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Biggest NBA Draft busts since 2000

 
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1980: Kelvin Ransey

1980: Kelvin Ransey
Dick Raphael/Getty Images

After averaging 16 points and seven assists in his second season in the NBA with the Trail Blazers, point guard Kelvin Ransey appeared to be heading for stardom. Unfortunately for Ransey, it was all downhill from there. He never came close again to producing those kinds of numbers and was out of the NBA before the age of 28. Ransey was the fourth pick in the 1980 NBA Draft.

 
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1980: James Ray

1980: James Ray
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The fifth overall pick in the 1980 NBA Draft, a career in basketball was just not meant to be for James Ray. The Nuggets forward played just three years in the NBA, tallying a grand total of 334 points.

 
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1981: Al Wood

1981: Al Wood
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Although he did have a few good years playing for SuperSonics, Al Wood’s NBA career was largely a disappointment. The fourth overall pick in the 1981 draft by the Hawks, Wood never truly found a home in the NBA and was out of the league before he turned 30.

 
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1981: Danny Vranes

1981: Danny Vranes
Focus on Sport / Getty Images

The fifth overall pick in the 1981 draft by the SuperSonics, Danny Vranes didn't have the raw talent to justify his top 10 selection. A small forward out of the University of Utah, Vranes never averaged more than eight points in a season. He was a good defender, and that ended up keeping him the NBA for seven seasons. Still, Vranes never should have even been a first-round pick.

 
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1982: Bill Garnett

1982: Bill Garnett
Dick Raphael / NBAE / Getty Images

The fourth overall pick in the 1982 draft, Bill Garnett (no relation to Kevin) lasted just four years in the NBA. A power forward out of Wyoming, Garnett simply didn't have the talent needed to keep up in the world's top professional basketball league. He played professionally in Italy for several years after his NBA prospects dried up.

 
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1983: Sidney Green

1983: Sidney Green
NBA Photos / NBAE / Getty Images

A power forward out of UNLV, Sidney Green failed to live up to the promise that made him the fifth overall pick of the 1983 draft. The talent and raw athletic ability were always there for Green, but for whatever reason he just couldn’t stick with one team. He played for six NBA teams over the course 10 seasons and ended his career with an average of 7.5 points per game.

 
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1984: Sam Bowie

1984: Sam Bowie
Brian Drake/Getty Images

Well, it looked like the right move at the time. Unfortunately for the Trail Blazers, their decision to draft center Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan with the second pick in the 1984 NBA Draft now appears to be the biggest draft mistake in professional sports history. Injuries prevented Bowie from ever realizing his potential, while Jordan only went on to become arguably the greatest basketball player this world has ever seen.

 
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1984: Mel Turpin

1984: Mel Turpin
Nathaniel S. Butler / NBAE / Getty Images

A star center at the University of Kentucky, Mel Turpin never made good on the talent that allowed him to become the sixth pick in the 1984 draft by the Washington Bullets. He had problems keeping his weight down, earning his the nickname of “The Dinner Bell.” Turpin played just five seasons in the NBA for three different teams.

 
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1985: Jon Koncak

1985: Jon Koncak
Rocky Widner/Getty Images

Hawks center Jon Koncak was the victim of expectations that were simply too high. The fifth overall pick in the 1985 draft, Koncak was expected to develop into a star center for the Hawks, especially after he signed a $13 million contract with Atlanta in 1989, a massive deal for the time. However, he never had the raw talent to live up to such a lofty pay grade and eventually earned the nickname “Jon Contract” from frustrated Hawks fans.

 
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1986: Chris Washburn

1986: Chris Washburn
Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images

The third overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft by the Warriors, center Chris Washburn lasted a mere two years in the NBA. Washburn developed problems with substance abuse early on in his career and played just 72 NBA games before receiving a lifetime ban from commissioner David Stern in 1989.

 
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1986: William Bedford

1986: William Bedford
Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images

A physically imposing center out of the University of Memphis, the Suns selected William Bedford with the sixth pick in the 1986 draft. Unfortunately for Bedford, his NBA career was derailed by substance abuse problems. He played just six seasons in the NBA, averaging just 4.1 points per game.

 
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1987: Dennis Hopson

1987: Dennis Hopson
Ken Levine / Getty Images

A shooting guard from Ohio State, Dennis Hopson looked like your classic NBA wing scorer coming into the 1987 draft. The Nets took him with the third pick, and Hopson proceeded to disappoint the team with his play. Although he was a decent scorer, he couldn’t do much else, and the Nets traded him away after three seasons in New Jersey. Hopson was out the NBA before he turned 27 years old.

