There’s a reason why a given NBA team has a pick very early in that respective draft: it’s because they were either one of the worst teams in the league the preceding year, or they were lucky enough to acquire the draft pick of one of the worst teams in the league that year. Regardless, the lottery — constituting the top 14 picks in the draft — is where teams try and take players that will change the fortune of their franchise.
You could certainly say that sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. After all, for every LeBron James, there’s a Michael Olowokandi. For every Shaquille O’Neal, there’s a Pervis Ellison.
That’s why we wanted to take a look back at the worst draft pick from each draft class, since the turn of the century. These guys were not only top picks who failed miserably and set their franchise back for years, but also look even worse considering the guys that each team passed on.
Without further delay, here are The Worst NBA Draft Picks Every Year Since 2000.
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