Editing NBA draft

{{Short description|National Basketball Association Draft}}
{{about|<!--not used-->|the most recent draft|2025 NBA draft}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2014}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}

The '''NBA draft''' is the [[National Basketball Association]]'s (NBA) annual event, dating back to [[1947 BAA draft|1947]], in which the teams in the league can [[Draft (sports)|draft]] players who declare for the draft and that are [[Eligibility for the NBA draft|eligible]] to join their organization.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NBA Draft Index {{!}} Latest and Historical NBA Drafts Info |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/ |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> The current NBA consists of 30 teams, and all thirty teams have at least one draft pick throughout the two draft rounds.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wasserman |first=Jonathan |title=2024 NBA Mock Draft: Full Two-Round Predictions, Biggest Risers and Fallers |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10099402-2024-nba-mock-draft-full-two-round-predictions-biggest-risers-and-fallers |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=Bleacher Report |language=en}}</ref> Historically, the vast majority of players drafted into the NBA are college basketball players.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-18 |title=2023 NBA Mock Draft: Brandon Miller, Scoot Henderson go behind Victor Wembanyama in two-round projection |url=https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2023-nba-mock-draft-brandon-miller-scoot-henderson-go-behind-victor-wembanyama-in-two-round-projection/ |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=CBSSports.com |language=en}}</ref>

It is now common for players to also be drafted from international professional leagues,<ref>{{Cite web |title=None and done: Four of top five NBA draft picks didn't play for U.S. colleges |url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nba/none-and-done-four-of-top-five-nba-draft-picks-didnt-play-for-u-s-colleges |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=FOX Sports |language=en-US}}</ref> the [[NBA G League Ignite|G League Ignite team]], and youth professional basketball leagues. College players who have finished their four-year college eligibility are automatically eligible for selection, while the underclassmen have to declare their eligibility and give up their remaining college eligibility. International players who are at least 22 years old are automatically eligible for selection, while the players younger than 22 have to declare their eligibility. Players who are not automatically eligible but have declared their eligibility are often called "early-entrants" or "early-entry candidates". Selecting a player in the draft is one of the most important decisions for NBA front offices because of the effect it can have on the team, such as having many players playing in the same position, or that high overall draft pick turning out to be a [[draft bust|bust]], not only for next season, but also for the longevity of the franchise.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Milan |first1=Fabrício J. |last2=Soares |first2=André L. A. |last3=Quinaud |first3=Ricardo T. |last4=Kós |first4=Luisa D. |last5=Palheta |first5=Carlos E. |last6=Mendes |first6=Felipe G. |last7=Nascimento |first7=Juarez V. |last8=Carvalho |first8=Humberto M. |date=2019 |title=Power and agility testing within the NBA pre-draft combine |url=https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-0037.2019v21e59838 |journal=Revista Brasileira de Cineantropometria & Desempenho Humano |volume=21 |doi=10.1590/1980-0037.2019v21e59838 |issn=1980-0037}}</ref>

The draft usually takes place near the end of June, during the NBA offseason. Since 1989, the draft has consisted of two rounds; this is much shorter than the entry drafts of the other [[major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada]], all of which run at least seven rounds. Sixty players are selected in each draft. No player may sign with the NBA until he has been eligible for at least one draft.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|title=Article X: PLAYER ELIGIBILITY AND NBA DRAFT|year=2006|work=nbpa.com|at=Section 1a|url=http://www.nbpa.com/sites/nbpa.org/files/ARTICLE%20X.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130907202714/http://nbpa.com/sites/nbpa.org/files/ARTICLE%20X.pdf|archive-date=September 7, 2013|url-status=dead|access-date=February 11, 2013}}</ref>

In the past, [[NBA high school draftees|high school players were also eligible to be selected]]. However, starting in the [[2006 NBA draft|2006 draft]], high school players were not eligible to enter the draft directly after graduating from high school. The eligibility rules for the draft now state that high school players will gain eligibility for draft selection one year after their high school graduation, and they must also be at least 19 years old as of the end of the calendar year of the draft.

Some players have chosen to use that year to play professionally overseas for example, such as [[Brandon Jennings]] (Italy), [[Emmanuel Mudiay]] (China), and [[Terrance Ferguson]] (Australia). [[Thon Maker]] was eligible for the [[2016 NBA draft|2016 draft]] despite not going to college because he chose to undertake a [[postgraduate year]], so he was technically one year removed from graduation. 

==Draft selection process==
{{main|Eligibility for the NBA draft}}

Some players must be at least 19 years of age during the [[calendar]] year of the draft, and a player who completed basketball eligibility at an American high school must also be at least one year removed from the graduation of his high school class. Restrictions exist on players signing with [[sports agent]]s and on declaring for, then withdrawing from, drafts—although most of them are enforced by the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] rather than the NBA. A total of 45 players have been drafted directly from high school into the NBA, with the practice becoming more common in the late 1990s and early 2000s before the league implemented an age limit in 2005.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28971664/players-made-most-successful-jumps-high-school-nba |agency=ESPN |date=April 2, 2020 |title=Players who made the most successful jumps from high school to the NBA }}</ref> Any players who are not an "international player" must be at least one year out of the graduation of his high school class in order for them to qualify for the upcoming draft. Not many high school players went directly to the NBA draft for almost 20 years after [[Darryl Dawkins]] in 1975 because of the exposure of the college games.

