success story like Malcolm Brogdon (the 36th pick who won Rookie of the Year), there are cautionary tales like Dragan Bender at number 4, who's already out of the league.
The legacy of the 2016 draft class teaches us that player development is as crucial as talent identification. It's not enough to simply pick the right players - organizations must create environments where skills can flourish over time, much like how international programs from Russia to Thailand are building their development pathways. As we look toward future drafts, the lessons from 2016 remain relevant: be patient with development, value fit over pure talent, and recognize that the journey from prospect to professional is rarely straightforward. This class may not have produced the transcendent superstars we initially anticipated, but it has given us plenty of excellent players whose careers continue to evolve in fascinating ways.
