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Each NBA team has experienced its fair share of draft busts — players who failed to live up to the lofty expectations placed upon them when they were selected. These disappointing picks can haunt franchises for years, serving as reminders of what could have been. In this article, we’ll delve into the history of every NBA team’s biggest first-round draft bust, exploring the circumstances surrounding their selection and the impact it had on the team’s trajectory.
San Antonio Spurs — James Anderson, 20th Pick (2010)
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The Spurs’ draft record is about as spotless as you’ll find across the league. San Antonio has been in the lottery just eight times since 1973 (first year joining the NBA) and has done an excellent job of uncovering gems later in the draft. Looking just outside of the lottery, the Spurs missed badly on the 20th pick in 2010, James Anderson. A big-time scorer in college, Anderson was named an All-American in his final year at Oklahoma State. He hardly saw any run with the Spurs over two-plus seasons and averaged less than 4 PPG with San Antonio. He was out of the league a few years later.
Houston Rockets — Royce White, 16th Pick (2012)
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The Rockets are another team that has done mostly well during the draft. Their history does not include any memorable busts selected near the top. Among players who didn’t pan out, Royce White was a highly-touted prospect who could never make it work at the NBA level. White’s lack of production in the league can be attributed to his uneasy relationship with Rockets management. Former Rockets GM Daryl Morey even suggested White could be “the worst first-round pick ever”. White played in just three games — all with the Kings — and hasn’t returned to the NBA.
New Orleans Pelicans — Hilton Armstrong, 12th Pick (2006)
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The Pels haven’t done a bad job of drafting over the years but did hit a rough patch between 2006-07. Their 2007 first-round pick, Julian Wright, didn’t exactly blossom into a star. The year prior, New Orleans drafted big man Hilton Armstrong out of Connecticut. The clumsy big man spent four seasons in New Orleans before he was shipped off to the Sacramento Kings for a second-round pick. Hardly the return you’d expect out of a former lottery pick.
Oklahoma City Thunder/Seattle SuperSonics — Mouhamed Sene, 10th Pick (2006)
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Before their historic three-year run of lottery picks, the Sonics fumbled their 2006 pick. Mouhamed Sene was a 6-foot-11 center out of Senegal whom the Sonics selected ahead of J.J. Redick, Rajon Rondo, and Kyle Lowry. Sene didn’t have the skill set to flourish at the NBA level. Given his offensive limitations, it was difficult for Sene to find playing time as a young player. With just 47 NBA appearances under his belt, Sene has been out of the league since 2009.
Brooklyn/New Jersey Nets Ed O’Bannon, 9th Pick (1995)
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Fans of the NCAA video game titles are all too familiar with Ed O’Bannon. In 2009, O’Bannon filed a lawsuit against the NCAA claiming that he deserved financial compensation for his likeness being used for NCAA Basketball 09. O’Bannon was a member of the UCLA Bruins squad which won the national title in 1995. Following a stellar collegiate career, the lanky wing was selected ninth overall in the NBA Draft. O’Bannon would last just two years in the Association before taking his talents overseas.
Washington Wizards — Kwame Brown, 1st Pick (2001)
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It doesn’t get much worse than arguably the biggest bust in NBA history. Though Michael Jordan garners rightful praise as being one of the best basketball players in history, his work as an executive has been mostly dreadful. The pinnacle of MJ’s managerial ineptitude was using the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft on Kwame Brown. It was clear from early on that Brown would never live up to the billing as the top pick. His small hands and inconsistent motor led to him being a liability on both ends of the floor. Though his career spanned 12 seasons, there is no question that Brown is the worst pick in Wizards history.
Cleveland Cavaliers — Anthony Bennett, 1st Pick (2013)
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One all-time great No. 1 pick deserves an all-time bust No. 1 pick. A decade after selecting LeBron James first overall, the Cavaliers were left to be a cellar-dweller when their franchise cornerstone bolted to South Beach. As a result, Cleveland won the lottery three times in four years. It worked out pretty well the first time (Kyrie Irving, 2011), and in ’14 they shipped off the No. 1 pick (Andrew Wiggins) to Minnesota for Kevin Love. However, the 2013 selection did not work out for the Cavs. The team shocked the world by selecting UNLV forward Anthony Bennett. Bennett made his last NBA appearance in 2017 and is considered one of the biggest busts in NBA history.
