Alongside the usual options of drafting and trading, one of the avenues available in the world of NBA roster construction is that of pursuing “redraft” players. This practice – particularly common among teams near the bottom of the standings – can yield good reinforcements for cheap. But only when it works.
Essentially, a “redraft” player is defined here as a young player who did not break out with the team that drafted him, was picked up relatively cheaply by a new team (be it via trade, free agency or waivers), and then proceeded to break out with them. Having a second chance at selecting and developing a young player is akin to getting a second chance at drafting them, hence the name.
Oftentimes, this does not work. You need only skim-read the draft selections from any year to find multiple players who did not ever become NBA rotation players, not just once but at least twice. A look at the 2019 NBA Draft, for example, finds names such as Jarrett Culver, Sekou Doumbouya, Romeo Langford and Luka Samanic, all players who failed to make the grade with multiple teams, from just the top 20 selections alone.
Sometimes, though, it works. And there are several such players surviving and thriving in the league today. There follows a look at nine such “redraft” players currently doing good work in the NBA.