Philadelphia 76ers — Jayson Tatum (2017)
Who They Picked Instead: Markelle Fultz
In a double-whammy situation, the 76ers traded multiple assets (including their own No. 3 selection) to move up two spots for the chance to draft guard Markelle Fultz out of Washington. Not only did the 76ers draft the wrong player, but they also gave Boston — the team who selected the best player in the class, Tatum — additional picks as a result. Fultz was quietly traded at the 2019 trade deadline while Tatum has emerged as a superstar in Boston. A Tatum-Embiid-Simmons trio would have potentially ran roughshod through the Eastern Conference for years.
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Milwaukee Bucks — Dirk Nowitzki (1998)
Who They Picked Instead: Robert Traylor
Trades during the draft aren’t typically finalized until after all picks have been made. As a result, awkward moments are created with a prospect sporting gear of a team that has already agreed to send him elsewhere. One of the most famous incidents of this occurring was when the Charlotte Hornets selected Kobe Bryant with the 13th overall pick in 1996, knowing full-well they were going to swap immediately after the draft for Lakers big man Vlade Divac.
Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki endured a similar fate. The 7-foot German was selected 9th overall in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, but ended up being traded to Dallas for Robert “Tractor” Traylor — the 6th overall pick. It’s a particularly crushing blow for the Bucks knowing how Nowitzki’s career played out. Dirk was faithful to the Mavericks through his entire career, a trait that would have been welcomed by a Milwaukee team that has never been a major free agent destination.
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Chicago Bulls — LaMarcus Aldridge (2006)
Who They Picked Instead: Tyrus Thomas
The post Michael Jordan era did not go well for the Bulls. Chicago traded LaMarcus Aldridge on draft night for the rights to Tyrus Thomas. The front office was enamored with Thomas and his ability to leap out of the gym. Despite being a fantastic athlete, he was a very unskilled player. Aldridge, on the other hand, has thrived with a skill-set that many big men envy. Thomas played in parts of four seasons with the Bulls before leaving for Charlotte. In nine career seasons, Thomas averaged only 7.7 PPG and 4.8 RPG. On the flipside, Aldridge is a seven-time All-Star and likely a future Hall of Famer.
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Cleveland Cavaliers — The Entire Draft Class (2013)
Who They Picked Instead: Anthony Bennett
Oh boy. In a draft where there wasn’t an obvious No. 1 Overall pick, Cleveland bit the bullet and drafted the chunky yet skilled forward out of UNLV (by way of Toronto). There was some ‘Big Dog’ Glenn Robinson in Anthony Bennett’s game. However, Bennett couldn’t really get in the playing shape needed to last an entire year. The forward was so bad as a rookie that Cleveland traded him after one year. He played parts of four seasons before completely crashing out of the league at the age of 23. Bennett might be the biggest bust in NBA history. In retrospect, Cleveland passed on CJ McCollum, Victor Oladipo, Rudy Gobert, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
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Boston Celtics — Tracy McGrady (1997)
Who They Picked Instead: Ron Mercer
This one stings for those in Beantown. Head coach Rick Pitino had taken the Celtics job after previously coaching at the University of Kentucky. Naturally, he opted to take his former player Ron Mercer with the No. 6 Overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft. Mercer did make the All-Rookie team — but was otherwise unspectacular for the remainder of his nine-year NBA career. Three picks after Mercer was selected, the Toronto Raptors selected an unknown high school kid by the name of Tracy McGrady. McGrady went on to lead the league in scoring on two separate occasions. He also made seven All-Star teams, was a seven-time All-NBA player, and is currently a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Los Angeles Clippers — Paul George (2010)
Who They Picked Instead: Al-Farouq Aminu
The Clippers are pretty prone to making mistakes in all aspects of the sport. When it came to drafting a future stud in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Clippers swung and missed on forward Al-Farouq Aminu (with the No. 8 Overall pick). He checked all the boxes when it came to length, athleticism, and defensive upside. However, Aminu hasn’t amounted to much more than simply a role player. A pick after Aminu, the Jazz took Gordon Hayward at No. 9. With the No. 10 pick, Indiana smartly nabbed Paul George. The Clippers wish they could’ve gone back in time and revised this pick.
