NBA Draft: 13 times the LA Clippers left stars on the board

2. 2014 NBA Draft

Clippers Select: C.J. Wilcox (28)

Still on the Board: Nikola Jokic (41)

To be fair to the Clippers, every team in the NBA passed on the seven-foot center from Serbia in 2014 as the Denver Nuggets found an absolute steal of a pick midway through the second round.

Since being selected 41st overall by the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic has become one of the best big men in the NBA as well as the focal point of Denver’s offensive attack. The team relies on him for his soft touch, ability to spread the floor, and supreme skills as a passer from the center position.

The slick-passing big is averaging 20.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists-per-game this season while leading the Denver Nuggets to a record of 43-22 (good for third place in the Western Conference, just behind the Clippers.)

Jokic has been selected as an All-Star two times in his young career and was voted First Team All-NBA for the 2018-19 season.

C.J. Wilcox played in a total of 44 games over two seasons with the Clippers before being traded to the Orlando Magic on July 15, 2016. He played in 22 games that season with the Magic before being waived in April 2017. He’s also held two-way contracts and ten-day stints with the Portland Trailblazers and Indiana Pacers but has not played in an NBA game since 2017.

The Clippers are certainly not alone as many teams are left wishing they would have taken a closer look at Jokic when he was entering the NBA. But where they fell short, the Nuggets got lucky and nabbed a star and centerpiece for the future of their franchise.