8. JaVale McGee
The former “Shaqtin’ a Fool’ legend has come a long way from his Washington Wizards days when he would make the highlights for the wrong reason. McGee has proven to be a great backup center that rebounds, blocks shots, and can slide his feet on pick and roll switches.
McGee went from a player that was almost out of the league to a sought-out backup center.
7. Jerami Grant
Jerami Grant was a 3-and-D player for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets, but since coming to Detroit he’s shown the ability to score in the post, off the dribble, step backs, and get to the hoop off of iso plays. After being drafted by Philadelphia in the second round in 2014, he immediately showed promise on the defensive end.
No one expected him to be a 20 PPG scorer, but it’s weird that he was traded for Ersan Ilyasova during his third season. Can you imagine the chaos he and Ben Simmons would have caused on the defensive end if they were in the game at the same time? Grant is another example of Philadelphia trading away players with potential for more ping pong balls.