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Memphis Grizzlies — James Harden and Stephen Curry (2009)
Who They Picked Instead: Hasheem Thabeet
Memphis fans, cover your eyes. Wanting to improve their defense, the Grizzlies selected gigantic center Hasheem Thabeet out of UConn. He was supposed to be an elite rim protector with a sneaky-good offensive game. Instead, Thabeet lasted only two years in Memphis. He couldn’t stay healthy, and conditioning remained a major issue. He played parts of seven NBA seasons. Thabeet averaged 2.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 0.8 BPG. This is astounding considering he stood 7-foot-3. With the pick directly after Thabeet, Oklahoma City gobbled up James Harden. At No. 7, Golden State shrewdly picked Steph Curry. Ah, what could’ve been for Grizz.
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Atlanta Hawks — Chris Paul (2005)
Who They Picked Instead: Marvin Williams
Despite exclusively being a sixth man in college, the Atlanta Hawks opted to draft Marvin Williams No. 2 overall. They thought he’d be a hybrid 3/4 with the versatility to function in any system. In seven seasons with the Hawks, Williams developed into — wait for it — a bench player. He averaged only 11.5 PPG on 45-percent shooting from the field and an abysmal .329 from three. Three-time All-Star Deron Williams went the pick after Williams. A pick after that, Chris Paul was drafted No. 4 Overall. In essence, Atlanta passed up taking a Hall of Fame point guard (CP3) for a flawed bench player. Yikes.
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Miami Heat — Devin Booker (2015)
Who They Picked Instead: Justise Winslow
Knowing how successful the Heat have been with former Kentucky products (Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo), it’s a bit shocking that they passed over Wildcat guard Devin Booker in the 2015 NBA Draft. It turned out that the reason the Heat were so willing to pass on Booker was because the franchise believed Winslow was destined for superstardom. Reports indicated that the Boston Celtics offered four first-round draft picks to the Hornets — who were on the clock right before the Heat — for the chance to swoop Winslow from Miami. The Hornets passed on the offer and took Frank Kaminsky. A big loss for both Charlotte and Miami.
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Charlotte Hornets — Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard (2012)
Who They Picked Instead: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Michael Jordan’s draft record as a front office executive has been, shall we say, abysmal. Case in point, the 2012 NBA Draft. With Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard on the board, MJ instead opted to select Michael Kidd-Gilchrist — a guy who was more known as an athlete with defensive skills rather than a potential franchise player. While MKG is energetic and tough, he did not (and still does not) know how to shoot a basketball. Lillard is a future Hall of Famer, and Beal currently has the look of a top-10 player in this league. At age 27, Kidd-Gilchrist is already out of the league. The former second overall pick is only averaging 8.4 PPG on .474 from the field and .272 from three.
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Utah Jazz — Clyde Drexler (1983)
Who They Picked Instead: Thurl Bailey
The Jazz came up short in the NBA Finals twice against the Jordan-led Chicago Bulls in the 90s. How differently would things have gone if Utah could have swapped Byron Russell for Clyde “The Glyde”? In 1983, the Jazz selected Thurl Bailey, an athletic big man from NC State, with the No. 7 overall pick. Drexler went seven picks later to Portland. Utah formed its main core over the proceeding two drafts — taking John Stockton (16th) in ’84 and Karl Malone (13th) in ’85. Drafting Drexler would have drastically altered the careers of these three Hall of Famers. In all likelihood, the team wouldn’t have had to wait until ’97 to make its first Finals appearance.
