There are worse NBA draft classes than the 2006 iteration.

Still, what happened the night of June 28, 2006, started with Andrea Bargnani's selection at No. 1 overall and never got on track from there. Six of the top 10 picks didn't make it through 10 NBA seasons.

A handful of All-Stars surfaced, but the class never graduated a superstar. It's the kind of talent grab you might remember more for the misses than the hits, even if it produced a few key performers for playoff regulars.

It's impossible to polish this draft—the first of the one-and-done era—into something the league would ever want to display on its mantel, but we can clean it up with the benefit of hindsight. We'll also follow the "best player available" model to create the optimal draft order.

1. Toronto Raptors: LaMarcus Aldridge

Originally selected at No. 2, LaMarcus Aldridge is a mostly clear-cut choice at No. 1. While a few advanced metrics argue on Kyle Lowry's behalf, Aldridge has comfortable leads on his draft classmates in points (19,599), rebounds (8,360), blocks (1,111) and win shares (111.4).

Aldridge's combination of peak and longevity is the best this draft has to offer. He was an All-Rookie first-teamer in 2006-07, and in two years, he helped the Portland Trail Blazers transform from a 50-loss mess to a 54-win up-and-comer. He cleared 20 points per night in his fifth season and made his first All-Star team during his sixth, booking seven trips over an eight-year stretch.

He spent his first nine seasons with the Blazers, and he still holds top-five franchise marks in games (648, fourth), points (12,562, third), rebounds (5,434, first) and win shares (69.4, fourth). Portland was a playoff participant more often than not during his tenure and had four different 50-win campaigns in which he was the first- or second-leading scorer.

He has since moved to the San Antonio Spurs, where he's helped keep their 22-year playoff streak intact, while anchoring elite defenses or finding modern efficiency with a throwback approach to offense. The areas the sport has presumably lost to time—mid-range jumpers, post-ups—are the same ones that have fueled him to the best career in this class.

"He knows who he is," CJ McCollum told The Athletic's Jabari Young. "He hasn't changed his game to try and fit the new NBA. He shoots mid-range shots, scores under the basket. He's an animal."

Actual Pick: Andrea Bargnani

Aldridge's Actual Draft Spot: 2nd, Chicago Bulls (traded to Portland)   

2. Chicago Bulls: Kyle Lowry

Kyle Lowry took the long road to stardom, a meticulous process that saw a surly 6-footer who clashed with coaches—"Me and authority didn't get along," he told Jordan Brenner for a 2015 ESPN The Magazine article—become an indispensable leader and franchise favorite of a world champion.

When Lowry made his All-Star debut in 2015, he was nine seasons and three teams into his NBA career. The year prior was the first in which he started every game he played. But now, it's hard to picture the bulldog point guard as anything other than a two-way force who elevates players around him.

He didn't join the Toronto Raptors until his seventh season, and he's still their all-time leader in assists (3,905), steals (816) and win shares (69.8). He has been named an All-Star six times and an All-NBA third-teamer once.

He is one of five players from this draft with 10,000 career points, one of two with 5,000 career assists and the only one with both.

Actual Pick: LaMarcus Aldridge (traded to Portland)

Lowry's Actual Draft Spot: 24th, Memphis Grizzlies

3. Charlotte Bobcats: Paul Millsap

Every team could use a Paul Millsap. The ones fortunate enough to employ the real thing have often found themselves near the top of their conference standings.

He was a playoff participant in 10 of his first 13 seasons, and before this campaign's suspension, he helped position the Denver Nuggets as the No. 3 seed in the West. Five of his previous clubs were seeded fourth or better, including the 2014-15 Atlanta Hawks (who won 60 games and took the East's top seed) and the 2018-19 Nuggets (who were second in the West with 54 wins).

Millsap's motor and rebounding first got him noticed at Louisiana Tech, but he has come to define his career by two-way versatility. He's been the best version of a jack-of-all-trades, and even if he's never been a top-tier star—although he has made four All-Star appearances—his ability to both score and defend inside and out has made him an easy frontcourt fit no matter who is around him.

Among players selected in this draft, Millsap ranks third in points (13,857), second in rebounds (7,264) and third in assists (2,238). He trails only Aldridge and Lowry in win shares (91.6) and value over replacement player (29.2).

