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.
2000: Marcus Fizer, Chicago Bulls, 4th Pick
A few years after the 2000 NBA Draft took place, Sports Illustrated looked back on this group and called it one of the worst draft classes of the modern era. The class featured on three All-Star selections in Kenyon Martin, Jamaal Magloire, and Michael Redd. But the worst selection of anyone in this group has to be forward Marcus Fizer, the fourth overall selection by the Chicago Bulls. Fizer never averaged more than 12.3 points per game at any point in his career, and after tearing his ACL in 2003, was merely a shell of himself.
By 2004, the Bulls made him available in the NBA expansion draft, where he was taken by the then-Charlotte Bobcats. Fizer only lasted one more year in the NBA, and was out of the league after five very forgettable seasons. Fizer started just 35 games in his entire career — not exactly the type of production you’re looking for in a Top 5 draft pick.
2001: Kwame Brown, Washington Wizards, 1st Pick
The story goes that, during pre-draft workouts, forward Kwame Brown told Michael Jordan – who was part owner of the Washington Wizards at the time – that if the Wizards selected him, they would never regret it. Not only did the Wizards end up taking Brown in a draft class that featured Pau Gasol, Tyson Chandler, Joe Johnson, Tony Parker, and Zach Randolph, but Brown turned out to be woefully emotionally unready to play in the NBA.
There’s a famous story that Jordan made him cry during practice — something Brown denies to this day — but based on his track record of emotional fragility, it’s easy to see why people would believe these rumors.
2002: Nikoloz Tskitishvili, Denver Nuggets, 5th Pick
Don’t remember him? It’s ok, you shouldn’t… In the search for “the next Dirk Nowitzki,“ Nikoloz Tskitishvili almost single-handedly set things back for European prospects hoping to play in the NBA for years. Mike D’Antoni, who was a scout for the Denver Nuggets at the time, scouted “Skita” and said the following of him: “His skills are off the charts… he could be something special.”
So, in a 2002 NBA Draft that featured Amar’e Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, and Caron Butler, the Nuggets took Tskitishvili with the 5th overall pick. Less than three seasons after being taken, the Nuggets traded away Tskitishvili, after he averaged 3.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, and shot 30 percent from the field in 143 total games.
2003: Darko Miličić, Detroit Pistons, 2nd Pick
The selection of Darko Miličić is not only one of the most egregious mistakes in the history of the NBA Draft, but he might also be the biggest bust in NBA history. He’ll forever be known as the guy who was taken one pick after LeBron James in the 2003 NBA Draft, as well as being taken ahead of future Hall of Fame players Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade (and that’s not even mentioning Chris Bosh, David West, and Chris Kaman).
Between the adjustment to life in the United States, Detroit head coach Larry Brown’s refusal to give Miličić any playing time, and a gross overestimation of his talents in general, Miličić will forever be the black stain over this draft.
2004: Rafael Araújo, Toronto Raptors, 8th Pick
Between the 9th and the 20th picks of the 2004 NBA Draft, there were two players taken that ended up being selected for an All-Star game (Andre Iguodala and Jameer Nelson), and one player who ended up being named to an All-NBA team (Al Jefferson). That can’t sit well with the Toronto Raptors, who took center Rafael Araújo from BYU with the 8th overall pick. Toronto was clearly intrigued by the Araújo’s combination of size (6-foot-11 and 295lbs) and success in the NCAA Tournament (he had 24 points and 12 rebounds against Syracuse).
But Araújo flopped in the NBA, as he reportedly became a sticking point between Raptors General Manager Rob Babcock (who picked Araújo) and head coach Sam Mitchell (who refused to play Araújo because of his disdain for Babcock). Araújo lasted only four years in the NBA. He scored a grand total of 389 points in his entire NBA career.
2005: Marvin Williams, Atlanta Hawks, 2nd Pick
There’s a reason that the Atlanta Hawks were one of the worst teams of the 2000’s, and continued to make picks up high in the lottery. In 2005, the Hawks were in dire need of a point guard.
