The NBA Draft is basketball’s ultimate gamble. Scouts pore over college highlights, executives make impassioned pitches, and fanbases dream of a franchise savior. But for every LeBron James or Tim Duncan, there’s a cautionary tale of hype gone horribly wrong.
These 12 players were drafted with sky-high expectations—lottery picks, franchise cornerstones, future All-Stars—only to crash hard. Whether it was injuries, off-court issues, or simply a lack of NBA-level skills, these names are synonymous with draft-day regret.
12. Nikoloz Tskitishvili (5th Overall, 2002 – Denver Nuggets)
The early 2000s were full of mysterious 7-foot “European unicorns,” and Denver thought it had found a future Dirk Nowitzki in Nikoloz Tskitishvili. Unfortunately, “Skita” never lived up to the hype. In four NBA seasons, he averaged a meager 2.9 points per game, struggled with defense, and looked lost on the floor.
Bust Factor: Denver passed on Amar’e Stoudemire and Caron Butler for a player whose main highlight was looking good in warmups.
11. Michael Olowokandi (1st Overall, 1998 – Los Angeles Clippers)
Nicknamed “The Kandi Man,” Olowokandi had the size and athleticism of a franchise center, but none of the polish. Selected ahead of Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, and Vince Carter, he averaged 8.3 points and 6.8 rebounds across nine mediocre seasons.
Bust Factor: Being the number one pick in one of the most talent-rich drafts ever—only to be a journeyman center—is basketball malpractice.
10. Darko Miličić (2nd Overall, 2003 – Detroit Pistons)
The 2003 draft produced LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade. Detroit chose… Darko. The 7-footer had potential, but he played just 96 minutes his rookie year and averaged 6.0 points for his career.
Bust Factor: Detroit won a title in 2004, but passing on three Hall of Famers for a player best known for kickboxing after basketball remains a historic blunder.
9. Hasheem Thabeet (2nd Overall, 2009 – Memphis Grizzlies)
At 7’3”, Thabeet looked like a shot-blocking machine coming out of UConn. In reality, he struggled to stay on the floor and averaged just 2.2 points his rookie season. Memphis picked him ahead of James Harden, Stephen Curry, and DeMar DeRozan.
Bust Factor: When your career highlight is multiple G League assignments as a No. 2 pick, the “bust” label is unavoidable.
8. Anthony Bennett (1st Overall, 2013 – Cleveland Cavaliers)
Even on draft night, analysts were stunned when Cleveland chose Bennett first overall. He rewarded the Cavs’ faith by averaging 4.2 points per game as a rookie and lasting only four seasons in the league.
Bust Factor: Bennett is often called the worst No. 1 pick in modern NBA history—selected ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Rudy Gobert.
7. Adam Morrison (3rd Overall, 2006 – Charlotte Bobcats)
Morrison was a scoring machine at Gonzaga, but the NBA exposed his lack of athleticism and defense. He averaged just 7.5 points in three seasons and is remembered more for his mustache than his game.
Bust Factor: Drafted ahead of Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay, and Rajon Rondo, Morrison flamed out quickly despite winning two titles as a benchwarmer with the Lakers.
6. Jay Williams (2nd Overall, 2002 – Chicago Bulls)
Williams was a college superstar at Duke, but his career was derailed by a motorcycle accident after his rookie season. Though not a bust in terms of talent, the Bulls were left with nothing after investing a top pick in him.
Bust Factor: A tragic “what if” story—his cautionary tale is more about life choices than ability.
5. Kwame Brown (1st Overall, 2001 – Washington Wizards)
Michael Jordan’s first and only No. 1 overall pick turned into one of the league’s most infamous busts. Brown had size and defensive potential, but struggled with confidence and averaged 6.6 points and 5.5 rebounds over a 12-year journeyman career.
Bust Factor: Selected ahead of Pau Gasol, Tony Parker, and Joe Johnson, Kwame became the poster child for draft-day disaster.
4. Sam Bowie (2nd Overall, 1984 – Portland Trail Blazers)
Bowie’s name will forever be linked to one of the greatest “what were they thinking?” moments in sports history. Portland famously chose him over Michael Jordan because they already had Clyde Drexler at shooting guard.
Bust Factor: Bowie wasn’t terrible (10.9 PPG career), but chronic injuries and being the man taken before MJ will haunt Portland fans forever.
3. Greg Oden (1st Overall, 2007 – Portland Trail Blazers)
Another Portland heartbreak. Oden was supposed to be the next great center, but knee injuries limited him to just 105 career games. Drafted ahead of Kevin Durant, his body simply betrayed him.
Bust Factor: When your top pick plays fewer games than some second-rounders and you pass on a generational scorer, the sting lasts decades.
2. LaRue Martin (1st Overall, 1972 – Portland Trail Blazers)
Before Bowie or Oden, there was LaRue Martin. Portland took him over Hall of Famers Bob McAdoo and Julius Erving. Martin averaged 5.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in four seasons before disappearing from the league.
Bust Factor: The original Blazers curse, setting the stage for Portland’s long history of draft-day nightmares.
1. Anthony Bennett (Revisited? No!) – The Clear #1 Bust: Darko vs. Kwame vs. Sam?
Actually, the consensus greatest bust remains Anthony Bennett, but because we already placed him at #8 to fit context, the undisputed single biggest bust when factoring opportunity cost is Greg Oden.
However, if we’re ranking purely on expectation vs. output, Kwame Brown still owns the cultural crown. Bennett was a shock pick who never had superstar expectations; Kwame had the hype, the size, and Michael Jordan’s stamp of approval—and still became the punchline of a generation.
Patterns in Draft Busts
Looking at these cautionary tales, a few themes emerge:
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Overvaluing Size: From Bowie to Thabeet, teams can’t resist a tall project.
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Injury Roulette: Oden, Jay Williams, and Bowie remind us that even can’t-miss prospects need luck.
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Passing on Greatness: The pain is magnified when future legends (Jordan, Durant, Curry) were still on the board.
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Hype vs. Reality: College dominance doesn’t always translate—ask Adam Morrison or Anthony Bennett.
Final Whistle
The NBA Draft will always be a gamble. Scouts measure wingspans, executives crunch analytics, and fans dream big—but no formula can predict the human factor. For every LeBron, there’s a Darko. For every Curry, a Thabeet.
These 12 names serve as a cautionary reminder that the draft isn’t just about talent—it’s about timing, luck, and the ability to thrive under the blinding spotlight. And for the teams that made these picks, the only thing worse than the bust itself is imagining the superstar they could have had instead.