Actual Pick: Adam Morrison

Millsap's Actual Draft Spot: 47th, Utah Jazz

4. Portland Trail Blazers: Rajon Rondo

The back end of Rajon Rondo's career has perhaps warped opinions about its first half. But re-drafters can take it in totality and remember all the good times before he was bouncing to different teams, avoiding defensive responsibilities and struggling to retain relevance in a league that exploited his shooting limitations.

At his peak, he was an impact player—sometimes the best player—for a championship contender. In only his second season, he helped steer the Boston Celtics to a title. He was already a nightly starter by then, and he led them in playoff assists and steals. He spent his first eight-plus years with the Shamrocks, and he still enjoys top-five franchise career ranks in dimes (4,474, fourth) and thefts (990, third).

Rondo is easily the draft's leader in assists (7,215), and he has more triple-doubles (32) than the rest of the draft picks combined (18). He led the NBA in assists three times and steals once, made four All-Star appearances and was an All-Defensive selection four times (twice as a first-teamer).

Actual Pick: Tyrus Thomas (traded to Chicago)

Rondo's Actual Draft Spot: 21st, Phoenix Suns (traded to Boston)

5. Atlanta Hawks: Rudy Gay

Before a decrease in role and increase in age started cutting away at Rudy Gay's production, he was a walking bucket-maker.

He was one of only five rookies in 2006-07 to average double figures, and he nearly doubled his scoring output as a sophomore (10.8 points per game to 20.1). The 2007-08 campaign kicked off a 10-year run in which he averaged 19.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He's one of only four players from this draft to have multiple seasons of 20-plus points per game.

He didn't make a huge dent in other areas, and some advanced metrics aren't his biggest fans (his .087 win shares per 48 minutes only rank 15th in the class). But few teams would complain about spending a fifth overall pick in an underwhelming draft and receiving 16,062 points (and counting) in return.

Actual Pick: Shelden Williams

Gay's Actual Draft Spot: 8th, Houston Rockets (traded to Memphis)

6. Minnesota Timberwolves: JJ Redick

JJ Redick splashed threes early and often in his career, but his first employer (the Orlando Magic) wanted more. So, he largely languished on the bench, and through six NBA seasons, he had only made 41 starts and averaged just 20.5 minutes per night.

But finally, clubs came to their senses and realized that even if Redick was mostly a one-skill specialist, his impact as an off-ball release valve and decoy for the defense could be huge. The Los Angeles Clippers started him immediately after acquiring him in 2013, and he became a critical piece of the most successful stretch in franchise history.

He's an all-time sniper, and there's machine-like precision with everything from his footwork to his release. He's by far the best marksman in this class—he has 1,860 triples; Lowry is the only other player clearing 1,200—and one of the deadliest this league has ever seen. Redick has the fourth-most threes since 2006-07, and his 41.6 percent conversion rate is 11th-best among the 331 players with 500-plus career makes.

Actual Pick: Brandon Roy (traded to Portland)

Redick's Actual Draft Spot: 11th, Orlando Magic

7. Boston Celtics: Brandon Roy

If Brandon Roy's knees cooperated, he could have changed the narrative around this draft. He was the class' best shot at a full-fledged superstar, and he almost attained that level before his body broke down and took his career with it.

Despite missing 25 games, he raced to the Rookie of the Year award with 16.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists per contest. Only 32 rookies have ever hit those marks, and Roy ranked 21st among them with 4.8 win shares that season—just above Stephen Curry and Dwyane Wade.

"It's rare to see a rookie step in, assume a leadership role and become a go-to guy as Brandon did this past season," then-Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan said in a statement. "Brandon is a phenomenal young talent and has a chance to become a very special player in this league."

Roy was well on his way to doing just that. He was an All-Star by his second season, and a 22.6-points-per-game All-NBA second-teamer by his third. From 2007-08 to 2009-10, he was one of only six players to tally at least 4,000 points, 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds. He ranked third among that exclusive club in win shares, trailing only LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.

Sadly, that was basically the end of Roy's NBA story. Ongoing knee trouble limited him to 47 games in 2010-11, and he retired the following December. He attempted a comeback with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2012-13, but he only managed five appearances that season and was waived in May.

Actual Pick: Randy Foye (traded to Minnesota via Portland)

Roy's Actual Draft Spot: 6th, Minnesota Timberwolves (traded to Portland)

8. Houston Rockets: Thabo Sefolosha

It feels abrupt to shift from Roy, a potentially transcendent talent, to Thabo Sefolosha, who has never averaged nine points per game in a season—but longevity matters. Besides, there's only so much star power to go around.