Yet, instead of choosing All-American point guard Chris Paul , or Deron Williams (the point guard of the NCAA Championship runner up University of Illinois), the Hawks selected a player who didn’t even start for his own University of North Carolina team. Williams hasn’t been terrible, but if you put his career alongside that of Paul or even Deron Williams, it starts to look uglier and uglier.
2006: Adam Morrison, Charlotte Bobcats, 3rd Pick
In fairness to Charlotte, who selected All-American forward Adam Morrison with the third overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, four of the first five picks in that year’s class turned out to be world-class busts: Andrea Bargnani, Tyrus Thomas, Shelden Williams, along with Morrison. While he was an incredibly productive player in college, Morrison ended up being one of those guys who maximized his talent in college, and couldn’t compete with the athletes in the NBA. This pick looks even worse when you see that guys like Rajon Rondo, Kyle Lowry, Paul Millsap, Rudy Gay, and J. J. Redick were all taken after Morrison.
Regardless of his abysmal NBA career, Morrison won two NBA championships with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010, even though he spent most of his time cheering from the bench. Thanks to Kobe Bryant, Adam Morrison has more NBA titles than Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, and John Stockton – combined!
2007: Greg Oden, Portland Trail Blazers, 1st Pick
“Greg Oden over Kevin Durant” is going to end up being the millennial version of “Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan.” While Oden the #1 player in the nation coming out of high school, and a gifted seven-footer who many people thought could become the next Patrick Ewing, the fact that he missed nearly all of his one season at Ohio State University should’ve been a huge red flag. Thanks to a myriad of injuries Oden continued to sustain as a pro, he played in less than 50% of his team’s games over his first three seasons in the league. Oden played in just 105 before retiring in 2014, at the age of 26.
Meanwhile, Durant has blossomed into one of the best players in NBA history. In the same 2007 draft, Al Horford and Mike Conley Jr were also taken among the top four picks, while Joakim Noah and Thaddeus Young were taken in the top 12.
2008: Michael Beasley, Miami Heat, 2nd Pick
For much of the 2007-2008 season, Michael Beasley appeared to be destined as the #1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. He was just the 27th player in NCAA Division I history to post 26 or more double-doubles in a season. Beasley ended up going second in the 2008 draft, and has struggled in the NBA with his temperamental and combative personality, combined with his penchant for frequently enjoying “recreational substances.”
The Heat got stuck with Beasley, passing on the chance to take Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Brook Lopez, and Eric Gordon, all of whom were top 10 picks that year.
2009: Hasheem Thabeet, Memphis Grizzlies, 2nd Pick
As a junior at the University of Connecticut, Hasheem Thabeet helped the Huskies reach the NCAA’s Final Four in 2009. While people thought he could be a modern version of Theo Ratliff, he turned out to be one of the biggest misses in the NBA Draft in years.
Despite being taken with the second overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, Thabeet has actually spent more time in the NBA’s Development League, and has barely been seen as good enough to stay on an NBA roster. Now here’s the kicker: Memphis passed on James Harden AND Stephen Curry, as well as DeMar Derozan, to take Thabeet. That has to hurt.
2010: Wesley Johnson, Minnesota Timberwolves, 4th Pick
Wesley Johnson might be one of the players that NBA scouts will point back to, in terms of the risk you take on guys who have played four years of college; namely, they’ve maximized all their talent, and won’t really further develop in the NBA. The Minnesota Timberwolves used the fourth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft on Johnson, who played at Iowa State University and then Syracuse University.
In doing so, the Timberwolves ended up passing on center Demarcus Cousins (the 5th overall pick), as well as forwards Gordon Hayward (the 9th overall pick) and Paul George (the 10th overall pick). Johnson is currently a member of the Los Angeles Clippers, his 4th NBA franchise in 8 years.
2011: Jimmer Fredette, Sacramento Kings, 10th Pick
After a wildly successful career at BYU, when he even became an internet sensation when a video titled “Teach me how to Jimmer” came out, guard James Taft “Jimmer” Fredette was taken by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 10th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, and subsequently traded to the Sacramento Kings.