 
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1991: Doug Smith

1991: Doug Smith
Nathaniel S. Butler / NBAE / Getty Images

The sixth overall pick in the 1991 draft by the Mavericks, Doug Smith lasted just five years in the NBA. Simply put, Smith was just overmatched by his competition in the NBA, evident by the fact that he shot 42.5 percent from the field for his career, an awful shooting percentage for a 6-foot-10 power forward.

 
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1991: Mark Macon

1991: Mark Macon
Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

A combo guard from Temple, the Nuggets took Mark Macon with the eighth pick in the 1991 draft. Unfortunately for Macon, he just didn’t have the athletic ability that you would expect a top 10 pick to have. He ended up playing seven seasons in the NBA, averaging 6.7 points for his career.

 
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1993: Bobby Hurley

1993: Bobby Hurley
Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

A star at Duke, point guard Bobby Hurley’s NBA career nearly ended his rookie season. In December 1993, he was nearly killed in a car accident after his SUV was broadsided by another vehicle. Although Hurley was able to recover from his life-threatening injuries and play four years the NBA, he just wasn’t the same player afterward. The seventh overall pick in the 1993 draft, Hurley is currently the head coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils.

 
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1994: Sharone Wright

1994: Sharone Wright
Fernando Medina/Getty Images

Through two NBA seasons, center Sharone Wright looked well on his way to having a successful basketball career. Sadly, Wright sustained several serious injuries in a car accident and never fully recovered from them. The sixth pick in the 1994 draft, he played just 203 games in the NBA.

 
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1995: Shawn Respert

1995: Shawn Respert
Lou Capozzola/Getty Images

A star at Michigan State, the scoring touch Shawn Respert displayed in college never translated to the NBA. The eighth overall pick in the 1995 draft by the Trail Blazers, he never averaged more than six points per game in a season. The point guard ended up playing just four seasons in the NBA.

 
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1998: Michael Olowokandi

1998: Michael Olowokandi
Robert Mora/Getty Images

After dominating the Big West Conference at the University of the Pacific, the Clippers selected Michael Olowokandi with the first overall pick in the 1998 draft. Although Olowokandi could hold his own on defense, the center never developed any sort of offensive game and was labeled a bust very early on in his NBA career. “The Kandi Man” never averaged more than 12.3 points in a season and is considered one of the worst first overall picks in NBA Draft history.

 
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1998: Robert Traylor

1998: Robert Traylor
Fernando Medina/Getty Images

A bulldog in the low post for the Michigan Wolverines, power forward Robert “Tractor” Traylor was expected to have a commanding presence in the paint in the NBA. Unfortunately for Traylor, the weight that allowed him to push around defenders in college only slowed him down in the pros. The sixth overall pick in the 1998 draft, he played seven lackluster seasons in the NBA for four different teams.

 
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1999: Jonathan Bender

1999: Jonathan Bender
Ron Hoskins/Getty Images

Jumping straight from high school to the NBA, Jonathan Bender was taken by the Pacers with the fifth pick in the 1999 draft. A few years playing college basketball would have benefited Bender, however, as the small forward just couldn’t find his way in the NBA. Injuries hampered Bender’s development, and his career was essentially over by the time he was 25 years old.

 
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2000: Stromile Swift

2000: Stromile Swift
Joe Murphy/Getty Images

Although he had one of the coolest names in NBA history, Stromile Swift was never able to grow into the star many thought he would become. The second overall pick of the 2000 NBA Draft by the Grizzlies, Swift never averaged more than 11.8 points per game in a season and was out the league by the time he was 29.

 
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2000: Marcus Fizer

2000: Marcus Fizer
Fernando Medina/Getty Images

The talent was there for Marcus Fizer to succeed in the NBA, but for whatever reason, the power forward was never able to put it all together. The fourth overall pick of the 2000 NBA Draft by the Bulls, Fizer played just six seasons in the NBA and only averaged more than 10 points per game in a season twice.

 
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2000: DerMarr Johnson

2000: DerMarr Johnson
Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

The sixth overall pick of the 2000 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, small forward DerMarr Johnson was never able to average more than 10 points per game for a single season in his NBA career. Johnson was out the NBA by the time he was 27 years old.