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Sacramento Kings — Luka Doncic (2018)
Who They Picked Instead: Marvin Bagley III
A fresh wound for Kings fans. After Arizona big man DeAndre Ayton was selected with the first pick in 2018, the Kings were left with a choice between the Duke star, Bagley, or the Serbian playmaker, Doncic. The Kings opted for the big man, and it’s safe to say that decision hasn’t worked out. Doncic has emerged as one of the league’s top young stars, while Bagley has struggled mightily for a dreadful Kings team. Doncic has more career triple-doubles (30) than Bagley has career starts (25).
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New York Knicks — Ron Artest (1999)
Who They Picked Instead: Frederic Weis
The Knicks have had a couple of notable draft gaffes in recent history. Some may point to their selection of Kevin Knox over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Michael Porter Jr. as one of their top blunders. Though Knox was clearly not an ideal pick, it wasn’t immediately obvious the selection wasn’t going to pan out. Ron Artest (now known as Metta World Peace) was the obvious choice for the Knicks in 1999. Artest was a hometown kid and grew up a Knicks fan. He told his agent he wanted to be drafted by the Knicks, and even wore the team’s gear under his suit while attending the draft. The Knicks took French center Frederic Weis (Artest alleges it was because he missed a workout with the team) who never played a single minute in the NBA.
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Los Angeles Lakers — Jayson Tatum (2017)
Who They Picked Instead: Lonzo Ball
The Lakers have generally done rather well when it comes to drafting. However, if there’s one they’d like a do-over on, it’s the selection of Lonzo Ball No. 2 Overall. A pick later, Boston ended up taking Jayson Tatum. While Lonzo’s career is far from finished, it’s very apparent that the pressure of playing in his hometown didn’t do him any favors. On the other hand, Tatum is a budding star with a really gifted assortment of offensive moves. He has the look of a perennial All-Star in the Eastern Conference.
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Orlando Magic — Domantas Sabonis (2016)
Who They Picked Instead: Serge Ibaka
In an effort to make it back into the postseason, the Magic grew impatient and attempted to make a win-now trade during the 2016 NBA Draft. Orlando added Serge Ibaka from the Oklahoma City Thunder. In return, the Magic surrendered the 12th overall pick (used to select Sabonis) as well as Victor Oladipo — the No. 2 pick from the 2013 draft. The Thunder then flipped Sabonis and Oladipo a year later to Indiana for Paul George (and then flipped George two years later for a trove of draft picks).
Both Sabonis and Oladipo became All-Stars for the Pacers, while Ibaka went on to become an NBA Champion…for the Toronto Raptors. Ibaka lasted half a season in Orlando before being scooped up by the Raptors for Terrance Ross and a late first-round pick.
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Dallas Mavericks — Charles Barkley and John Stockton (1984)
Who They Picked Instead: Sam Perkins and Terrence Stansbury
In a loaded 1984 NBA Draft, the Mavericks had two lotto tickets with the chance to strike big. Wielding pick No. 4 and No. 15, Dallas made back-to-back gaffes and just missed out on two first-ballot Hall of Famers. The Mavericks selected long-range specialist Sam Perkins with the fourth overall pick, one slot ahead of “The Round Mound of Rebound” Charles Barkley. With pick No. 15, Dallas took Terrance Stansbury — who wound up being traded to the Indiana Pacers prior to his rookie season. The very next pick, the NBA’s all-time leader in assists and steals, John Stockton, was selected by the Utah Jazz.
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Brooklyn/New Jersey Nets — Scottie Pippen (1987)
Who They Picked Instead: Dennis Hopson
Hopson was a highly regarded small forward out of Ohio State. With the third overall pick in the 1987 draft, the then-New Jersey Nets didn’t hesitate in taking the talented player. The hope was that Hopson would be somewhat of a point forward for its squad. Things didn’t go as planned. Hopson played only three years with the team before being dealt to the Chicago Bulls. He was out of the league by age 26. By taking Hopson, the Nets passed on grabbing Scottie Pippen (two picks later), Kevin Johnson (four picks later), and Reggie Miller (seven picks later).