Now here’s where it gets bad: one pick later, the Golden State Warriors selected another sweet-shooting guard named Klay Thompson. Now, here’s where it gets worse: with the 15th overall pick, the San Antonio Spurs selected forward Kawhi Leonard, who is one of the five or six best players in the NBA right now.
2012: Thomas Robinson, Sacramento Kings, 5th Pick
Forward Thomas Robinson became one of the hottest names in the days leading up to the 2012 NBA Draft, leading him to be taken with the fifth overall pick by the (perennially ill-fated) Sacramento Kings. The Kings, in their infinite wisdom, decided it’d be a good idea to take Robinson with the fifth overall pick, instead of dynamic guard Damian Lillard — who was taken one pick later.
And then, there’s the fact that center Andre Drummond was also taken among the top nine picks of that year. Of course, the entire NBA looks back at this draft and wonders: how did Draymond Green last until the second round (#35 overall)?
2013: Anthony Bennett, Cleveland Cavaliers, 1st Pick
Anthony Bennett being taken with the #1 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft is your classic case of “groupthink,” when everyone looked at Bennett and just went along with the conventional thinking that he was a can’t-miss prospect. Instead, Bennett struggled as a ‘tweener — not strong enough to be a power forward, and not quick enough to be a small forward.
This pick looks even worse when you consider the fact that Giannis Antetokounmpo was taken with the 15th overall pick, and is now a consensus top-five player in the NBA. Rudy Gobert was also taken late in the first round as well.
2014: Nik Stauskas, Sacramento Kings, 8th Pick
Eccentric owner Vivek Ranadivé of the Sacramento Kings famously assembled a cadre of aspiring NBA analytics specialists to assess which player the Kings should take in the 2014 NBA Draft. Except, the Kings then just went ahead and took the player that Ranadivé wanted all along: Nik Stauskas from the University of Michigan. He was such a mistake that the Kings decided to trade away Stauskas after only one season.
If the Kings had taken anyone else, like Dario Šarić, Jusuf Nurkić, Gary Harris, or even Clint Capela, who all were taken in the first round of that same draft, they would have been much better off.
2015: Jahlil Okafor, Philadelphia 76ers, 4th Pick
Jahlil Okafor started off his career as a nifty scorer inside the paint for the Philadelphia 76ers, who selected him with the third pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. The problem is, he’ll always get compared to the guy that the 76ers passed on, and was taken fourth overall: forward Kristaps Porzingis, who went to the New York Knicks.
Porzingis has not only become a talented scorer, but an incredible defender as well. Meanwhile, Okafor has shown that he’s darn near allergic to playing any type of defense in the NBA. Philadelphia traded him to the Nets in 2017, for two prospects you’ve likely never heard of. That says it all.
2016: Dragan Bender, Phoenix Suns, 4th Pick
With the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns took Croatian big man Dragan Bender, who played professionally for respected franchise Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv in Israel. So far, Bender has been an unmitigated flop in the NBA, averaging 3.4 points per game and 2.4 rebounds.
You have to think that the Suns will look back at this pick and wish they took someone else, like Jamal Murray (who went 7th overall), Pascal Siakim (27th overall) or even Buddy Hield (6th overall).
2017: Markelle Fultz, Philadelphia 76ers, 1st pick
The Markelle Fultz saga is one of the strangest (and saddest) in recent NBA history… During his “one & done” season at Washington, the Huskies struggled mightily, but Fultz averaged 23.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG & 5.9 APG. Fultz impressed NBA scouts with his elite athletic ability, along with creative scoring instincts and playmaking skills. The 76ers viewed Fultz as the final piece in their rebuilding process; leading them to trade up to the #1 pick with the Boston Celtics (who landed Jayson Tatum).
To say that things “didn’t go according to plan” would be a massive understatement. Fultz missed most of his rookie season with a mysterious shoulder injury. During his absence, Fultz’s shooting mechanics, altered by a trainer outside the 76ers organization months before the season, and lengthy recovery time were heavily scrutinized.