Sefolosha is one of only seven players from this draft to be playing in his 14th NBA season. Despite wearing five different jerseys, he's managed to always find a roster spot via defensive versatility and just enough three-point shooting to add offensive value.

Much like his offense overall, his three-ball comes and goes—three seasons above 41 percent, three below 28—but he has made a habit out of blanketing opposing scorers of all sizes. The only players from this draft to better him in win shares (39.3) or value over replacement player (12.4) are all off the board in this re-draft.

Actual Pick: Rudy Gay (traded to Memphis)

Sefolosha's Actual Draft Spot: 13th, Philadelphia 76ers (traded to Chicago)

9. Golden State Warriors: P.J. Tucker

It's no minor miracle that P.J. Tucker is anywhere on this draft board, let alone inside the top 10. From 2006-07 to 2011-12, he made all of 17 NBA appearances, as he was waived by the Toronto Raptors in March of his rookie season and wouldn't secure his next NBA contract until August 2012. During the interim, he took his talents to Israel, Ukraine, Greece, Italy and Germany.

But work ethic finally brought him back stateside—then-Suns general manager Lance Blanks cited Tucker's "aggressive style of play" when announcing the 2012 pact—and that same relentlessness now allows Tucker to anchor the Houston Rockets' small-ball group as a 6'5", 245-pounder.

He is a role-playing glue-guy, so his numbers are as nondescript as you'd expect. But his relentless, malleable defense has always been a top selling point, and his new dedication to the arc has enhanced his offensive value. He is this season's leader with 80 corner threes, and he's shooting 37-plus percent outside for the third straight year.

Actual Pick: Patrick O'Bryant

Tucker's Actual Draft Spot: 35th, Toronto Raptors

10. Seattle SuperSonics: J.J. Barea

Is J.J. Barea the least likely player to enjoy an NBA career of 14 years and counting? Not to take anything away from his game, but the odds aren't exactly in the favor of a 5'10" undrafted guard. In fact, he's only the sixth player his height or shorter to play 800 games at this level.

But Barea endeared himself to the Dallas Mavericks for his reliability and potency as a second-team spark. He has spent 11 of those 14 seasons with the Mavericks, departing only for a three-year run with the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2011-12 to 2013-14.

To no one's surprise, he has always graded in the red on defense, but he adds enough the other way to hover right around a league-average player (career 14.5 PER). He's just the third player from this draft year to tally at least 7,000 points and 3,000 assists.

Actual Pick: Mouhamed Sene

Barea's Actual Draft Spot: Undrafted   

Late Lottery

11. Orlando Magic: Andrea Bargnani

Predraft comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki are laughable in hindsight, and Bargnani was clearly overdrafted. Among the 35 players taken first overall in the lottery era (starting in 1985), Bargs produced the fourth-fewest win shares per 48 minutes (.057).

Among his draft classmates, though, the 7-foot scoring forward was one of only three to tally at least 5,000 points, 2,500 rebounds and 500 three-pointers.

12. New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets: Randy Foye

The 6'4" combo guard checked most boxes on the offensive end, averaging 10.3 points for his career and hitting an above-average 36.6 percent from deep. He donned seven different jerseys over 11 NBA seasons, and he drilled the fourth-most threes over a three-year period, starting with the 2011-12 campaign.

13. Philadelphia 76ers: Ronnie Brewer

Absent an outside shot, the springy 6'7", 220-pound swingman parlayed disruptive defense and above-the-rim finishing into an eight-year NBA career. Six of those campaigns featured playoff runs: three with the Utah Jazz, two with the Chicago Bulls and the last with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

14. Utah Jazz: C.J. Watson

Undrafted out of Tennessee, Watson became a self-made NBA regular who appeared in 600 games across 10 seasons. After finding his footing in Golden State, he'd move on to help Chicago form its famed "Bench Mob," which coincidentally also featured Brewer.

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15. New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets: Steve Novak

Novak's contributions were limited to one area of one end of the floor, but at least he picked a coveted specialty. The 6'10" sharpshooter nailed 43 percent of his career triples, fifth-best among all players with at least 200 long-range makes during his 11-year run.

16. Chicago Bulls: Jordan Farmar

For nearly a decade, coaches could entrust Farmar with running the second-team offense. He won two rings with the Los Angeles Lakers and then peaked with a three-year stretch of 10.0 points and 4.5 assists in only 23.1 minutes per game.

