Here's a list of #6 picks of the past 20 years:
2019 Jarrett Culver, Texas Tech – Minnesota Timberwolves
2018 Mohamed Bamba, Texas – Orlando Magic
2017 Jonathan Isaac, Florida State – Orlando Magic
2016 Buddy Hield, Oklahoma – New Orleans Pelicans
2015 Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky – Sacramento Kings
2014 Marcus Smart, Oklahoma St. – Boston Celtics
2013 Nerlens Noel, Kentucky – New Orleans Pelicans
2012 Damian Lillard, Weber State – Portland Trail Blazers
2011 Jan Vesely, Czech Republic – Washington Wizards
2010 Ekpe Udoh, Baylor – Golden State Warriors
2009 Johnny Flynn, Syracuse – Minnesota Timberwolves
2008 Danilo Gallinari, Italy – New York Knicks
2007 Yi Jianlian, China – Milwaukee Bucks
2006 Brandon Roy, Washington – Minnesota Timberwolves
2005 Martell Webster, Seattle Prep HS – Portland Trail Blazers
2004 Josh Childress, Stanford – Atlanta Hawks
2003 Chris Kaman, Central Michigan – L.A. Clippers
2002 Dajuan Wagner, Memphis – Cleveland Cavaliers
2001 Shane Battier, Duke – Memphis Grizzlies
2000 DerMarr Johnson, Cincinnati – Atlanta Hawks
I'm gonna ignore pre-2005 and cos I didn't know those players well enough aside from Kaman and Battier, as well as Bamba/Culver since it's too early to tell.
Clearly better than Buddy:
Lillard
Brandon Roy
Maybe better than Buddy (when it's all said and done)
Jonathan Isaac
Marcus Smart
Gallinari
Definitely worse than Buddy/Pretty much bust
Noel
WCS
Vesely
Udoh
Yi Jianlian
Flynn
Obviously there are picks after #6 that are better than Buddy, but point being that having that pick is no guarantee of getting a player anywhere near Buddy's caliber. And let's please not pin our hopes on suddenly being the franchise that finds diamonds in the rough. As for the salary difference - who are we spending it on? Bogdan Bogdanovic? George Hill? John Salmons? C'mon guys let's be real here. You pray you find talent and you pay to keep them. Y'all mad at Buddy's comments that no star free agents are signing in Sac but it's the truth. I know you like to play armchair GM and you put a lot of thought into your 10-way trades but that just doesn't happen in reality.