In the early years of the draft, teams would select players until they ran out of prospects. The [[1960 NBA draft|1960]] and [[1968 NBA draft|1968 drafts]] went as long as 21 rounds. By [[1974 NBA draft|1974]], it had stabilized to 10 rounds (except [[1977 NBA draft|1977]], when the rounds were eight following the addition of four former [[American Basketball Association|ABA]] teams joining the NBA via the [[ABA-NBA merger]]), which held up until [[1985 NBA Draft|1985]], when the draft was shortened to seven rounds. By agreement with the [[National Basketball Players Association]], the drafts from [[1989 NBA draft|1989]] onward have been limited to two rounds, which gives [[List of National Basketball Association undrafted players|undrafted players]] the chance to try out for any team.<ref name=nba_evolution>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/history/draft_evolution.html|title=Evolution of the Draft and Lottery|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc|access-date=June 24, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203184544/http://www.nba.com/history/draft_evolution.html|archive-date=December 3, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

From [[1956 NBA draft|1956]] through [[1965 NBA draft|1965]], teams could use a [[NBA territorial pick|territorial pick]] in which they forfeited their first-round selection in order to choose a player from their immediate area. The player presumably had a strong local following to boost fan interest.<ref name=nba_evolution/> With territorial picks eliminated in 1966, replaced by a coin flip for the rights to [[List of first overall NBA draft picks|first overall pick]], the [[1966 NBA draft|1966 draft]] is considered the first modern NBA draft.<ref>{{cite book|first=Robert D.|last=Bradley|title=The Basketball Draft Fact Book: A History of Professional Basketball's College Drafts|page=101|year=2013|publisher=Scarecrow Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m99DCaqGoQ8C&dq=modern%20nba%20draft%201966%20territorial&pg=PA101|isbn=9780810890695 |access-date=January 29, 2022}}</ref>

From 2009 through 2015, the college underclassmen had until the day before the April signing period to withdraw their name from the draft and retain NCAA eligibility. Since 2016, players could enter the draft and participate in the [[NBA draft combine]] multiple times and retain NCAA eligibility by withdrawing from the draft within 10 days after the end of the mid-May NBA draft combine.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/2016/news/01/13/ncaa-convention-draft-status-flexibility/index.html|title=NCAA rule change to allow NBA evaluation flexibility|access-date=May 19, 2016|date=January 13, 2016|work=[[NBA.com]]|author=Vertuno, Jim}}</ref>

== Draft lottery ==
{{main|NBA draft lottery}}
The NBA draft lottery is an annual event held by the NBA, where the teams who did not make the playoffs in the past year participate in a state-lottery style process in order to determine the order that the first several teams pick players in the draft. The lottery covered the first three picks until 2018, after which it was increased to the first four.<ref name=":02">{{cite web|url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=J0E215759870615&site=ehost-live&scope=site|title=Draft lottery trickier than it might appear|last=Zillgitt|first=Jeff|date=July 22, 2017}}</ref> The team with the worst record receives the best odds of receiving the first pick. The NBA introduced the lottery process in 1985. The league was attempting to counter accusations that certain teams were purposefully losing in order to gain a chance to participate in the annual coin flip, where the worst team in each division (each conference starting in 1971) flipped a coin to see who will receive the first pick in that year's upcoming draft.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/features/inside_lottery_050524.html|title=Let the Ping-Pong Balls Fall|last=Dengate|first=Jeff|website=NBA.com|access-date=August 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100321160835/http://www.nba.com/features/inside_lottery_050524.html|archive-date=March 21, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The draft lottery is a crucial component of the NBA Draft, primarily determining the order of the top 14 picks, known as the lottery picks. These picks are assigned to the 14 teams that did not make the playoffs in the previous season. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Understanding the NBA Draft: A Comprehensive Guide |url=https://www.refrsports.com/blog/understanding-the-nba-draft-a-comprehensive-guide |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=refrsports.com |language=en}}</ref>In the lottery system, the league uses "a lottery-style ping-pong ball machine with 14 balls numbered 1–14, and 1,000 four-digit combinations are assigned to the 14 lottery teams."<ref name=":02" /> Until 2018, the worst team received 250 combinations, the second worst getting 199, the third worst team 156, and so on.<ref name=":02" /> The first three draft picks were determined. Starting in 2019, the three worst teams receive 140 combinations each, the fourth worst 125, and so on. Those three teams will have an equal chance of winning the top overall pick. After the first four picks are determined, the rest of the teams are ordered in reverse order based on their record in the previous season, like in the previous system.

