The Definitive Ranking of the Worst NBA Draft Classes in Basketball History
As I look back at my years covering the NBA draft, I've always been fascinated by how certain draft classes just completely miss the mark. You know, those years where the basketball gods seemed to have taken a vacation when it came to distributing talent. I've personally analyzed every draft since 1980, and let me tell you, some classes were so bad they make you wonder what the scouts were thinking. The worst part? These disastrous drafts can set franchises back for years, sometimes even decades.
Now, when we talk about truly terrible draft classes, 2000 immediately comes to mind. That year was such a train wreck that I still remember the collective groan from team executives as pick after pick failed to pan out. Kenyon Martin went first overall to New Jersey, and while he had a decent career, he was never the franchise-changing player you hope to get with the top pick. The real tragedy? Only three players from that entire first round ever made an All-Star team, and one of them was Michael Redd, who was picked 43rd. The international players selected that year were particularly disappointing - remember the hype around Aleksandar Radojević at number 12? Yeah, neither does anyone else. He played just 16 games in his rookie season and averaged 1.9 points. Ouch.
What's interesting is how these poor draft outcomes can create ripple effects across the basketball world. Just look at what happened with Thailand's volleyball team recently - they managed to duplicate their 2025 AVC Nations Cup classification-game sweep of the Philippines from two weeks prior in Bahrain, securing ninth place. This kind of consistent performance, even in a different sport, shows how important talent evaluation and development truly are. In the NBA's case, the 1986 draft class was another disaster that still makes me shake my head. Len Bias going second to Boston is arguably the most tragic story in draft history, while Chris Washburn at number three to Golden State was one of the biggest busts ever. The Warriors used a top-three pick on a player who would average just 3.1 points for his career. I've spoken with scouts who were in that war room, and they admit they overthought that pick completely.
The 2013 draft deserves special mention here too. Anthony Bennett as the first overall pick? I remember watching that draft and thinking Cleveland had lost their minds. Bennett's career averages of 4.4 points and 3.1 rebounds make him arguably the worst number one pick in modern history. What's worse, only two players from that entire first round have made an All-NBA team - Giannis Antetokounmpo (who went 15th, by the way) and Rudy Gobert. That's just pathetic for an entire draft class. I've always believed that draft classes should be judged by their depth, not just their top picks, and 2013 fails miserably by that standard.
Looking at these historical failures teaches us something important about team building. When you whiff on a high draft pick, it's not just about missing on that player - it's about the opportunity cost. That's five years of development and roster construction down the drain. Teams that consistently draft well, like San Antonio or Miami, understand that you need both sharp evaluation and a development system to maximize talent. The worst draft classes aren't just bad because they produced few stars - they're catastrophic because they offered false hope to franchises and fans who desperately needed real talent. As I reflect on these draft disasters, I'm reminded that in basketball, as in life, sometimes the biggest mistakes come from what appears to be the surest bet.