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During the 2011 draft, the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs were both trying to make some trades with the same goal in mind, and that is to move up the order to select Lithuanian center Jonas Valanciunas.
Both teams' respective front offices were close to pulling the trigger for the number five pick that year, but, as we all know by now, it eventually did not happen for either franchise.
Although the Toronto Raptors‘ center has had a decent career so far, both teams can be considered lucky not to have made moves five years ago as their 2011 rookies turned out to be better than expected for them. The Warriors added Klay Thompson while the Spurs ended up with Kawhi Leonard via a draft night trade. Both became All-Stars and are now two of the league's brightest stars.
It can be argued that the 7-foot big man could have flourished under the system of either Spurs or Warriors, but it would have also changed the landscape of how their rosters were constructed. Golden State would not have formed the “Splash Brothers” and their eventual pursuit of Kevin Durant would have easily been affected. The Spurs, on the other hand, might not have pursued either LaMarcus Aldridge or Pau Gasol anymore as Valanciunas is already a traditional big man.
As it turned out, all three teams are now in a good position to contend for a championship this season. The Warriors and Spurs are widely considered as the two best squads in the West while the Raptors are an Eastern powerhouse.
As they say, all's well that ends well, and the fans are left to wonder what could have been if their teams selected different players during that draft.