New York Knicks — Mike Sweetney, 9th Pick (2003)
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Since the Ewing era concluded, the Knicks have had their fair share of draft-day blunders to sift through. New York spent a top-15 pick on Frederic Weis — who never played in the NBA with his claim to fame being he was the guy who Vince Carter jumped over during the Olympics in one of the most iconic dunks in basketball history. The very next pick after Weis was New York native and future Defensive Player of the Year Ron Artest (now Metta Sandiford-Artest). After Weis, it’s a pick-em between Sweetney and 2009 No. 8 pick Jordan Hill as the worst Knicks selection. Both bigs were considerable busts in loaded draft classes. Hill stuck around for nearly a decade, while Sweetney lasted just parts of four seasons before calling it a career.
Dallas Mavericks — Samaki Walker, 9th Pick (1996)
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Dallas has enjoyed sustained success over the years, which has prevented them from selecting atop the draft more often than not. One of their more memorable blunders came during the stacked 1996 NBA Draft. Dallas selected Samaki Walker ninth overall. The next three picks were all centers. After that, a run from pick 13 to 17 that included Kobe Bryant, Peja Stojaković, Steve Nash, and Jermaine O’Neal. Dallas had skipped out on two future MVPs and two other All-Stars. Walker played three years with the Mavericks and averaged 5.3 PPG and 4.7 RPG over his career.
Toronto Raptors — Rafael Araujo, 8th Pick (2004)
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Some might have Andrea Bargnani filling this spot for the Raptors. However, the Italian-born sharpshooter was a legitimately solid NBA player for several years — unlike Rafael Araujo. Perhaps the worst aspect of the Araujo pick was how unnecessary it was from Toronto. The Raptors had just selected a pretty good power forward the year prior (Chris Bosh), and certainly didn’t need another player at that position. Instead, the team desperately needed a wing to pair with Bosh — like Andre Iguodala who was selected with the very next pick after Brazil’s Araujo.
Milwaukee Bucks — Joe Alexander, 8th Pick (2008)
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Australian-born Joe Alexander was one of the rare misses among 2008 draftees. In a draft that included Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, and Brook Lopez, the Bucks wound up with one of the few players who contributed virtually nothing. Though guys like Michael Beasley and O.J. Mayo never managed to live up to their draft spot, both stuck around in the league for quite some time before calling it quits. Alexander, on the other hand, played just two seasons in the NBA. The only first-round pick who managed to appear in fewer games than Alexander was the 30th overall selection, J.R. Giddens. Alexander made 67 appearances (0 starts) in two years.
Minnesota Timberwolves — Jonny Flynn, 6th Pick (2009)
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The 2009 NBA Draft was an unbridled disaster for the Timberwolves. Equipped with three first-round picks, Minnesota failed miserably in acquiring a star talent. With picks No. 5 and No. 6, the T’Wolves drafted two point guards — Spain’s Ricky Rubio and Syracuse’s Jonny Flynn. The Warriors selected Stephen Curry with the seventh overall selection. Minnesota drafted Ty Lawson with the 18th overall pick, as well, but shipped off the future All-Star to Denver for a pick that would later be used on Luke Babbit. While Rubio developed into a solid contributor, Flynn did not enjoy the same amount of success. After a solid rookie campaign, Flynn failed to develop and was eventually playing professionally in Australia, China, and Italy.
Boston Celtics — Ron Mercer, 6th Pick (1997)
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Among a handful of blunders, selecting Ron Mercer sixth overall in 1997 is likely a decision the franchise would like to have back. Mercer was a quality starting shooting guard for eight seasons in the league, but only lasted two years in Boston before being traded for a group of role players and a future first-round pick (which later became Kedrick Brown, another first-round bust). Seven-time All-NBA selection Tracy McGrady was taken three picks after Mercer.
Indiana Pacers — Jonathan Bender 5th Pick (1999)
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We’re going to cheat a little bit here and go with a player who wasn’t technically drafted by Indiana but spent almost his entire professional career with the Pacers. Jonathan Bender was taken fifth overall in 1999 by the Toronto Raptors but was traded to the Pacers just a day later for Antonio Davis. Bender was an athletic anomaly who dominated the high school basketball scene in his home state of Mississippi. Unfortunately, Bender was never able to put it together in the league — primarily due to his inability to stay on the floor. Injuries zapped the 6-foot-10 forward of his athleticism, as he appeared in just 262 games over an eight-year career.
Orland Magic — Mario Hezonja, 5th Pick (2015)
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Entering the 2015 NBA Draft, Croatia native Mario Hezonja was garnering considerable hype. The 6-foot-8 prospect boasted the ideal skill set of a modern-day wing. Teams lauded his athleticism and three-point shooting ability. Following an exciting Summer League performance, Hezonja sputtered out of the gates. It’s never a good sign when a player receives fewer minutes as a sophomore than he did as a rookie. That typically means the team doesn’t trust said player. Hezonja bounced around to New York and Portland before being traded to Memphis in 2020. He’s been with Real Madrid of Liga ACB since 2022.