2018: Mohamed Bamba, Orlando Magic, 6th Pick
There are times that Mohamed Bamba looks like the product of a basketball player laboratory, but there are even more times where Bamba looks like a baby deer who has no idea how to gracefully — if not properly — use his absurdly long limbs. Everyone knew that Bamba was going to be something of a project for the team that drafted him, and everyone knew that he had an inconsistent motor that coaches would need to keep revving up.
But averaging barely over 6 points per game and right at 5 rebounds per game wasn’t supposed to be the upside for someone with his length and skillset. Add in the stress fracture in his leg for a guy that size, and you have legitimate cause for concern.
Honorable Mention: Dajuan Wagner, Cavaliers (2002 / 6th Pick)
Dajuan Wagner was a high school legend in the state of New Jersey, once scoring 100 points in a single game, and being considered by many to be the greatest high school player in state history. He inadvertently become one of the first “one-and-done” college basketball players — before the one-year college rule was even in place — as he played for John Calipari at the University of Memphis. In the 2002 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers took Wagner with the 6th overall pick, in what turned out to be a mostly forgettable draft.
Although, at the time, it was probably difficult for Cleveland fans to “forget” the fact that their team took Wagner just a couple of picks ahead of future All Stars in Amar’e Stoudamire and Caron Butler. Wagner was forced to retire approximately three years after being drafted, due to a debilitating condition involving his colon.
Honorable Mention: Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors (2006, 1st Pick)
Just moments after the Toronto Raptors selected the Italian-born Andrea Bargnani with the #1 overall pick of the 2006 NBA Draft, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas offered a rather harrowing assessment of Bargnani’s game: “he does not rebound, he does not post up, he is not physical; he needs to work on his body.” In other words, Bargnani was a personification of what terrified so many NBA executives from taking players from Europe.
The concerns about Bargnani’s physicality and lack of play making ability proved to be legitimate. Bargnani stood 7-feet-tall, yet he only averaged 4.6 rebounds per game throughout his career. To make matters worse, Bargnani averaged more turnovers per game (1.5) than assists (1.2).
Bargnani’s NBA career was a disappointment, especially when compared to the successful number one picks who came before him.
Honorable Mention: Mario Hezonja, Orlando Magic (2015, 5th Pick)
Only the Orlando Magic franchise could take a highly-touted prospect known for his fearless shooting and scoring, and turn him into a player who can’t shoot or score in the NBA. Leading up to the 2015 NBA Draft, Mario Hezonja was viewed as a super-confident scorer who could become a lethal shooter and dynamic finisher around the rim.
But after showing a scant few flashes in his rookie year, Hezonja languished on the bench for much of his second season, starting in only two games all year. During his three seasons in Orlando, Hezonja started just 41 games on a team that wasn’t exactly loaded with talent.
Honorable Mention: Emmanuel Mudiay, Denver Nuggets (2015, 7th Pick)
There was once a time when league observers thought some team would “tank” the 2014-2015 season in order to secure the rights to draft Emmanuel Mudiay. But as the 2015 NBA Draft process went on, Mudiay’s stock began to lose its luster, and rightfully so. Mudiay’s career has been something of a “Benjamin Button” case, in that his stats have effectively regressed the longer he’s been in the league.
After showing some early glimpses of potential as a rookie, Mudiay’s production dipped badly between his first and third seasons in the NBA. By year three, not only did Mudiay not make a single start for the Nuggets, but they were fine enough with trading him to the New York Knicks.
Honorable Mention: Frank Kaminsky, Charlotte Hornets (2015, 10th Pick)
Michael Jordan is unquestionably the greatest basketball player of all time, but let it never be forgotten that , as owner of the Charlotte Hornets, he passed on an offer that would’ve given him four first round picks, in order to select Frank Kaminsky from the University of Wisconsin.