17. Indiana Pacers: Tyrus Thomas

While Thomas was clearly overdrafted at No. 4, his elite physical tools made him an interesting project who just never panned out. Making the highlight reel was never an issue, but consistency proved to be the puzzle he couldn't solve. He played eight NBA seasons, mostly with the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Bobcats.

18. Washington Wizards: Shannon Brown

Brown had dunk-contest bounce, and on the rare nights when his three-ball was falling, he was hard to handle. Only 12 players in this draft had more 15-point outings than Brown, who played on the same Lakers championship teams as Farmar.

19. Sacramento Kings: Shawne Williams

The 6'9", 225-pound Williams had good size and length for a scoring forward, but he had trouble making it matter. He probably played his best basketball for the 2010-11 New York Knicks, when he averaged 7.1 points in 20.7 minutes per game and shot 40.1 percent from deep.

20. New York Knicks: Daniel Gibson

A former running mate of LeBron James in Cleveland, "Boobie" Gibson packed a mean punch from the perimeter. In fact, he shot even better from three (40.7) percent than he did on twos (39.7). He twice averaged double-digit points, and he made this draft's eighth-most threes despite ranking just 18th in games played.

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21. Phoenix Suns: Sergio Rodriguez

A superstar overseas, Rodriguez spent two stretches on this side of the Atlantic. His penchant for passing was obvious (8.1 assists against 3.3 turnovers per 36 minutes for his career), but so were his limitations as a scorer.

His last NBA season was arguably his best, when he gave the 2016-17 Philadelphia 76ers contributions of 7.8 points, 5.1 assists and 1.4 threes in only 22.3 minutes per game.

22. New Jersey Nets: Ryan Hollins

The 7'0", 240-pound Hollins' combination of length and athleticism helped him easily outperform his original draft position of 50th overall. But his skills lacked refinement, and stronger centers could move him around the paint. Hollins played for nine teams in 10 NBA seasons.

23. New Jersey Nets: Lou Amundson

Undrafted out of UNLV, Amundson hustled his way to a 10-year NBA run. He did his best work as a rebounder and rim-runner, and he averaged a per-36-minutes double-double for his career (10.2 points and 10.1 rebounds).

24. Memphis Grizzlies: Leon Powe

Originally the 49th pick, Powe actually leads this class in win shares per 48 minutes (.174). He won a ring with the Boston Celtics in 2008, and he made four playoff trips over his five NBA seasons.

He wasn't very big or explosive at 6'8", but he compensated with length, strength and interior skill. Unfortunately, he had knee problems before arriving in the Association, and ongoing injury issues led to his early exit.

25. Cleveland Cavaliers: Craig Smith

An undersized interior player at 6'7" and 250 pounds, Smith relied mostly on bully ball to overpower other backup bigs. The Minnesota Timberwolves made him the 36th pick, and he rewarded them with three-year averages of 8.9 points and 4.5 rebounds in only 19.5 minutes per game.

26. Los Angeles Lakers: Renaldo Balkman

Maybe most known now for fighting a teammate in the Philippines, Balkman split his six-year NBA career between the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets and was involved in the 2011 megatrade that put Carmelo Anthony in NYC. Balkman played spirited defense, but his offensive range didn't reach much beyond the restricted area.

27. Phoenix Suns: Hilton Armstrong

Armstrong adds to the list of interchangeable backup big men who make up the bulk of this draft's final third. He paired athleticism with a 7'4" wingspan to become a modestly valuable interior presence. He played six seasons and averaged 9.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per 36 minutes.

28. Dallas Mavericks: Shelden Williams

It was obvious early that Williams had been overdrafted at No. 5 overall, and the Hawks traded him midway through his sophomore season. He played for seven different teams during his six NBA seasons, as his length and defense offered value in limited bursts.

29. New York Knicks: Solomon Jones

Yet another long big man with some bounce, Jones was a late bloomer who always had better tools than skills. But considering he wasn't taken until 33rd overall, he more than justified that draft slot by logging 281 appearances over eight seasons.

30. Portland Trail Blazers: Rodney Carney

Carney had athleticism and flashes of a jump shot, which was enough to make him the 16th pick in the real-life version of the talent grab. But he didn't bring much beyond the occasional rim-rocker, and he averaged less than 18 minutes in each of his five NBA seasons.

All stats courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference unless otherwise noted.

Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @ZachBuckleyNBA.