The only moment in the NBA season more exciting than the Finals is what comes immediately after: the draft! When each team in the league gets a shot at picking up promising young superstars before the next season commences, fans pay attention. Here are the ten best NBA draft picks of all time.
Marc Gasol
In 2007, the LA Lakers picked up Marc Gasol with the 48th overall pick in the second round and traded him for his older brother, Pau Gasol. This trade to the Grizzlies was initially considered highway robbery, as the older Gasol was considered the more reliable player. Marc proved himself, though, turning Memphis into a powerhouse playoff team. Ironically, his first title came over a decade later during his season with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
Steve Nash
In 1996, the 15th overall pick in the first round was Steve Nash. Phoenix took a gamble on the Santa Clara student, who was a relatively unknown entity at the time. Vexingly, he never took the Suns to the Finals, but his stretch in the NBA was marked by two league MVP awards and an impressive six seasons with the Mavericks.
Tony Parker
The Spurs had the final pick in the first round in 2001, and they used it to draft Tony Parker. He spent 17 of his 18 seasons in the NBA with San Antonio and became a Hall of Famer with a truly enviable career. He made six All-Star appearances, won four titles, and 2nd Team All-NBA honors. Why was he the final pick of the first round, then? Parker himself notes that his workout with the Spurs was abysmal and he got dominated by former NBA player Lance Blanks right in front of Coach Popovich.
Kawhi Leonard
You might be noticing a trend: the Spurs were really good at the draft with Coach Popovich. They got Kawhi Leonard 15th overall in 2011, and from then until 2018 when he split acrimoniously with San Antonio, he won two All-Star accolades, two Defensive Player of the Year honors, and even two 1st Team All-NBA acknowledgements. Suffice it to say, the guy was good.
Karl Malone
Karl Malone was picked 13th overall by the Jazz in 1985 and certainly lived up to expectations. Many express confusion that he wasn’t first picked, but it’s worth noting that at the time teams were concerned about his “attitude.” Malone himself even rented an apartment in Dallas because he assumed the Mavericks would draft him with their eighth-pick slot, but they passed. Of course, the Jazz were ecstatic post-Malone draft and the Mailman played for an astonishing 18 seasons with the team.
Manu Ginobili
San Antonio scooped up Manu Ginobili 57th overall in the second round in 1999. For those who lost count, that’s the second-to-last pick of the second round, and many argue that he’s the best second-round pick ever barring Nikola Jokic. Ginobili nearly not getting drafted seems absurd when you consider his career, during which he helped the Spurs battle to four championships in his 16 seasons with San Antonio.
Dennis Rodman
The Pistons picked up Dennis Rodman 27th overall in the second round, but don’t hold that seemingly low placement against them. Rodman’s class in 1986 was flush with strong prospects, including Arvydas Sabonis, Mark Price, Nate McMillan, and Johnny Newman. Rodman, of course, is one of the best players to ever hold a basketball and gelled perfectly with the Pistons’ “Bad Boy” lineup in the late 80s.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Antetokounmpo was picked 15th overall by Milwaukee in 2013 in what might be the biggest value a team has ever squeezed from such a pick. He’s got everything from a Finals MVP to eight All-Star games under his belt, and he did all that before he even turned 30. Antetokounmpo is no joke, and his development into one of the best players to ever play for the Bucks speaks for itself.
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Kobe Bryant
The Lakers got Kobe from Charlotte after the Knights picked him 13th overall and traded him for Vlade Divac in 1996. His historic career as a shooting guard for the Lakers probably still haunts the Knights’ front office when they think about how much of a miscalculation that trade was.
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Nikola Jokic
It’s not a good idea to look too hard into the deeper draft picks as a mark of quality, per se, but it’s hard to say that Nikola Jokic being picked 41st in the second round in 2014 makes any sense. The man went on to win three MVP awards and Denver drafted him while a Taco Bell commercial was airing. He gets the last laugh, though, as he’s a future Hall of Famer with a career that speaks for itself.
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