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Denver Nuggets — Vince Carter, Paul Pierce, and Dirk Nowitzki (1998)
Who They Picked Instead: Raef Lafrentz
Denver thought it selected a gem when nabbing Raef LaFrentz from Kansas with the No. 3 Overall pick in 1998. The big man had range from all over the floor, and was a very crafty finisher around the rim. LaFrentz also was coming off two-straight seasons in college where he made All-America teams. As a rookie, LaFrentz tore his ACL. He bounced back to average double-figures in five-straight seasons. However, he never was considered to be an elite player. The Nuggets blew this selection from the simple fact that the likes of Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, and Paul Pierce all went shortly after LaFrentz was off the board.
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Indiana Pacers — Kawhi Leonard (2011)
Who They Picked Instead: George Hill
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Indiana opted for what turned out to be a journeyman guard. San Antonio came away with a multiple-time Finals MVP — and a guy who’s destined for Springfield. While no one expected Leonard to be this good, Indiana should’ve at least hoped that Hill would’ve turned out to be better than he’s been.
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New Orleans Pelicans — Rajon Rondo and Kyle Lowry (2006)
Who They Picked Instead: Hilton Armstrong and Cedric Simmons
One of the many examples of the Pelicans (then known as the Hornets) being unable to surround Chris Paul with great talent. A year after selecting Paul, New Orleans had two late-lottery picks in a draft filled with quality prospects. New Orleans selected two big men in Hilton Armstrong and Cedric Simmons, likely feeling they needed to add size around the diminutive Paul. The team never realized adding a another playmaker would have only enhanced Paul’s effectiveness as a player. Paul plus either Lowry or Rondo would have caused problems for any opposing backcourt.
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Detroit Pistons — Carmelo Anthony (2003)
Who They Picked Instead: Darko Milicic
The infamous 2003 Draft will go down as perhaps the most talented in the history of the league. Unfortunately for the Pistons, they took the one guy that shouldn’t be in this group. The allure of the ‘Euro big man’ led to Detroit nabbing Darko Milicic. He was supposed to be a highly-skilled big man with good rebounding skills and defensive prowess. Instead, he was a complete bust on virtually all levels. The Pistons took him No. 2 Overall. The next four players in the draft all ended up making All-Star teams. Three of them will be in the Hall of Fame one day. Those individuals are Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Kaman.
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Toronto Raptors — Andre Iguodala (2004)
Who They Picked Instead: Rafael Araujo
The Raptors took power forward Rafael Araujo from Brazil the pick before three-time NBA Champion Iguodala. This was a year after Toronto had selected another power forward by the name of Chris Bosh — who had just been named an All-Rookie First Team selection. The year after picking Araujo, Toronto selected power forward Charlie Villanueva with the No. 7 pick. It comes as no surprise that the year after taking Villanueva the Raptors found themselves with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Which they used to take Andrea Bargnani, another power forward. The Raptors were helpless in the mid 2000s.
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Houston Rockets — Kawhi Leonard (2011)
Who They Picked Instead: Marcus Morris
Marcus Morris is a solid NBA player. He certainly has warranted being selected No. 13 overall in the 2011 NBA Draft. However, when tapping into some revisionist history, we realize that Houston botched this selection brilliantly. Nikola Vucevic was selected three picks after Morris. He’s unquestionably a top-five center in the NBA today. Two picks after Morris, Indiana selected a quiet small forward out of San Diego State by the name of Kawhi Leonard. Imagine if Houston had paired Leonard with the likes of Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic.
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San Antonio Spurs — Jimmy Butler (2011)
Who They Picked Instead: Cory Joseph
The Spurs’ drafting record is about as squeaky clean as it gets in the NBA. Team executives RC Buford and Gregg Popovich have done a fine job in the draft over the years, but one glaring mistake was taking Cory Joseph 29th overall in 2011 — one pick ahead of Jimmy Butler who went 30th to the Chicago Bulls. Joseph was a decent backup guard, but the normally savvy Spurs missed out on a future five-time All-Star and four-time All-Defensive team selection. Imagine if the Spurs would have walked away from the 2011 NBA Draft with both Butler and Kawhi Leonard.