 
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2001: Kwame Brown

2001: Kwame Brown
Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

The first overall pick of the 2001 NBA Draft, center Kwame Brown never came close to living up to the expectations he had coming out of high school. After a few dismal seasons, Brown turned into a punchline for NBA fans. His career wasn’t a total bust in the eyes of Lakers fans, however, as he was a key piece in the Pau Gasol trade that helped propel the Lakers to their most recent two championships.

 
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2001: Eddie Griffin

2001: Eddie Griffin
Melissa Majchrzak/Getty Images

The seventh overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft by the New Jersey Nets, power forward Eddie Griffin had the potential to be an All-Star in the NBA. Unfortunately, substance abuse problems derailed his career, and he was out the league by the time he was 24 years old. Tragically, Griffin died in 2007 after his car was struck by a moving train.

 
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2002: Jay Williams

2002: Jay Williams
NBA Photos/Getty Images

The second overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls though they had a stud at the point guard position in Jay Williams. Truth be told, they did. However, after a successful rookie season, Williams’ NBA journey came to a premature end after he suffered career-ending injuries in a motorcycle accident. The former John R. Wooden Player of the Year in college basketball is now an analyst for ESPN.

 
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2002: Nikoloz Tskitishvili

2002: Nikoloz Tskitishvili
Barry Gossage/Getty Images

Try saying Nikoloz Tskitishvili five times in a row as fast as you can. Not easy, is it? A seven-foot power forward from Europe, the Denver Nuggets though they nabbed the next Dirk Nowitzki with the fifth overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. Instead, they drafted a player who would be out the NBA by 2006. Tskitishvili averaged a just 2.9 points per game over the course of his four years in the NBA.

 
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2002: Dajuan Wagner

2002: Dajuan Wagner
David Liam Kyle/Getty Images

An explosive guard out of Memphis University, the Cleveland Cavaliers thought they acquired a future superstar when they took Dajuan Wagner with the sixth overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft. Unfortunately for the Cavs, Wagner was never able to stay healthy enough to get the reps needed to develop into a quality NBA player. He was out of the NBA by the end of the 2007 season.

 
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2003: Darko Milicic

2003: Darko Milicic
Allen Einstein/Getty Images

With Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all on the board in the 2003 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons took Serbian center Darko Milicic with the second overall pick of that year's draft. In hindsight it seems crazy, but at the time, the pick was applauded. Milicic was expected to develop into a superstar but never came close. After 10 lackluster seasons with five different teams, Milicic’s NBA career came to an end at the age of 27.

 
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2004: Rafael Araujo

2004: Rafael Araujo
Chicago Tribune/Getty Images

When the Toronto Raptors took center Rafael Araujo with the eighth overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, he had “bust” written all over him. Araujo, who was already 24 years old by the time his NBA career began, just didn’t have enough room left to grow as a basketball player to justify his lofty draft status. The Brazilian-born player averaged just 2.8 points per game in three seasons in the NBA.

 
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2005: Ike Diogu

2005: Ike Diogu
Rocky Widner / NBAE / Getty Images

The ninth overall pick of the 2005 NBA Draft, forward Ike Diogu was nothing more than a career journeyman player. Diogu played for six teams over the course of his six-year NBA career and never averaged more than seven points per game in a season.

 
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2006: Adam Morrison

2006: Adam Morrison
Kent Smith/Getty Images

After an outstanding collegiate career at Gonzaga, the Charlotte Bobcats took Adam Morrison with the third overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. After a subpar rookie season, Morrison’s skills regressed, and he was a bench player for the remainder of his career. The small forward was out of the NBA by 2011.

 
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2006: Tyrus Thomas

2006: Tyrus Thomas
Rocky WIdner/Getty Images

The NBA career of Tyrus Thomas wasn’t a total disaster, but considering the Bulls traded away LaMarcus Aldridge to get him, the former LSU standout must be considered a bust. Although he was a decent defender, maturity issues and a limited offensive skill set prevented Thomas from developing into the superstar the Bulls thought he would become.

 
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2006: Shelden Williams

2006: Shelden Williams
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

With career averages of 4.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, power forward Shelden Williams failed miserably to live up to the hype that made him the fifth overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. Williams played for more teams (seven) than he had seasons in the NBA (six).

 
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2006: Patrick O'Bryant

2006: Patrick O'Bryant
Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images

Patrick O’Byrant is the perfect example of why NBA teams are tepid about drafting players from mid-major schools. A center out of Bradley University, the Warriors took O’Bryant with the ninth pick in 2006 NBA Draft and quickly came to regret their decision. O’Bryant played a grand total of four seasons in the NBA, averaging a measly 2.1 points per game in the process.