Since being taken with the 9th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Kaminsky has started a grand total of 23 games in three seasons; that’s barely a quarter of one NBA season. Despite drafting Kaminsky, Charlotte felt there was enough of a need at center to even try renting Dwight Howard for a year; that was another move that ended in disaster.
Honorable Mention: Cameron Artis-Payne, Oklahoma City Thunder (2015, 14th Pick)
Picking in the middle of the first round of the NBA Draft is almost always a “hit or miss” proposition with the guy you take. But there was nothing even close to a “hit’ when it came to Oklahoma City’s selection of Cameron Artis-Payne with the 14th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, outside of his elaborate handshakes with teammate Russell Westbrook.
After missing 25 games his rookie year, Payne missed 62 games the following year due to a foot injury, and was traded at the 2016-2017 trade deadline to the Chicago Bulls. To make matters worse, Oklahoma City could’ve filled their need at another point guard with Terry Rozier, who was selected by the Boston Celtics two picks after the Thunder took Payne.
Honorable Mention: Marquese Chriss, Phoenix Suns (2016, 8th Pick)
Missing so badly with two picks in the top 10 of the same NBA Draft would have costed almost any other GM their job. But the Suns continue to employ Ryan McDonough as their General Manager, partially because owner Robert Sarver doesn’t care about winning and is too cheap to search for a replacement. In the 2016 NBA Draft, Marquese Chriss went from a potential mid-round pick to the darling of the scouting process, leading to the Phoenix Suns taking him with the 8th overall pick in the draft.
But Chriss is what happens when you bet on talent with no production to back it up. In three seasons in the NBA, he’s looked totally lost (if not unplayable), averaging less than seven points per game in 19 minutes of playing time. It won’t come as a shock if Chriss is playing overseas within the next few years.
Honorable Mention: Thon Maker, Milwaukee Bucks (2016, 10th Pick)
To borrow a line from the movie “Mean Girls” Thon Maker is the “fetch” of NBA prospects — people need to stop trying to make it happen. Once upon a time, Maker was supposed to be a freak show prospect with unlimited upside. That upside tantalized the Milwaukee Bucks to pick Maker with the 10th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.
But three seasons later, Maker still runs around the court like he has no idea what he’s doing. Coupled with the controversy around the idea that he’s actually much older than his birth certificate would indicate, and it’s not going so well for Maker to date.
Honorable Mention: Georgios Papagiannis, Sacramento Kings (2016, 13th Pick)
Leave it to the dimwitted duo of Vivek Ranadivé and Vlade Divac to come up with the biggest disaster on this list, in the form of Georgios Papagiannis. During the 2016 NBA Draft, Sacramento thought they outsmarted everyone by taking Georgios Papagiannis, the 7-foot-1 center from Greece; it turned out that they were just outsmarting themselves, as usual.
In three seasons, Papagiannis appeared in a grand total of 39 games. After two completely forgettable seasons in Sacramento, where he averaged less than six points and four rebounds per game, they cut their losses and waived him.
Honorable Mention: Josh Jackson, Phoenix Suns (2017, 4th Pick)
Most people acknowledged that Josh Jackson was an athletic project when entering the NBA, and the logjam of wing players plus the general erratic-ness of the Phoenix Suns have perhaps irreparably damaged his developmental path.
Through two NBA seasons, Jackson is averaging under 42% shooting overall, but his sub-30% shooting from three-point range is even more alarming. His number of starts and his total playing time all went down in his second season, which can’t be a good sign.
Honorable Mention: Frank Ntilikina, New York Knicks (2017, 8th Pick)
The New York Knicks really thought they stuck it to the Dallas Mavericks, as the two teams both greatly coveted point guard Frank Ntilikina from Strasbourg Illkirch-Graffenstaden Basket in France. Instead, Ntilikina’s woefully underdeveloped offensive game has become evident, in the form of his sub-36% shooting in his two seasons in the NBA.
Even if you put aside the fact that the Knicks passed on Donovan Mitchell to take Ntilikina, if you wanted to look at it from just a point guard perspective, even taking someone like Derrick White or even Frank Mason III would’ve probably been better choices than Ntilikina