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Phoenix Suns — Karl Malone and John Stockton (1984, 1985)
Who They Picked Instead: Ed Pinckney and Jay Humphries
The Suns pairing passing-savant Steve Nash and explosive athlete Amare’ Stoudamire created the most dynamic pick-and-roll tandem since John Stockton and Karl Malone. Interestingly enough, the Suns could have had the original duo two decades earlier. In 1984, the Suns took point guard Jay Humphries three spots ahead of Stockton. A year later, they selected a power forward in Ed Pinckney three picks before Malone. Phoenix had the right idea with what position to target, but they simply chose the wrong player.
Stockton and Malone combined for 24 All-Star selections. Pinckney and Humphries had none.
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Oklahoma City Thunder — Rudy Gobert (2013)
Who They Picked Instead: Andre Roberson
Since moving to OKC, the Thunder have been lights-out in the draft. The Thunder drafted three future MVP winners in a row (Kevin Durant in ’07, Russell Westbrook in ’08, and James Harden in ’09) and a slew of quality role players (Serge Ibaka, Steven Adams, and Reggie Jackson). A minor slip-up was allowing Rudy Gobert to fall to Utah with the 27th pick. The Thunder had two chances to take Gobert in 2013, with either pick No. 12 (Adams) or No. 26 (Roberson). Gobert presents similar limitations as a scorer like Adams and Roberson, but his ceiling as the league’s best defender tops both of OKC’s selections.
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Minnesota Timberwolves — Stephen Curry (2009)
Who They Picked Instead: Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn
The Timberwolves had pick No. 5 and pick No. 6 in the 2009 NBA Draft. The team desperately needed a point guard — so they selected two. Neither were Stephen Curry. It’s arguably the single most unforgivable error for a franchise that has blundered throughout its entire existence. Rubio was a good, not great, member of the T’Wolves and has since returned to the team that originally drafted him. Flynn showed a flash of brilliance for about a week during his rookie season, but was out of the league after two-and-a-half years.
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Portland Trail Blazers — Kevin Durant (2007)
Who They Picked Instead: Greg Oden
Some may chalk up Greg Oden’s disastrous run with the Blazers as rotten luck. The big man could never stay healthy, and looked the part of an elite talent in the brief stints he was able to play. However, there is no doubting how costly it was for the Blazers to take Oden over Kevin Durant with the No. 1 pick in 2007. Durant is one of the great talents the league has ever seen, and helped carry an Oklahoma City franchise before settling in Golden State to win a couple of championships. Oden’s potential was never fully realized, and as a result, his selection set the franchise back a number of years before being saved by Damian Lillard.
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Golden State Warriors — Larry Bird (1978)
Who They Picked Instead: Purvis Short
Golden State had a number of flubs. It took Joe Smith over Kevin Garnett. It also selected someone named Todd Fuller over the late great Kobe Bryant. However, the Warriors screwed things up brutally in the 1978 NBA Draft. Golden State took Purvis Short one pick over Larry Bird. It wasn’t as if Bird was some unknown prospect at the time. He was a star in college, and garnered press clippings all over the country. Still, the Warriors took a guy in Short who never made an All-Star team. Bird is arguably a top-10 player of all-time.
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Washington Wizards — Pau Gasol (2001)
Who They Picked Instead: Kwame Brown
Just a year after being named President of Basketball Operations for the Wizard, Jordan used the No. 1 pick on infamous draft bust Kwame Brown. Brown failed to live up to his draft position, and was off the team in just four seasons. Additionally, it’s said that Brown’s woeful play as a rookie prompted Jordan to resume his playing career in 2002. The Wizards could have opted for a number of other solid options — including Gasol, Joe Johnson, Tyson Chandler, or Richard Jefferson. If the Wizards had made a better pick, the trajectory of Jordan’s career as an executive may have gone far differently.
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