Re-Drafting Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki and the 1998 NBA Draft | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

21. Charlotte Hornets: Radoslav Nesterovic

Radoslav Nesterovic isn't quite worth his original No. 17 slot in a re-draft, but he's not far off. He carved out a 12-year NBA career, thanks in large part to the flashes he showed during his fourth and fifth seasons.

From 2001-02 to 2002-03, he averaged 12.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.8 blocks per 36 minutes while showing functional range outside the paint. That stretch earned him a six-year, $42 million contract in 2003 from the San Antonio Spurs, who viewed him as a David Robinson replacement capable of sheltering Tim Duncan from too many center minutes.

They were so hot for Nesterovic, in fact, that head coach Gregg Popovich went to visit him even while the team was immersed in an all-out recruitment of Jason Kidd. That investment didn't quite pan out in the Spurs' favor. Nesterovic was out of the starting lineup midway through his third season in San Antonio and traded before the start of 2006-07.

22. Los Angeles Clippers: Earl Boykins

This represents quite the jump for Earl Boykins, who went undrafted in 1998 despite averaging 25.7 points and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 40.7 percent from deep during his senior season at Eastern Michigan. His size no doubt worked against him. Standing at 5'5", he is still the second-shortest player in league history, ahead of only the 5'3" Muggsy Bogues.

It took a while for Boykins to work his way up into a regular rotation spot. His big break came with the Golden State Warriors in 2002-03, five years and five teams after entering the NBA. He averaged 8.8 points and 3.3 assists in over 19 minutes per game while downing 37.7 percent of his threes.

The Denver Nuggets rewarded him with a five-year, $13.7 million deal in free agency that summer. The three-and-a-half years Boykin spent with them were the most productive of his career; he averaged 17.3 points and 5.8 assists per 36 minutes as an offensive flamethrower off the bench.

All told, Boykins eked out a 13-year career on the merit of his relentless offense. He was never afraid to let it fly from distance and had a certain slipperiness off the dribble that put those much, much bigger than him on tilt.

23. Denver Nuggets: Pat Garrity

Pat Garrity was moved several times before he ever actually put on an NBA uniform. Selected at No. 19 by the Milwaukee Bucks, he was promptly shipped, along with Nowitzki, to the Dallas Mavericks, who then turned around and sent him to the Phoenix Suns as part of the package for Steve Nash. (Aside: It turns out that series of wheeling and dealing worked out quite well for Dallas.)

A right knee injury in 2003-04 derailed what should have been Garrity's prime. He was never the same player after returning, and he retired following the 2007-08 campaign. But he enjoyed a nice stretch with the Orlando magic from 1999-00 to 2002-03, during which he shot 41.3 percent from distance and ranked 10th in total made three-pointers.

24. San Antonio Spurs: Michael Doleac

Michael Doleac, initially taken at No. 12, garnered draft interest for his combination of size and shooting touch. At 6'11", he had a big body teams could plant in the paint on defense, and he hinted at novel range for someone his size by going 21-of-50 (42 percent) from beyond the arc in his final two seasons at Utah.

Though Doleac never took his game behind the three-point line in the NBA—he finished 1-of-8 from deep for his career—he leveraged a pretty consistent touch just inside the arc. Over 46 percent of his career looks came between 16 feet and the three-point line, where he shot an impressive 44.6 percent.

25. Indiana Pacers: Brian Skinner

Brian Skinner drops only a few spots from his initial No. 22 position, in no small part because he made NBA appearances across 14 seasons. His offense never hit the standard he set at Baylor. He could put the ball on the floor, and he could hoist the occasional long two, but his efficiency—including at the foul line—didn't warrant an expanded role or usage.

Without question, his best year came in 2003-04, when he was on the Milwaukee Bucks. He averaged 10.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game in what was his only stint as an every-game starter.

26. Los Angeles Lakers: Greg Buckner

Props to Greg Buckner for improving his draft position by 27 slots. He deserves it. The Mavericks selected him at No. 53 in 1998, and he went on to enjoy a 10-year career.

Never anything close to a star, Buckner built up his staying power by working his tail off defensively, hitting the glass hard for a guard and displaying sound offensive decision-making. He ate up neither shots nor possession time and kept the ball moving without throwing careless passes.

From Buckner's first season (1999-00) to his last (2008-09), only five players matched his defensive rebound, assist and steal rates while appearing in as many games: Kobe Bryant, Kidd, Andrei Kirilenko, Wells and Metta World Peace.

27. Seattle SuperSonics: Keon Clark

Keon Clark split his career among four teams. His best season, by far, came with the Toronto Raptors in 2001-02. They afforded him carte blanch to plumb his floor game when facing the basket and capitalized on his ability to run, and he responded with the glitziest line of his career: 11.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game on almost 50 percent shooting inside the arc.

Things still never came together for Clark on offense. He finished with power above the rim and was quick on his feet for a big man, even with the ball in his hands, but he didn't have the playmaking chops, possession control or mid-range consistency to be a more prominent option.

Positive aside, though: Clark owns the Raptors' franchise record for blocks in a game. He racked up 12 swats against the Atlanta Hawks in 2001.

28. Chicago Bulls: Michael Dickerson

Injuries torpedoed Michael Dickerson's career. Initially selected at No. 14, he retired in 2003, with just five seasons under his belt, after battling groin and abdominal issues. 

Before the injuries, though, Dickerson looked the part of a lottery pick. Put simply: The man could score. He had the speed to get by set defenses and the gall to finish through them. His career 40.2 percent clip on threes is an accurate reflection of how well he could work the outside.

Some will be inclined to leave Dickerson out of the first round. Longevity is his enemy. He lasted just three full seasons. But his super-abridged peak is worth the investment at No. 28. After getting traded from the Houston Rockets to Vancouver Grizzlies in 1999, he averaged 17.4 points and 2.9 assists per game while banging in 39.3 percent of his threes over the next two seasons—numbers matched only by Allen and Carter during that time.

29. Utah Jazz: Shammond Williams

Shammond Williams never had the influence over an NBA offense that he did toward the back end of his time at UNC. His seven seasons in the Association included stints with seven teams, the most successful one coming during a three-year stretch on the Seattle SuperSonics as a fairly regular part of their bench rotation.

None of his individual campaigns jump off the page. He never averaged more than eight points per game. In another universe, though, he might've been a more prolific scorer. He converted 36.6 percent of his three-point attempts for his career, had a nice hesitation burst off the dribble and averaged 16.1 points per 36 minutes in the time he spent overseas.

Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @danfavale.