Utah Jazz — Dante Exum, 5th Pick (2014)
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Exum has had a string of rotten luck during his playing career, but that doesn’t exclude him from being the biggest draft bust in Utah’s history. When you look at the other competitors, it’s not all that close between Exum and the next-worst pick. The Jazz are a perennial playoff contender, and the Exum pick was one of just three top-5 picks Utah has made since 1980. The other two were Deron Williams — a perennial All-Star for the first half of his career — and Enes Kanter who enjoyed a solid career as a reserve big man. Exum played in 245 games for the Jazz and Cavaliers and averaged 5.7 PPG from 2015-’21. After spending two years overseas, he returned to the States and joined the Dallas Mavericks. Still just 28 years old, he has a chance to shake off his ‘bust’ label over the second half of his career.
Denver Nuggets — Nikoloz Tskitishvili, 5th Pick (2002)
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A 7-foot forward with guard skills, Georgia national Nikoloz Tskitishvili may have been too far ahead of his time. Stuck in a rut, the Nuggets opted to swing for the fences with the European product with the No. 5 overall pick in 2002. Tskitishvili wasn’t able to find his footing in the NBA, appearing in just 172 games (16 starts) before calling it a career. Fortunately for the Nuggets, its awful ’03 season led to another high draft pick the following year — which the team used on the No. 9 all-time scoring leader Carmelo Anthony.
Phoenix Suns — Dragan Bender, 4th Pick (2016)
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Phoenix’s worst draft picks came in back-to-back years and were both No. 4 picks — Dragan Bender (2016) and Josh Jackson (2017). Bender was drafted a year earlier, though he is (surprisingly) still nearly a full year younger than Jackson. Both players have had putrid NBA careers, though Jackson did have a short run with Detroit and Sacramento as recently as 2022. Bender hasn’t appeared on an NBA court since 2020 and was out of the league at 23 years old. Other potential options the Suns could have opted for instead of Bender include Jamal Murray, Domantas Sabonis, and Buddy Hield.
Golden State Warriors — Chris Washburn, 3rd Pick (1986)
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Chris Washburn went from being the No. 3 overall pick to being banned from the league in the blink of an eye. The Warriors had high hopes for Washburn following his remarkable sophomore season at NC State. The team chose to overlook Washburn’s reportedly poor work ethic and checkered past (Washburn was caught stealing a stereo and was sentenced to 46 hours of jail time and a five-year probationary period). The 6-foot-11 center was a tremendous athlete, but could never get on the right path.
Charlotte Hornets — Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, 2nd Pick (2012)
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Unfortunately for Hornets fans, the team has plenty of draft busts to choose from. Adam Morrison was selected third overall in 2006 and failed to blossom into the offensive threat he was projected to become at Gonzaga. Cody Zeller, Noah Vonleh, and Frank Kaminsky all left something to be desired. However, none were as disappointing as Kentucky’s Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Selected one spot after college teammate Anthony Davis, Kidd-Gilchrist developed into nothing more than a defensive-minded reserve. Not exactly what you expect out of a No. 2 overall pick, especially when Bradley Beal (No. 3) and Damian Lillard (No. 6) were taken shortly after.
Chicago Bulls — Jay Williams, 2nd Pick (2002)
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When your No. 2 overall pick plays in just 75 games in his career, it’s safe to say the selection was a mistake. That was the case with former Duke point guard Jay Williams. His NBA career was cut short after just one season. Following a respectable rookie campaign, Williams was involved in a motorcycle accident which led to several significant injuries. He was never able to make his return to an NBA floor and was waived by the Bulls shortly after the crash. A tragic story, though Williams has rebounded well as a motivational speaker and television analyst for ESPN.
Atlanta Hawks — Marvin Williams, 2nd Pick (2005)
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The Hawks have had the No. 2 pick thrice in its franchise history. The team selected Bob Pettit the first time around, and then two years later used the No. 2 selection on a guy named Bill Russell (who was immediately shipped off to Boston). Atlanta had to wait another 50 years until they had another No. 2 pick, and the team opted to utilize it on North Carolina super-sub Marvin Williams. The versatile forward hasn’t lived up to the billing of a second-overall pick. Atlanta would have been better off taking one of the top point guards in the pool. Deron Williams and Chris Paul were selected third and fourth, respectively.