The lottery is generally held in the third or fourth week of May. The NBA goes to great lengths in order to keep the selection process both fair and not tampered with in any way. "The actual Lottery procedure will take place in a separate room just prior to the national broadcast on [[ESPN]]. Select media members, NBA officials and representatives of the participating teams and the accounting firm of [[Ernst & Young]] will be in attendance for the drawing."<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nba.com/news/draft/nba-draft-lottery-what-will-happen-2016/|title=2016 NBA Draft Lottery: How the drawing process works & Lottery odds|work=NBA.com|access-date=August 2, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref> Attendees are not allowed cell phone or any other electronic access until the number one pick is revealed on the television broadcast.<ref name=":02" />

== Trades ==
The NBA allows teams to trade draft picks, with all of a team's first and second round draft picks in the next 7 drafts being tradable.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=2023 NBA trade deadline: How the Stepien Rule dictates what first-round picks teams can and can't move |url=https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2023-nba-trade-deadline-how-the-stepien-rule-dictates-what-first-round-picks-teams-can-and-cant-move/amp/ |access-date=2024-06-29 |website=www.cbssports.com}}</ref>

Draft picks in the NBA can be unprotected or protected. With unprotected picks the team who receives the pick is guaranteed to have the pick no matter where it falls, whereas a protected pick allows the team who trades a pick to retain it if it falls within a current range (such as being a top-5 pick or a draft lottery pick) with them often agreeing to give the team who receives the pick an unprotected pick in the following year's draft as compensation. As a result of this unprotected picks are generally considered more valuable than protected picks.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-17 |title=How the Pick Protection Took Over the NBA Transaction Game |url=https://www.theringer.com/nba/2021/3/17/22335035/nba-trade-deadline-first-pick-protection |access-date=2024-06-29 |website=www.theringer.com |language=en}}</ref>

Another common draft pick trade is a pick swap. Under this trade the team who receives the pick is given the right to swap picks with the other team if they are higher or retain their pick if it turns out to be higher pick than the draft pick of the team who traded the pick.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-19 |title=How do pick swaps work in the NBA? |url=https://www.deseret.com/2022/9/16/23338834/how-do-nba-draft-pick-swaps-work/ |access-date=2024-06-29 |website=Deseret News |language=en}}</ref>

Under current NBA rules a team must have at least one first round pick (which can either be their own pick or another team's pick) in every other draft under the Stepien Rule.<ref name=":1" />

==Globalization of the draft==
Collegiate players dominated the NBA draft for decades since its inception in 1950. From 1995 to 2005, NBA teams drafted a slew of just-graduated high school standouts like [[Kobe Bryant]], [[LeBron James]], [[Kevin Garnett]], [[Dwight Howard]], [[Tracy McGrady]] and [[Amar'e Stoudemire]]. To counteract this, the NBA implemented an age requirement in July 2005. This meant that high school seniors were no longer eligible for the NBA draft in 2006 and thereafter.

The league did allow draft eligibility for high school [[postgraduate year|postgraduates]], as long as they were at least one year removed from their high school graduation and were 19 years old by the time they entered the league. This option was exercised first in 2015 when Indian prospect [[Satnam Singh Bhamara]] was drafted in the second round and again in 2016 when South Sudanese–Australian prospect [[Thon Maker]] was drafted in the first round.

===Selecting foreign players===
{{See also|List of foreign NBA drafted players}}
Foreign players have made a large impact on how teams draft. Early on, foreigners were not part of the draft. The NBA's appeal was limited to the United States and the league was not yet attempting to expand internationally. The first foreign player, in the sense of being a national of a country other than the U.S., to be chosen first overall in the draft was [[The Bahamas|Bahamian]] [[Mychal Thompson]] in [[1978 NBA draft|1978]]. However, Thompson's selection was not a true harbinger of the game's globalization, as he had spent much of his childhood in [[Florida]], and had played college basketball at [[Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball|Minnesota]]. One of the first foreign players selected in the draft to play in the NBA was [[Manute Bol]] out of the Sudan in 1983 in the 5th round by the San Diego Clippers. Bol's selection was later deemed ineligible by the NBA. Two years later Bol was drafted again by the NBA this time out of Division II [[Bridgeport Purple Knights|University of Bridgeport]] in 1985 as the 31st pick overall in the second round. Although Bol did not have a stellar career, he is known for being one of the tallest players ever to play the game at 7 feet and 7 inches. He holds the record for being the tallest player ever to hit a 3-point field goal. The following two years saw two players born outside the U.S. selected first overall—[[Nigeria]]n [[Hakeem Olajuwon]] in [[1984 NBA draft|1984]] (he would later gain U.S. citizenship) and [[Jamaica]]-born American [[Patrick Ewing]] in [[1985 NBA draft|1985]].{{citation needed|date=May 2019}}

By the late 1990s, the number of foreign-born players drafted had dramatically increased. Some commentators incorrectly designate the top pick in the [[1997 NBA draft]], [[Tim Duncan]], as the third international player picked number 1 overall. But Duncan is from the [[United States Virgin Islands]] and, like all USVI natives, is a U.S. citizen by birth. He also had played U.S. college basketball at [[Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball|Wake Forest]]. Not counting Duncan, 11 international players were selected in the two rounds of the 1997 draft. Like top-pick Duncan, 5 of those 11 players (including the second and third overall picks) had played college basketball in the U.S. The [[1998 NBA draft|1998 draft]] saw another foreign player picked first overall, [[Nigeria]]n [[Michael Olowokandi]], but like Duncan he had played college basketball, in his case at [[Pacific Tigers men's basketball|Pacific]]. The foreign player drafted highest in 2001 was [[Pau Gasol]], selected third overall by the Atlanta Hawks. In 2002, [[Yao Ming]] became the first foreign player without U.S. college experience to be selected number 1 overall. Not only was the first overall pick an international player that year, but five more picks in the first round alone were also from overseas. In total, the 2002 draft produced 17 international players, with only three of them (all second-round picks) having U.S. college experience.

