Jaylen Brown's MVP Season Is Making Everyone Revisit the 2016 Draft, and One No. 4 Pick Is Still a Nightmare

Alright, fam, it's June 22, 2026, and that means we're officially a decade out from the 2016 NBA Draft. Man, does time fly or what? This class was wild, and looking back now, it's a total trip. Ben Simmons went No. 1 overall to the 76ers, and the Boston Celtics made a seriously genius move by grabbing Jaylen Brown. But on the flip side, you've got teams like the Phoenix Suns who are probably still having nightmares about picking Dragan Bender at No. 4. Can you believe seven players from this class, like Brown, Simmons, Jamal Murray, Domantas Sabonis, Brandon Ingram, Pascal Siakam, and Dejounte Murray, have all made at least one All-Star team? Crazy, right? Even wilder, none of those guys were Rookie of the Year! That honor went to Malcolm Brogdon, picked way down at No. 36 by the Bucks, who actually just retired before the 2025-26 season. So yeah, with the 2026 NBA Draft right around the corner, let's dive into the biggest hits and misses from that 2016 class.

This Class's Undeniable King

Seriously, if you're talking about the best player from the 2016 draft, it's Jaylen Brown. No doubt. Even with those offseason trade rumors linking him to the Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo, this dude has been straight fire. His resume is stacked: five NBA All-Star appearances and two All-NBA campaigns in 2023 and 2026. But what he did this past season, 2025-26, was just absurd. With Jayson Tatum missing most of the year, Brown stepped up as Boston's 1A and had the best statistical season of his career. He was an MVP candidate, dropping 28.7 points a game, and earned a second-team All-N

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BA nod. What a monster! Sure, Pascal Siakam, Jamal Murray, and Domantas Sabonis were also in the running for "biggest star," but Brown is the real deal.

The Absolute Steal, and the Blatant Bust

Now, let's talk about the pure genius of some picks and the absolute head-scratchers. The biggest steal? That's gotta be Pascal Siakam, snagged by the Toronto Raptors at No. 27. Talk about consistency! Siakam has been one of the best and most consistent players from this whole class. He won a title with the Raptors in his third season, and then helped the Indiana Pacers reach the NBA Finals in 2025, just a bit over a year after his trade from Toronto. Four NBA All-Star appearances and the league's Most Improved Player in 2019? Yeah, that's a steal. Dejounte Murray and Ivica Zubac were great, but Siakam owns this category. But then there's the other end of the spectrum, the biggest bust. Honestly, there's almost no debate here: Dragan Bender, the No. 4 overall pick by the Suns. This one still hurts just thinking about it. Bender played a pathetic 187 total games in the NBA across four seasons. He last suited up for the Warriors during the 2019-20 season, logging just over 21 minutes per game in a measly nine appearances. And here's the kicker, the one that makes you want to pull your hair out: the Denver Nuggets picked Jamal Murray just three spots after Bender. Ouch! While Thon Maker and Georgios Papagiannis were also misses, Bender at No. 4 is a historical whiff. So, as we look ahead to the 2026 NBA Draft, it's a wild reminder of how much can change in a decade and how critical those early picks really are. What kinda talent will we see emerging from *this* class in ten years? We'll be watching!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.