Memphis Grizzlies — Hasheem Thabeet, 2nd Pick (2009)
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Memphis has a pair of poor No. 2 picks in its history. The first came in 2000 when the Vancouver Grizzlies selected athletic forward Stromile Swift second overall out of LSU. To be fair, the Grizzlies get a bit of a pass considering how poor the 2000 draft class was overall. Glancing through their other potential options, the team didn’t pass up on any potential superstar. However, that wasn’t the case in 2009 when the Grizzlies infamously selected 7-foot-2 center Hasheem Thabeet over names like James Harden and Stephen Curry. Other players the Grizzlies skipped over in favor of Thabeet include DeMar DeRozan and Jrue Holiday.
Miami Heat — Michael Beasley, 2nd Pick (2008)
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Following the worst season in franchise history (15-67), the 2008 Draft Lottery was unkind to the Heat. The 33-49 Bulls leaped Miami in the order, and selected budding superstar Derrick Rose with the No. 1 overall pick. With a handful of potential candidates on the board, Miami chose Michael Beasley — a rangy wing who put up monstrous numbers at Kansas State. While Beasley found a niche in the league as a sparkplug scorer, he never quite lived up to the hype as a No. 2 pick. Miami would have been better off taking Russell Westbrook or Kevin Love instead.
Detroit Pistons — Darko Miličić, 2nd Pick (2003)
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A pick the mid-2000 Pistons would surely like to have back, selecting Darko Miličić No. 2 overall was an all-time blunder. At the time, Detroit already boasted one of the best rosters in the league. The Pistons had acquired this pick six years prior from the Vancouver Grizzlies in a deal for Otis Thorpe. The team opted for Miličić after the Serbian native dazzled in pre-draft workouts. Though the Pistons went on to win the NBA title the following year, it was no thanks to Miličić’s contributions. Detroit could have extended its title-winning window with selections of Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh.
Portland Trail Blazers — Sam Bowie, 2nd Pick (1984)
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Greg Oden has a solid case to be in this spot instead of Bowie. Oden was the No. 1 overall pick (Bowie was drafted second behind Hakeem Olajuwon) and appeared in far fewer games than his counterpart (105 career games for Oden to 511 for Bowie). However, when you are selected one pick ahead of the greatest basketball player of all-time, it’s going to be difficult to keep you off this list. Bowie went one spot ahead of Michael Jordan, a pick that has haunted the Portland franchise for decades.
Los Angeles Lakers — Lonzo Ball, 2nd Pick (2017)
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A team that has been to 32 NBA Finals isn’t going to concern itself with the Draft Lottery all too often. Though, LA has done well over the years with top draft picks. In addition to selecting Johnson, Elgin Baylor, and James Worthy No. 1 overall, the Lakers have had a slew of top-10 picks in recent years (which have mostly panned out). D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, and Julius Randle have all been named to All-Star teams. Lonzo Ball is the odd man out of that group. The Lakers were enamored with the hometown product in the 2017 NBA Draft, selecting him ahead of Jayson Tatum. Ball was eventually traded to New Orleans in the Anthony Davis deal and began establishing himself with the Bulls in ’22. Unfortunately, injuries have massively derailed his career thus far.
Philadelphia 76ers — Markelle Fultz, 1st Pick (2017)
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Fultz’s career could still go in any number of directions, but the former No. 1 pick faces a steep uphill battle. While he has shown some signs as a playmaker, spending a No. 1 pick (and moving other assets to move up in the draft) for Fultz severely stunted the 76ers’ growth as a team. Several factors have prevented the Sixers from breaking through to the NBA Finals. But, picking Fultz was likely the catalyst for a lot that has gone wrong. Imagine if the Sixers had just taken Jayson Tatum instead. Tatum and Joel Embiid together would have put this team in the Eastern Conference driver’s seat for a decade.
Sacramento Kings — Pervis Ellison, 1st Pick (1989)
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Marvin Bagley fans can let out a sigh of relief — the former Duke Blue Devil is not the worst draft pick in the Kings’ history. Though drafting Bagley over Luka Dončić and Trae Young wasn’t a wise decision, it pales in comparison to spending a No. 1 overall pick on a player who appeared in just 34 games for the franchise. Ellison was plagued by injuries throughout his career and was traded after his rookie season for Eric Leckner, Bob Hansen, and future draft picks. He earned the nickname “Out of Service Pervis” for his inability to stay on the floor.
Los Angeles Clippers — Michael Olowokandi, 1st Pick (1998)
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Among LA’s glut of blunders, Michael Olowokandi’s name is atop the list. The first overall pick in 1998 was selected ahead of names like Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, and Paul Pierce. Pierce was even in the Clippers’ backyard having been raised in Inglewood. In five seasons with the Clippers, the Nigerian center shot 43-percent from the field. He finished his career with nearly as many fouls (1,518) as field goals (1,788). The list of other Clipper busts includes Danny Ferry, Darius Miles, Bo Kimble, and Chris Wilcox.