===International players selected number 1 overall===
Four international players had gone first overall before 2002, although all had played college basketball in the U.S., and one of them was in fact a U.S. citizen by birth. It was not until [[2002 NBA draft|2002]] that an international player without college experience went first overall—Yao Ming. His selection was not only a watershed moment for the NBA, but it also had a large impact in Yao's homeland of China. [[Hannah Beech]] (2003) wrote "Yao has single-handedly transformed his countrymen from nameless, faceless millions into mighty men who can jam with the very best".<ref name="beech">{{cite news |url=http://www.time.com/time/asia/2003/heroes/yao_ming.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030422082606/http://www.time.com/time/asia/2003/heroes/yao_ming.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 22, 2003 |title=Yao Ming China's Incredible Hulk of the hardcourt becomes an NBA sensation |last=Beech |first=Hannah |date=April 28, 2003 |work=[[Time.com]] |access-date=June 10, 2011}}</ref> Yao has helped the NBA grow into a worldwide product. Beech (2003) goes on to write "Ratings for NBA games broadcast on Chinese TV have never been higher than this year as the nation keeps track of its new favorite team, Yao's Houston Rockets".<ref name="beech" /> For his career Yao averaged a solid 19.0 points per game, 9.2 rebounds per game, 1.89 blocks per game, and shot 82.6 percent from the free throw line. It had later gotten to a point where the last four drafts from 2013 to 2016 all held international prospects as No. 1 selections in their respective drafts before ending the run in 2017.

The [[2002 NBA draft|2002]], [[2005 NBA draft|2005]], [[2006 NBA draft|2006]], [[2011 NBA draft|2011]], [[2013 NBA draft|2013]], [[2014 NBA draft|2014]], [[2015 NBA draft|2015]], [[2016 NBA draft|2016]], [[2018 NBA draft|2018]], [[2023 NBA draft|2023]], and [[2024 NBA draft|2024]] NBA drafts saw international players picked first overall. In 2005, the [[Milwaukee Bucks]] picked [[Andrew Bogut]], from Australia by way of the [[Utah Utes men's basketball|University of Utah]], No. 1. The next year, the [[Toronto Raptors]] drafted [[Andrea Bargnani]] from Italy, making him the second foreign player without U.S. college experience and the first European to be selected number 1 overall. In 2011, Australian born [[Kyrie Irving]] was selected by the [[Cleveland Cavaliers]] after having played one year at [[Duke Blue Devils men's basketball|Duke]]. In 2013, the [[Cleveland Cavaliers]] selected [[Anthony Bennett (basketball)|Anthony Bennett]], who played at [[UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball|UNLV]], first overall and making Bennett the first Canadian to be drafted at No. 1. In the [[2014 NBA draft]], the Cleveland Cavaliers, again picking No. 1, selected Canadian [[shooting guard]]/[[small forward]] [[Andrew Wiggins]]. During the [[2015 NBA draft]], the [[Minnesota Timberwolves]] selected U.S.-born center [[Karl-Anthony Towns]], also born with [[Dominican Republic]] citizenship by way of his mother, as the first player from the latter country and therefore the first [[Latin Americans|Latin American]] to become the No. 1 selection, teaming up with [[Andrew Wiggins]] in the process. During the [[2016 NBA draft]], the [[Philadelphia 76ers]] selected Australian forward [[Ben Simmons]] to be the No. 1 selection. In the [[2018 NBA draft]], the [[Phoenix Suns]] selected Bahamian center [[Deandre Ayton]] as their first ever No. 1 selection, with Ayton being the second Bahamian taken at No. 1 behind [[Mychal Thompson]], and the third Caribbean-born player after Patrick Ewing and Thompson. In the [[2023 NBA draft]], the [[San Antonio Spurs]] selected Frenchman [[Victor Wembanyama]] with the No. 1 selection, making him the first French player to be drafted at No.1. It also made him the third foreign player without U.S. college experience and the second European to be selected number 1 overall. In the [[2024 NBA draft]], the [[Atlanta Hawks]] selected Frenchman [[Zaccharie Risacher]] with the No. 1 selection.

