Bruno Caboclo (Brazil)
In some weird alternative universe, Kawhi Leonard is not smoking cigars celebrating a championship right now, because the Toronto Raptors never traded for him. They never needed to — not with Bruno Caboclo.
Caboclo was taken with the 20th pick in the 2014 draft as ESPN’s international expert Fran Fraschilla memorably exclaimed that Caboclo was “two years away from being two years away.”
That timeline would’ve put Caboclo right in line to explode onto the scene this year and lead the Raptors to the title in Kawhi’s place. Come to think of it, has anyone ever seen Kawhi Leonard and Bruno Caboclo in the same room at once? Thankfully for Toronto, they were not deterred from drafting lengthy international players. They took Pascal Siakam two years later, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Naz says
You forgot the Golden State Warriors mistaken high draft pick around 10 years ago, Andres Biedrins, a terrible Center and not much better person.