One of the great, nerdy joys of any die-hard NBA fan is going back through the years and doing re-drafts — figuring out how old NBA drafts would have played out with the knowledge we have now.
Some old drafts aren’t as much fun to discuss. For example, in no universe do the Cleveland Cavaliers not select LeBron James at No. 1 overall in 2003.
Some drafts, like 2008, can stir up quite a bit of debate — the year the Chicago Bulls selected point guard Derrick Rose at No. 1 overall.
It’s also the year the Seattle SuperSonics selected point guard Russell Westbrook at No. 4 overall — although he would never play a game in Seattle after the team became the Oklahoma City Thunder by the time his rookie year started.
It’s also a no-brainer to look back and see Westbrook as the clear-cut No. 1 overall pick — something the Washington Wizards could actually re-create in 2026 if they have the guts to take Kansas point guard Darryn Peterson with the No. 1 overall pick.
Oddsmakers seem to think that might still be in play.
While BYU power forward A.J. Dybantsa (-320) is the odds-on favorite at FanDuel as of May 23, Peterson (+280) seems like he’s still very much in the mix.
“I’ve seen those guys on the same floor in person probably 8-10 times,” NBA Draft expert Jonathan Givony said on May 11. “Not once did I come away thinking AJ Dybantsa is a better prospect than Darryn Peterson.”
Bulls Never Got Full Potential Out of Derrick Rose
Rose’s career is 1 of the great “What If?” questions in NBA history.
After starting his career off like a rocket ship through his 1st 4 seasons, a stretch in which he was named a 3-time NBA All-Star, NBA Rookie of the Year in 2009, and NBA Most Valuable Player in 2011 — the youngest player in NBA history to win the award at just 22 years old.
After leading the Bulls to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2011, Rose signed a 4-year, $100 million contract extension in December of that year, then tore his ACL in the 1st round of the 2012 Eastern Conference Playoffs. He never returned to his previous form.
Rose only played 10 games over the next 2 seasons, never played more than 66 games in a season over the rest of his career, and never played more than 50 games in a season over the final 5 seasons of his career, which ended with 24 games for the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2023-24 season.
Peterson Seems Like 2nd Coming of Westbrook
The comparisons between Peterson and Westbrook, who is headed into his 19th NBA season in 2026-27, are hard to ignore.
Peterson, 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, at times seems like a slightly bigger version of Westbrook, 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, a 9-time NBA All-Star, 9-time All-NBA Team selection, and the 2017 NBA MVP.
In college, Peterson seems to already be far ahead of where Westbrook was at offensively at the same age.
In his 1 season at Kansas, Peterson averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and shot 38.2 percent on 3-pointers but only played in 24 games with cramping issues.
In his 2nd and final season at UCLA in 2007-08, Westbrook averaged 12.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.6 steals, and shot 33.8 percent on 3-pointers.
“There are a lot of people who think Peterson is the best player in this draft,” NBA insider Ramona Shelbourne said on May 13. “Because of all the issues at Kansas (with cramping), Dybantsa is now the projected No. 1 pick … but you can very credibly make a case that Darryn should be the No. 1 pick.”
Wizards Urged to Use No. 1 Overall Pick on Russell Westbrook 2.0