==Notable past NBA drafts==
Some of the most noted NBA draft years are [[1984 NBA draft|1984]], [[1996 NBA draft|1996]] and [[2003 NBA draft|2003]]. The 2003 NBA draft was noted for bringing several future superstars into the league, such as [[LeBron James]], [[Dwyane Wade]], [[Carmelo Anthony]] and [[Chris Bosh]]. The draft of [[1986 NBA draft|1986]] was also notable for the number of solid or outstanding players selected in later rounds, partly because of drug problems that claimed the life of second overall pick [[Len Bias]] and affected the careers of several other first-round picks.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/the_bonus/06/22/86.draft/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060626051310/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/the_bonus/06/22/86.draft/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 26, 2006 |title=Draft daze: The sad saga behind the talented NBA Class of '86 |first=Paul |last=Forrester |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated|SI.com]] |date=June 23, 2006 |access-date=March 27, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://thehoopsreport.com/article.aspx?id=111 |title=The Top 50 NBA Draft Lottery Busts of All-Time |publisher=Ryan Feldman, TheHoopsReport.com |date=June 15, 2008 |access-date=June 16, 2008}}</ref>

On the other hand, the draft of [[2000 NBA draft|2000]] has been regarded as the worst in NBA history, with ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' calling its first round "a horrible group of players".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/2005/06/24/gallery.nbabusts/content.15.html |title=NBA Draft Busts: 6. First Round – 2000 |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated|SI.com]] |date=June 24, 2005 |access-date=March 27, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061027155717/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/2005/06/24/gallery.nbabusts/content.15.html |archive-date=October 27, 2006 }}</ref> The [[2013 NBA draft|2013 draft]] has also been called underwhelming, although [[Victor Oladipo]] and [[Rudy Gobert]] eventually became [[NBA All-Star Game|All-Stars]], and [[Giannis Antetokounmpo]] later became a two time [[NBA Most Valuable Player Award|NBA MVP]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=NBA Draft: Looking back and ranking the five worst draft classes since 2000|url=https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-draft-looking-back-and-ranking-the-five-worst-draft-classes-since-2000/|access-date=November 22, 2021|website=CBS Sports|date=September 8, 2020 }}</ref>

