The 2015 NBA draft is less than two months away, and for teams that aren’t still participating in the NBA playoffs, the focus is on using that event to build toward a better future. The exact draft order won’t be known until the May 19th lottery, when the simple bounce of a ping-pong ball can alter the fate of a franchise. Of course, having one of the top selections in any draft doesn’t guarantee that a team will snag a future All-Star. Team executives and scouts still have the difficult task of making the correct call with their picks.
With this in mind we at Hoops Rumors will be taking a look back at the draft history of the primary basketball executive for each NBA team. Their names, reputations, and possibly employment will be on the line as a result of the decisions to come on June 25th, and we’ll be examining what they’ve done in previous years in charge of a club’s front office. Note that many of them have played other sorts of roles within a team’s executive structure, but this won’t take that into account. We’ll continue onward with a look back at the calls made by former Clippers GM and current Trail Blazers President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey…
Clippers (March 2010-June 2012)
2010 Draft
- No. 8 Overall — Al-Farouq Aminu: 377 games, 6.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.1 APG. .437/.286/.726.
- No. 54 Overall — Willie Warren: 19 games, 1.9 PPG, 0.6 RPG, 1.4 APG. .371/.333/.750.
Notable players passed over: Gordon Hayward (No. 9), Eric Bledsoe (No. 18), Hassan Whiteside (No. 33), and Lance Stephenson (No. 40).
2011 Draft
- No first-rounder. Pick (No.1 overall) owned by Cavs as result of Baron Davis/Mo Williams trade.
- No. 37 Overall — Trey Thompkins: 24 games, 2.4 PPG, 0.4 RPG, 1.0 APG. .393/.308/.714.
- No. 47 Overall — Travis Leslie: 10 games, 1.4 PPG, 0.9 RPG, 0.5 APG. .357/.000/.444.
Notable players passed over/available at original draft slot: Kyrie Irving (No. 1), Klay Thompson (No. 11), Kawhi Leonard (No. 15), Tobias Harris (No. 19), Kenneth Faried (No. 22), Nikola Mirotic (No. 23), Reggie Jackson (No. 24), Jimmy Butler (No. 30), Chandler Parsons (No. 38), and Isaiah Thomas (No. 60).
Trail Blazers (June 2012-Present)
2012 Draft
- No. 6 Overall — Damian Lillard: 246 games, 20.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 6.1 APG. .429/.368/.861.
- No. 11 Overall — Meyers Leonard: 164 games, 4.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 0.5 APG. .517/.400/.831.
- No. 40 Overall — Will Barton: 172 games, 5.0 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.0 APG. .407/.230/.785.
Notable players passed over: Andre Drummond (No. 9), Draymond Green (No. 35), and Khris Middleton (No. 39).
Note: Selected Tyshawn Taylor with the No. 41 overall pick, who was later dealt to the Nets for cash.
2013 Draft
- No. 10 Overall — C.J. McCollum: 100 games, 6.3 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 0.9 APG. .429/.388/.692.
- No. 39 Overall — Jeff Withey: 95 games, 3.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 0.7 BPG. .523/.000/.699.
- No. 45 Overall — Marko Todorovic: No NBA regular season appearances.
Notable players passed over: Michael Carter-Williams (No. 11), Giannis Antetokounmpo (No. 15), and Rudy Gobert (No. 27).
2014 Draft
- First round pick (No. 24) owned by Hornets and traded to Heat.
- Second-rounder (No. 56) owned by Nuggets and dealt to Magic.
Notable players available at draft slot: Shabazz Napier (No. 24), K.J. McDaniels (No. 32), and Jordan Clarkson (No. 46).