Worst NBA Draft Picks of All Time: The Biggest Busts in NBA History

Every year, the NBA Draft offers franchises a chance to change their future. A single pick can deliver a future superstar, MVP or Hall of Famer who transforms an organization for years to come. For rebuilding teams, draft night represents a chance for new beginnings. The next MVP, Hall of Famer or homegrown stars can emerge as the ping pong balls decide the fate of franchises across the league.

But for every franchise-altering success story, there’s a cautionary tale. The history of the NBA Draft is filled with selections that failed to live up to expectations, leaving teams wondering what could have been. Whether it was a highly touted prospect who never developed, an injury-plagued career or a team passing on a future legend, some draft decisions have become infamous among basketball fans.

From No. 1 overall disappointments to unforgettable first-round misses, these are the worst NBA draft picks of all time. And find out whether any new players or teams join this list during the NBA Draft on June 23 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN.

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When is the 2026 NBA Draft?

The 80th edition of the NBA Draft will be held on June 23 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC (find your local ABC network) and ESPN (Ch. 206).

Worst NBA Draft Picks of All Time

There are plenty of head scratching picks in draft history, but making this list means it completely changed the trajectory of a franchise in the worst ways.

Sam Bowie — No. 2 Pick, 1984

Coming into the 1984 draft, Hakeem Olajuwon was considered by many to be the consensus No. 1 overall pick, and he was. The real question was what was going to happen at second overall.

In his junior season at Kentucky, Sam Bowie averaged nearly a double-double per game — nearly 20 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks per game. After the Trail Blazers had already taken Clyde Drexler the year before, the organization felt it needed some positional diversity. So, they went with Bowie over a kid from North Carolina named Michael Jordan, who would go on to put together one of the greatest NBA careers in history.

Bowie put together a respectable career over the course of 10 seasons, but he came nowhere near the impact of Jordan. It is a pick the Trail Blazers franchise still rues to this day.

Darko Milicic — Detroit Pistons, No. 2 Pick, 2003

The Detroit Pistons were perennial Eastern Conference and NBA Finals contenders throughout the early 2000s. When they landed the No. 2 pick in the 2003 draft, the idea of adding a young star who could learn from a veteran team had Detroit fans thinking dynasty.

In the top five picks of that draft there were four Hall of Famers: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. There was only one who wasn’t — Darko Milicic, taken by the Pistons at No. 2.

Milicic played in just 468 career games and averaged 6 points and 4 rebounds for his career. There is no telling what kind of run Detroit could have put together had they opted for Carmelo, Bosh or Wade. What helps that medicine go down is the championship they won the very next year in 2004.

Greg Oden — Portland Trail Blazers No. 1 Pick, 2007

As a freshman at Ohio State, Greg Oden was a sensation. At 7 feet tall, Oden drew comparisons to Shaq and other great big men when the league was still largely a game played in the paint.

But Oden played just 105 games over the course of three years, averaging 8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. There was significant debate heading into the 2007 draft as to whether Oden or Texas freshman Kevin Durant should go No. 1. Durant has gone on to put together a Hall of Fame career, winning multiple NBA championships, an MVP, four scoring titles, two Finals MVP awards and a spot among the top 75 players of all time.

Notably, Oden was the only miss of the top five. Durant, Al Horford, Mike Conley and Jeff Green all played at least 18 seasons and established themselves as impactful players who helped usher in the next era of franchise stars.

Johnny Flynn — Minnesota Timberwolves No. 6 Pick, 2009

It is just flat-out unkind to mention Johnny Flynn around Timberwolves fans, and there are two reasons this pick stings.

First, in 2009, Minnesota held the No. 5 and No. 6 overall picks. At No. 5 they chose Ricky Rubio, a point guard out of Spain. One would think the last thing they needed at No. 6 was another point guard — but they chose Flynn anyway. Flynn played just three seasons and finished with negative win shares over his career, making the positional redundancy all the more painful.

Right behind him at No. 7 was Stephen Curry, who has put together one of the best careers of any point guard in NBA history and completely changed the game itself.

Anthony Bennett — Cleveland Cavaliers, No. 1 Pick, 2013

It is tough to completely pile on Bennett when there was no slam-dunk pick in the 2013 draft. The real steals came later — Giannis Antetokounmpo at No. 13, who between the time he was drafted and when he started playing NBA basketball grew to 6-foot-11 and became the Greek Freak, and Rudy Gobert, a multi-time Defensive Player of the Year, drafted at the end of the first round.

Bennett finished 39th in his draft class in win shares with just 0.5. The good news for Cleveland fans is that in just a few years it would not matter, when LeBron James came home and delivered a title in 2016.

Dragan Bender — Phoenix Suns, No. 4 Pick, 2016

After the top three picks of Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram and Jaylen Brown, there was no surefire fourth pick in the 2016 draft. Redraft formats now have Jamal Murray, Domantas Sabonis, Pascal Siakam and De’Aaron Fox among a revised top five.

There were already questions about Dragan Bender entering the draft, and Phoenix took a swing and whiffed. Bender finished 33rd in win shares in his draft class and wrapped up his career having played the equivalent of just over two seasons while averaging 5.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

Markelle Fultz — Philadelphia 76ers, No. 1 Pick, 2017

The Boston Celtics held the No. 1 pick entering the 2017 NBA Draft but traded it to Philadelphia, allowing the 76ers to select Washington guard Markelle Fultz. Widely regarded as the top prospect in his class, Fultz was praised for his scoring ability, shot creation and all-around offensive game. Few could have predicted that a mysterious shoulder injury and subsequent shooting struggles would derail the start of his career.

Fultz’s tenure in Philadelphia lasted just two seasons and 33 games before he was traded to Orlando. While he later carved out a role with the Magic, he never developed into the franchise cornerstone the 76ers envisioned when they traded up for the No. 1 pick.

Beyond Fultz, the talent available in that draft makes the miss even more glaring for a Philly team still in the throes of The Process: Jayson Tatum, Lonzo Ball, De’Aaron Fox, Lauri Markkanen, Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo, OG Anunoby and Derrick White all lingered as picks that could have been.

Marvin Bagley III — Sacramento Kings, No. 2 Pick, 2018

Marvin Bagley III put together an impressive freshman season at Duke and finished on the 2018-19 All-Rookie Team. But after that, his career fell off a cliff. He was traded four times and never played a full season, finishing 21st in his draft class in win shares.

For Sacramento, the sting is even sharper knowing that Luka Doncic was the very next pick at No. 3. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Trae Young followed at No. 4 and No. 5, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — the most recent two-time MVP — was drafted at No. 11. This is a draft that also saw Jalen Brunson, a two-time National Champion, fall to 33. In an alternate universe, Bagley and Tyrese Haliburton are running the pick and roll in the NBA Finals right now.

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