'''NBA 1st Overall Picks since 2000'''
{{seealso|List of first overall NBA draft picks}}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" summary="Draft (sortable), Selected by (sortable), Player (sortable), Nationality (sortable), College/high school/former club (sortable), PPG (sortable), RPG (sortable), APG (sortable) and References"
|- style="background-color:#c5c5c5"
!rowspan=2 scope="col"|Draft
!rowspan=2 scope="col" width=150|Selected by
!rowspan=2 scope="col" width=150|Player
!rowspan=2 scope="col"|Nationality
!rowspan=2 scope="col"|Position
!rowspan=2 scope="col" width=250|College/<br />high school/<br />former club
!colspan=3|NBA rookie statistics
!rowspan=2 scope="col" class="unsortable"|Ref.
|-
!scope="col"|PPG
!scope="col"|RPG
!scope="col"|APG
|-
|[[2000 NBA draft|2000]]
|[[Brooklyn Nets|New Jersey Nets]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:#CCFFCC"|{{sortname|Kenyon|Martin}}
|{{flagu|United States}}
|[[Forward (basketball)|Forward]]
|[[Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball|Cincinnati]]
|{{nts|12.0}}
|{{nts|7.4}}
|{{nts|1.9}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=m/martike01|name=Kenyon Martin|date=June 20, 2008}}</ref>
|-
|[[2001 NBA draft|2001]]
|[[Washington Wizards]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:transparent;"|{{sortname|Kwame|Brown}}
|{{flagu|United States}}
|[[Center (basketball)|Center]]
|[[Glynn Academy]] HS ([[Brunswick, Georgia]])
|{{nts|4.5}}
|{{nts|3.5}}
|{{nts|0.8}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=b/brownkw01|name=Kwame Brown|date=June 20, 2008}}</ref>
|-
|[[2002 NBA draft|2002]]
|[[Houston Rockets]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:#FFE6BD"|{{sortname||Yao Ming}}
|{{flag|China}}
|[[Center (basketball)|Center]]
|[[Shanghai Sharks]] ([[Chinese Basketball Association|China]])
|{{nts|13.5}}
|{{nts|8.2}}
|{{nts|1.7}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=m/mingya01|name=Yao Ming|date=June 20, 2008}}</ref>
|-
|[[2003 NBA draft|2003]]
|[[Cleveland Cavaliers]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:#CCFFCC"|'''''{{sortname|LeBron|James}}'''''
|{{flagu|United States}}
|[[Forward (basketball)|Forward]]
|[[St. Vincent–St. Mary High School|St. Vincent–St. Mary HS]] ([[Akron, Ohio]])
|{{nts|20.9}}
|{{nts|5.5}}
|{{nts|5.9}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=j/jamesle01|name=LeBron James|date=June 20, 2008}}</ref>
|-
|[[2004 NBA draft|2004]]
|[[Orlando Magic]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:#FFE6BD"|{{sortname|Dwight|Howard}}
|{{flagu|United States}}
|[[Center (basketball)|Center]]
|[[Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy|SACA]] ([[Atlanta]])
|{{nts|12.0}}
|{{nts|10.0}}
|{{nts|0.9}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=h/howardw01|name=Dwight Howard|date=June 20, 2008}}</ref>
|-
|[[2005 NBA draft|2005]]
|[[Milwaukee Bucks]]
!scope="row" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"|{{sortname|Andrew|Bogut}}
|{{flag|Australia}}
|[[Center (basketball)|Center]]
|[[Utah Utes men's basketball|Utah]]
|{{nts|9.4}}
|{{nts|7.0}}
|{{nts|2.3}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=b/bogutan01|name=Andrew Bogut|date=June 20, 2008}}</ref>
|-
|[[2006 NBA draft|2006]]
|[[Toronto Raptors]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:transparent;"|{{sortname|Andrea|Bargnani}}
|{{flag|Italy}}
|{{sort|foa|[[Forward (basketball)|Forward]]/[[Center (basketball)|center]]}}
|[[Pallacanestro Treviso|Benetton Treviso]] ([[Lega Basket Serie A|Italy]])
|{{nts|11.6}}
|{{nts|3.9}}
|{{nts|0.8}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=b/bargnan01|name=Andrea Bargnani|date=June 20, 2008}}</ref>
|-
|[[2007 NBA draft|2007]]
|[[Portland Trail Blazers]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:transparent;"|{{sortname|Greg|Oden}}{{#tag:ref|Greg Oden underwent [[microfracture surgery]] on his right knee before the {{nbay|2007|app=season}}, and missed the entire season. His rookie statistics are from the {{nbay|2008|app=season}}.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 14, 2007 |title=Oden's recovery from surgery likely in range of 6–12 months |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=3017538 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160118074735/http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3017538 |archive-date=January 18, 2016 |access-date=June 16, 2008 |website=ESPN.com}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}}
|{{flagu|United States}}
|[[Center (basketball)|Center]]
|[[Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball|Ohio State]]
|{{nts|8.9}}
|{{nts|7.0}}
|{{nts|0.5}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=o/odengr01|name=Greg Oden|date=June 20, 2008}}</ref>
|-
|[[2008 NBA draft|2008]]
|[[Chicago Bulls]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:#CCFFCC"|''{{sortname|Derrick|Rose}}''
|{{flagu|United States}}
|[[Guard (basketball)|Guard]]
|[[Memphis Tigers men's basketball|Memphis]]
|{{nts|16.8}}
|{{nts|3.9}}
|{{nts|6.3}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=r/rosede01|name=Derrick Rose|date=December 26, 2008}}</ref>
|-
|[[2009 NBA draft|2009]]
|[[Los Angeles Clippers]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:#CCFFCC"|''{{sortname|Blake|Griffin}}''
|{{flagu|United States}}
|[[Forward (basketball)|Forward]]
|[[Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball|Oklahoma]]
|{{nts|22.5}}
|{{nts|12.1}}
|{{nts|3.8}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=g/griffbl01|name=Blake Griffin|date=April 17, 2011}}</ref>
|-
|[[2010 NBA draft|2010]]
|[[Washington Wizards]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:#CCFFCC;"|{{sortname|John|Wall}}
|{{flagu|United States}}
|[[Guard (basketball)|Guard]]
|[[Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball|Kentucky]]
|{{nts|16.4}}
|{{nts|4.6}}
|{{nts|8.3}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=w/walljo01|name=John Wall|date=April 17, 2011}}</ref>
|-
|[[2011 NBA draft|2011]]
|[[Cleveland Cavaliers]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:#CCFFCC;"|'''''{{sortname|Kyrie|Irving}}'''''
|{{flagu|United States}}{{refn|Kyrie Irving was born in Australia to American parents who returned to the U.S. when he was two years old. He has played for the U.S. internationally at both youth and senior level.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bednall |first=Jai |date=May 15, 2011 |title=Boomers miss their shot at courting US star Kyrie Irving |url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/boomers-miss-their-shot-at-courting-us-star-kyrie-irving/story-e6frfglf-1226055994725 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629185317/http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/more-sport/boomers-miss-their-shot-at-courting-us-star-kyrie-irving/story-e6frfglf-1226055994725 |archive-date=June 29, 2012 |access-date=June 13, 2011 |website=Herald Sun |publisher=Herald and Weekly Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite press release |title=Irving named MVP of 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, headlines All-Star Five |date=September 14, 2014 |publisher=FIBA |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/news/irving-named-mvp-of-2014-fiba-basketball-world-cup-headlines-all-star-five |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140914212717/http://www.fiba.com/news/irving-named-mvp-of-2014-fiba-basketball-world-cup-headlines-all-star-five |url-status=live |archive-date=September 14, 2014 |access-date=April 15, 2015}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}}
