It is wild to think about now, but there was a time when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wasn't the "SGA" we know today. He wasn't the face of a franchise or an MVP finalist. He was just a skinny kid from Hamilton, Ontario, with a funky jumper and some of the smoothest footwork anyone had ever seen in a teenager. If you're asking when did Shai get drafted, the short answer is June 21, 2018. But the short answer is boring. The real story involves a draft-night swap, a legendary logo, and a massive gamble that the Charlotte Hornets probably regret every single morning when they check the box scores.
He went 11th overall.
Think about that for a second. Ten teams passed on a guy who is currently dismantling professional defenses with the casual indifference of a guy folding laundry. It happened at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Shai walked across that stage wearing a floral suit that honestly signaled exactly who he was going to be: someone who didn't care about the status quo.
The Draft Night Switch That Nobody Saw Coming
When the Charlotte Hornets selected him at 11, he put on the hat. He did the interviews. He looked like a Hornet. But the ink wasn't even dry on the draft cards before the news broke that he was being shipped to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers wanted him badly. Jerry West—the actual "Logo" of the NBA—was in the room for LA back then, and he saw something in Shai that others missed. To get him, the Clippers traded the 12th pick (Miles Bridges) and two future second-rounders to move up just one spot. It felt like a minor transaction at the time. Just a little housekeeping in the middle of the first round. Looking back, it was a heist.
Shai wasn't the headliner of the 2018 class. That year belonged to the hype of Deandre Ayton, the mystery of Luka Dončić, and the pure scoring gravity of Trae Young. Shai was the "upside" play. People knew he was long. They knew he could defend. But nobody—maybe not even Jerry West—knew he’d turn into a guy who could drop 30 points in his sleep while moving at what looks like 0.75x speed.
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Why Shai Slipped to 11th
It’s easy to play Monday morning quarterback. We look at the 2018 draft now and wonder how Kevin Knox went 9th or why Mo Bamba went 6th while Shai waited.
At Kentucky, Shai didn't even start right away. He had to earn his minutes over guys like Quade Green. He wasn't a "one-and-done" superstar from day one of the college season. He grew into it. By the time the NCAA tournament rolled around, he was clearly the best player on a team that included several future NBA talents.
Scouts had concerns, though. His three-point shot was slow. He wasn't an explosive, "jump out of the gym" athlete like Russell Westbrook or John Wall. He was methodical. In a league that was becoming obsessed with high-speed transitions and logo threes, Shai’s game felt like a throwback. He played with a rhythm that felt slightly off-beat. Honestly, it's that same off-beat rhythm that makes him unguardable today, but back then, it just looked like he might be too slow for the elite level.
The Path from LA to OKC
If you're tracking the timeline of when did Shai get drafted, you have to look at the 2019 offseason as the "second draft" for him. He only spent one year in Los Angeles. He was great for them, too. He made the All-Rookie Second Team and showed out in a playoff series against the Kevin Durant-era Warriors.
Then, the Paul George trade happened.
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Sam Presti, the GM of the Oklahoma City Thunder, didn't just want picks for Paul George. He wanted Shai. He viewed Shai as the centerpiece. Most people thought the "haul" was the record-setting amount of draft picks, but for the Thunder, Shai was the prize.
Since that move, Shai has evolved from a promising rookie into a perennial All-NBA First Team lock. He survived the "tanking" years in OKC, stayed patient, and worked on a midrange game that is statistically more efficient than almost anyone in the history of the sport. It's rare to see a player drafted outside the top 10 become the definitive "best player" of their class, but a lot of people are starting to argue that Shai might be exactly that, even with Luka in the same conversation.
What Most People Forget About the 2018 Draft
The context of that night is fascinating. The 2018 draft was supposed to be the "Year of the Big Man." You had Ayton, Bamba, Wendell Carter Jr., and Marvin Bagley III all going in the top seven. It was a pivot point for the league. Small ball was winning, but teams were still desperate for the next dominant center.
Shai was part of a guard class that was overshadowed.
If we redid that draft today, the order would be unrecognizable.
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- Luka Dončić
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Jalen Brunson (who went in the second round!)
That’s basically the consensus top three now. Seeing Shai at number two over guys like Trae Young or Jaren Jackson Jr. shows just how much he has outperformed his draft slot. He didn't have the loudest game, but he had the most adaptable one.
Understanding Shai’s Impact Since Being Drafted
When Shai entered the league, he was roughly 180 pounds. He looked like a light breeze could knock him off his line. Now, he’s one of the strongest guards in the league when it comes to "functional strength." He doesn't need to bench press a house; he just needs to hold his spot in the lane while a defender tries to bump him.
His development has been a masterclass in incremental gains. Every year since 2018, he has added one specific thing. One year it was the step-back. The next, it was the "stop-and-pop" at the free-throw line. Then it was the elite finishing at the rim.
He leads the league in drives to the basket almost every single season. Think about that. A guy who isn't the fastest or the strongest is getting to the hoop more than anyone else. It's all because of the footwork scouts saw glimpses of back in 2018.
Actionable Takeaways for NBA Fans
If you're following Shai's career or looking into draft history, there are a few things you should keep in mind about how the league evaluates talent:
- Look at the "Second Jump": When evaluating draftees, don't just look at their freshman stats. Look at how much they improved from November to March. Shai’s massive jump at Kentucky was the biggest green flag.
- Wingspan over Height: Shai is 6'6", but his wingspan is nearly 7 feet. That’s why he was drafted. Length allows guards to recover on defense and finish over centers.
- The Trade Context: Always remember that draft day is just the beginning. The Hornets getting Miles Bridges and two second-rounders seemed like a "value" move at the time. In the NBA, 1-for-1 talent usually beats "depth" trades.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the blueprint for the modern "big guard." He proved that you don't need to be a viral dunker to dominate the league. You just need to be able to get to your spots, and Shai has been getting to his spots since that night in June 2018.
To see how Shai stacks up this season, you can track his efficiency metrics on sites like Cleaning The Glass or Basketball-Reference, where his "Win Shares" and "True Shooting Percentage" consistently rank among the elite. Watching his old Kentucky highlights next to his current Thunder highlights is the best way to see how much a player can transform their body and game in just a few years.