 
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2007: Greg Oden

2007: Greg Oden
Sam Forencich/Getty Images

To be fair to the Portland Trail Blazers, many people in the basketball world thought they were making a good choice in taking Greg Oden over Kevin Durant with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft. As it turned out, picking Oden proved to be a massive mistake. The center from Ohio State could never stay healthy for Portland and only played in a total of 82 games for the team over three seasons. Simply put, repeated knee injuries ended Oden’s career in the NBA before it ever had a chance to really get started.

 
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2007: Yi Jianlian

2007: Yi Jianlian
Joe Murphy / NBAE / Getty Images

After the tremendous success that Yao Ming had both on and off the court as an NBA player, Yi Jianlian was a hot commodity the night of the 2007 NBA Draft. Taken by the Bucks with the sixth overall pick in that year’s draft, Jianlian was expected to be the next Chinese superstar to take over the NBA. Instead, he turned into a bust. After two lackluster seasons in Milwaukee, Jianlian was shipped off to the Nets, where he also failed to make his mark. He returned to China after the 2012 NBA season.

 
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2008: Joe Alexander

2008: Joe Alexander
Gary Dineen/Getty Images

The eighth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, Joe Alexander played a grand total of 67 games in the NBA. Granted, injuries were part of the problem, but Alexander was a player who should have never been a first-round pick, let alone drafted in the top 10.

 
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2009: Hasheem Thabeet

2009: Hasheem Thabeet
Rocky Widner/Getty Images

Standing at seven-foot-three, Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet had NBA scouts drooling over his size and athleticism. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the talent to capitalize on his physical attributes. Thabeet was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the second overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft but failed to develop into a viable NBA player. He never averaged more than 3.1 points per game in a season.

 
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2009: Jonny Flynn

2009: Jonny Flynn
David Sherman/Getty Images

With the sixth overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn. With the seventh overall pick, the Golden State Warriors took Stephen Curry. That’s really all that needs to be said here.

 
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2010: Wesley Johnson

2010: Wesley Johnson
Rocky Widner/Getty Images

Although he has had a serviceable NBA career, small forward Wesley Johnson never should have been the No. 4 overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft. Given his absurd athleticism and tremendous length, it’s easy to understand why the T’Wolves selected him so high in that year’s draft, but the innate basketball talent just wasn’t there. Johnson currently plays for the Los Angeles Clippers.

 
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2010: Ekpe Udoh

2010: Ekpe Udoh
Rocky Widner/Getty Images

Despite being the best team in the NBA, the Warriors have had their fair share of misses in the draft over the last decade. Former Baylor center Ekpe Udoh may be their biggest one. The sixth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Udoh never even came close to becoming a serviceable NBA player, let alone a good one. Although he was a decent shot blocker, his inability to do anything on offense killed his career.

 
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2011: Jan Vesely

2011: Jan Vesely
Mike Stobe/Getty Images

Despite having pogo sticks for legs, former Wizards and Nuggets forward Jan Vesely just couldn’t figure out how to make it in the NBA. The sixth overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Vesely was never able to average more than five points a night and was out of the NBA by the end of the 2014 season.

 
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2012: Thomas Robinson

2012: Thomas Robinson
Sacramento Bee/Getty Images

Thomas Robinson is still hanging around the league as a deep bench player for the Lakers, but he's barely a fringe player. That's quite a drop-off from the projections for the fifth overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft. The Sacramento Kings thought they were getting a destructive force on both ends of the floor. Instead, they got a player who is now on his sixth NBA team in just five seasons and a player who has never averaged as much as 16 minutes a game in any given season.

 
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2013: Anthony Bennett

2013: Anthony Bennett
David Dow/Getty Images

In one of the most shocking turn of events the NBA Draft has ever seen, the Cleveland Cavaliers took UNLV forward Anthony Bennett with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. Bennett, who was also shocked by his selection, all of a sudden had to live up to the hype and pressure of being a top overall pick, something he just couldn’t do. Truth be told, the Cavs were setting up Bennett to fail right from the get-go by taking him with the first pick. After two miserable seasons with Cleveland, Bennett was traded to the Timberwolves and then moved on to the Raptors, who chose to release him. Although he is only 24 years old, Bennett hasn't salvaged his NBA career, playing just 23 games this past season for the lowly Nets. It looks like he will go down as one the biggest busts of all time.

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