|[[Guard (basketball)|Guard]]
|[[Duke Blue Devils men's basketball|Duke]]
|{{nts|18.5}}
|{{nts|3.7}}
|{{nts|5.4}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=i/irvinky01|name=Kyrie Irving|date=June 11, 2013}}</ref>
|-
|[[2012 NBA draft|2012]]
|[[New Orleans Pelicans|New Orleans Hornets]] <!-- New Orleans didn't change its name from Hornets to Pelicans until 2013. -->
!scope="row" style="background-color:#CCFFCC;"|'''{{sortname|Anthony|Davis}}'''
|{{flagu|United States}}
|{{sort|foa|[[Forward (basketball)|Forward]]/[[Center (basketball)|center]]}}
|[[Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball|Kentucky]]
|{{nts|13.5}}
|{{nts|8.2}}
|{{nts|1.0}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=d/davisan02|name=Anthony Davis|date=June 11, 2013}}</ref>
|-
|[[2013 NBA draft|2013]]
|[[Cleveland Cavaliers]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:transparent;"|{{sortname|Anthony|Bennett|dab=basketball}}
|{{flag|Canada}}
|[[Forward (basketball)|Forward]]
|[[UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball|UNLV]]
|{{nts|4.2}}
|{{nts|3.0}}
|{{nts|0.3}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=b/bennean01|name=Anthony Bennett|date=May 28, 2014}}</ref>
|-
|[[2014 NBA draft|2014]]
|[[Cleveland Cavaliers]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:#CCFFCC;"|'''''{{sortname|Andrew|Wiggins}}'''''
|{{flagu|Canada}}
|[[Forward (basketball)|Forward]]/[[Guard (basketball)|guard]]
|[[Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball|Kansas]]
|{{nts|16.9}}
|{{nts|4.6}}
|{{nts|2.1}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=w/wiggian01|name=Andrew Wiggins|date=April 19, 2015}}</ref>
|-
|-
|[[2015 NBA draft|2015]]
|[[Minnesota Timberwolves]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:#CCFFCC;"|'''''{{sortname|Karl-Anthony|Towns}}'''''
|{{flagu|Dominican Republic}}{{refn|Karl-Anthony Towns was born and raised in the United States; his mother is Dominican. He has chosen to represent the [[Dominican Republic]] at the international level.|group=lower-alpha}}
|{{sort|foa|[[Center (basketball)|Center]]}}
|[[Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball|Kentucky]]
|{{nts|18.3}}
|{{nts|10.4}}
|{{nts|2.0}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=t/townska01|name=Karl-Anthony Towns|date=April 16, 2016}}</ref>
|-
|[[2016 NBA draft|2016]]
|[[Philadelphia 76ers]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:#CCFFCC;"|'''''{{sortname|Ben|Simmons}}'''''
|{{flagu|Australia}}{{refn|Simmons was born in Melbourne, Australia, to an American father and Australian mother. He chose to represent Australia at international level.|group=lower-alpha}}
|[[Forward (basketball)|Forward]]/[[Guard (basketball)|guard]]
|[[LSU Tigers basketball|LSU]]
|{{nts|15.8}}
|{{nts|8.1}}
|{{nts|8.2}}
|align=center|<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite basketball-reference|id=s/simmobe01|name=Ben Simmons|date=June 23, 2016}}</ref>
|-
|[[2017 NBA draft|2017]]
|[[Philadelphia 76ers]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:transparent;"|'''{{sortname|Markelle|Fultz}}'''
|{{flagu|United States}}
|{{sort|foa|[[Guard (basketball)|Guard]]}}
|[[Washington Huskies men's basketball|Washington]]
|{{nts|7.1}}
|{{nts|3.1}}
|{{nts|3.8}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=f/fultzma01|name=Markelle Fultz|date=June 6, 2018}}</ref>
|-
|[[2018 NBA draft|2018]]
|[[Phoenix Suns]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:transparent;"|'''{{sortname|Deandre|Ayton}}'''
|{{flagu|Bahamas}}
|[[Center (basketball)|Center]]
|[[Arizona Wildcats basketball|Arizona]]
|{{nts|16.3}}
|{{nts|10.3}}
|{{nts|1.8}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=a/aytonde01|name=Deandre Ayton|date=June 21, 2018}}</ref>
|-
|[[2019 NBA draft|2019]]
|[[New Orleans Pelicans]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:#CCFFCC;"|'''{{sortname|Zion|Williamson}}'''
|{{flagu|United States}}
|[[Forward (basketball)|Forward]]
|[[Duke Blue Devils basketball|Duke]]
|{{nts|22.5}}
|{{nts|6.3}}
|{{nts|2.1}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=w/willizi01|name=Zion Williamson|date=August 20, 2020}}</ref>
|-
|[[2020 NBA draft|2020]]
|[[Minnesota Timberwolves]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:#CCFFCC;"|'''{{sortname|Anthony|Edwards|dab=basketball}}'''
|{{flagu|United States}}
|[[Guard (basketball)|Guard]]
|[[Georgia Bulldogs basketball|Georgia]]
|{{nts|19.3}}
|{{nts|4.7}}
|{{nts|2.9}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=e/edwaran01|name=Anthony Edwards|date=May 24, 2021}}</ref>
|-
|[[2021 NBA draft|2021]]
|[[Detroit Pistons]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:#CCFFCC;"|'''{{sortname|Cade|Cunningham}}'''
|{{flagu|United States}}
|[[Guard (basketball)|Guard]]
|[[Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball|Oklahoma State]]
|{{nts|17.4}}
|{{nts|5.5}}
|{{nts|5.6}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=c/cunnica01|name=Cade Cunningham|date=June 23, 2022}}</ref>
|-
|[[2022 NBA draft|2022]]
|[[Orlando Magic]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:#CCFFCC;"|'''''{{sortname|Paolo|Banchero}}'''''
|{{flagu|United States}}
|[[Forward (basketball)|Forward]]
|[[Duke Blue Devils basketball|Duke]]
|{{nts|20.0}}
|{{nts|6.9}}
|{{nts|3.7}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=c/banchpa01|name=Paolo Banchero|date=April 24, 2023}}</ref>
|-
|[[2023 NBA draft|2023]]
|[[San Antonio Spurs]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:#CCFFCC;"|'''''{{sortname|Victor|Wembanyama}}'''''
|{{flag|France}}
|[[Center (basketball)|Center]]/[[Forward (basketball)|forward]]
|[[Metropolitans 92]] ([[LNB Pro A|France]])
|{{nts|21.4}}
|{{nts|10.6}}
|{{nts|3.9}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=w/wembavi01|name=Victor Wembanyama|date=November 13, 2023}}</ref>
|-
|[[2024 NBA draft|2024]]
|[[Atlanta Hawks]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:transparent;"|'''{{sortname|Zaccharie|Risacher}}'''
|{{flagu|France}}
|[[Forward (basketball)|Forward]]
|[[JL Bourg]] ([[LNB Pro A|France]])
|{{nts|12.6}}
|{{nts|3.6}}
|{{nts|1.2}}
|align=center|<ref>{{cite basketball-reference|id=r/risacza01|name=Zaccharie Risacher|date=April 18, 2025}}</ref>
|-
|[[2025 NBA draft|2025]]
|[[Dallas Mavericks]]
!scope="row" style="background-color:transparent;"|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|align=center|
|}


==NBA draft on television==
The NBA draft has been televised since [[1980 NBA draft|1980]], the same year the [[1980 NFL Draft|NFL]] and [[1980 NHL Entry Draft|NHL]] televised (or publicized) theirs. [[USA Network]] broadcast the draft as part of its [[NBA on USA|contract]] with the NBA until [[1984 NBA draft|1984]]; starting in [[1985 NBA draft|1985]], [[TBS (TV network)|TBS]] did so as part of its ''[[NBA on TBS]]'' package. From [[1990 NBA draft|1990]] to [[2002 NBA draft|2002]], [[TNT (U.S. TV network)|TNT]] took over the draft as more NBA properties moved to the network (the ''[[NBA on TNT]]''). When ESPN acquired the rights to the NBA from [[NBA on NBC|NBC]] in [[2002–03 NBA season|2002]], [[ESPN]] began broadcasting the draft (starting in [[2003 NBA draft|2003]]) with the ''[[NBA on ESPN]]'', which it continues to do today. It was also televised on broadcast television for the first time on ABC in 2021. [[NBA TV]] has also produced its own coverage since coming under the purview of [[Turner Sports]] since [[2008 NBA draft|2008]].

==See also==
{{Portal|Sports}}
*[[List of first overall NBA draft picks]]
*[[Draft bust]]
*[[Expansion draft]]
*''[[Haywood v. National Basketball Association]]''
*[[Mock draft]]
*[[NBA high school draftees]]
*[[WNBA draft]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
;General
{{Refbegin}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/bobcats/draft_basketball_101.html|title=Basketball 101: NBA Draft|access-date=December 8, 2010|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101101195037/http://www.nba.com/bobcats/draft_basketball_101.html|archive-date=November 1, 2010|url-status=dead}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/hornets/news/draft06.html|title=NBA Draft Lottery 101|first=Jim|last=Eichenhofer|access-date=December 8, 2010|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130415002821/http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/36007533/ns/sports-college_basketball ‘One-and-done’ rule about to hit colleges hard] – Ken Davis, NBC Sports, March 23, 2010
*[https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/8097411/roots-nba-draft-one-done-rule-run-deep-men-college-basketball Roots of one-and-done rule run deep] – Myron Medcalf, ESPN, June 26, 2012
*[https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/8101090/the-unknown-future-nba-one-done-rule-men-college-basketball The unknown future of one-and-done] – Myron Medcalf, ESPN, June 27, 2012
*[http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2011-12-09/some-college-better-than-none-one-and-done-here-to-stay Some college better than none: 'One-and-done' here to stay] – Mike DeCourcy, December 9, 2011
{{Refend}}

;Specific
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.espn.com/nba/draft/news Espn.com Draft news]
* [http://www.nba.com/history/draft NBA.com: NBA Draft History]
* [https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/ Basketball-Reference.com: NBA Draft Index].
* [http://www.thedraftreview.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=15&Itemid=370 TheDraftReview.com: NBA Draft Index]
{{NBA Drafts}}
{{NBA Draft history by team}}
{{NBA}}

[[Category:NBA draft|*]]
[[Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1950]]
[[Category:Annual sporting events in the United States]]