The NBA Draft can change the fortunes of an NBA franchise. It's the great equalizer of the sport. Great drafting is the reason why the NBA's two best teams currently reside in San Antonio and Oklahoma City. It doesn't matter about market size or the sponsorship opportunities. It only matters where the best players slot.
At the same time, bad drafting can ruin a franchise. It happens in every sport. If a team takes the wrong player, it could derail a franchise. There are examples of teams staying in cities because of good drafting, and there are others who bolted because the franchise never got the right star who would buy in.
Right now, we're looking at a draft that has four superstar prospects expecting to change the franchise they head to. With four of them getting that kind of hype, there's a good chance at least one of them busts. With the Washington Wizards getting the first-overall pick, they are hoping beyond hope they don't pick the one who doesn't live up to expectations. There have been plenty of instances over the past 10 years where a team was derailed by its own draft pick.
Dragan Bender Phoenix Suns Media Day 2018 | Rob Schumacher/The Republic
10. Dragan Bender, Phoenix Suns, 2016
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No. 4 overall
One year after one of the best draft picks of this era (Devin Booker with the 13th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft), the Phoenix Suns had one of the worst. Still trying to establish themselves in the ultra competitive Western Conference, the Suns got themselves the fourth overall pick in the 2016 draft. They felt like they had enough talent, with Booker, Alex Len, and T.J. Warren building a young core, and veterans Eric Bledsoe and Tyson Chandler ready to compete, they could take a risk on seven-foot Croatian center Dragan Bender with the fourth-overall pick.
He was very bad. Bender was clearly not ready to play in the NBA, averaging less than four points and three rebounds in his first season. Many thought he would grow into his role and be ready once the Suns were ready to compete. That… didn't happen. Bender never matured on the court, as he always felt like he played with little confidence. He was out of Phoenix in three years and out of the NBA a year after that.
On the board when the Suns picked was Jamal Murray, who not only would have helped the Suns win, but they would have forever hurt the Denver Nuggets. Even Buddy Hield would have been helpful to the Suns long-term. Instead, they are watching their pick suffer multiple torn ACLs in the Spanish league.
New York Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
9. Frank Ntilikina, New York Knicks, 2017
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No. 8 overall
The New York Knicks of this era were a mess. Everything was wrong in the Phil Jackson era, and it was $12 million per year wasted on bad decisions. This draft pick seems to be the catalysts of what went wrong here. Frank Ntilikina was drafted as a guard out of France that intrigued the masses. This was already a weird draft for the Knicks, with trade talks surrounding Kristaps Porzingis.
While there were many analysts who liked the pick at the time, there were serious offensive flaws that seemed to be ignored. Most of that came from being the youngest player in the draft that season. There was a certain level of expected growth that never came. Ntilikina was praised for his defense, length, and versatility coming out of France, but a player can't excel with zero offensive talent in the NBA. It sounds like they thought he would turn into what Josh Hart is right now, but he's much worse, and he's now out of the NBA.
While he wasn't a top-five pick, Ntilikina was chosen ahead of several players who later became stars or high-level contributors, including Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo, and OG Anunoby. While the Knicks eventually got Anunoby, and he's been a great addition, it cost them two big-time contributors in RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. The Knicks could have fast-forwarded this current feeling of good graces if they had just made the right picks.
8. Killian Hayes, Detroit Pistons, 2020
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No. 7 overall
Detroit Pistons guard Killian Hayes | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
There's a lot that went wrong in the 2020 NBA Draft. Of course, teams had to make picks without an NCAA Tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Detroit Pistons didn't have that issue because they took Killian Hayes, who was playing professionally in Germany at the time. When the pandemic hit, he returned home to Florida, ending his season prematurely, but the Pistons felt they saw what they needed to see.
Hayes was the first "international" player the Pistons drafted, even though he's an American. He was expected to come to Detroit and play point guard for the next generation. In his first season, he suffered a labrum tear in his hip, and nothing was the same after that.
The Pistons got what they thought was an oversized guard who would grow into something great. During his career, he had flashes, but it didn't make it that far. He was off the Pistons by 2024, and his second stop with the Nets was spent mostly on Long Island in the G League. Can you imagine if the Pistons drafted Tyrese Halliburton instead? While the Pistons aren't thinking about Hayes since they are the No. 1 seed in the playoffs thanks to the growth of Cade Cunningham, this pick working out would have been really nice to make this team a true contender.
7. Josh Jackson, Phoenix Suns, 2017
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No. 4 overall
Phoenix Suns forward Josh Jackson | Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images
There were opportunities for the 2017 NBA Draft to change the Phoenix Suns franchise, but they were both unlucky and incompetent with their pick of Josh Jackson. The rumors coming out of Arizona were that the team didn't have a consensus in the room between Jackson, Jonathan Isaac, or DeAaron Fox. This came right after Jayson Tatum was taken by the Boston Celtics. Of course, Lauri Markkanen went right after those three, and he's a really good player, himself.
After two seasons, the Suns traded Jackson, two second-round picks, and DeAnthony Melton to the Memphis Grizzlies for Kyle Korver and Jevon Carter. That doesn't seem like enough for a former fourth-overall pick that was averaging double-digit points per game. It's because there were serious issues with his game. Also, the Suns waived Korver, so this was just a salary cap dump to trade for Ricky Rubio.
Today, Jackson is out of the league. Since that happened, he's gotten into serious issues with the law, and it likely ends any possibility of a comeback. This was a player who everyone felt was a great prospect, but his career fell apart pretty quickly. It didn't take long for the Suns to figure out they made a mistake, and we commend them for making a quick move to rectify the situation.
6. Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns, 2018
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No. 1 overall
Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Phoenix Suns are a mess on this list. They've made so many recent mistakes in the draft, which is why they are in the position they are in right now. This one might be their worst. It is hard to overcome a mistake with the first-overall pick. It's even worse when the logic is flawed. There are very few dominant centers in the league today, but two of the best players in the world (Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama) play the position. The upside is there, but the risk is immense.
Ayton is one of the few players on this list who is still contributing in the NBA, but he's struggling mightily to make sense on the current Los Angeles Lakers roster. Ayton's issues weren't just scoring or counting stats, but he couldn't stay healthy. He's missed at least 20 games in four of his eight seasons.
It's not just about who they chose, but the Suns had a chance to take Luka Doncic. He's one of the biggest stars in the NBA, and ironically, Ayton's current teammate on the Los Angeles Lakers. They are also both on different teams than the ones that drafted them. Missing out on Doncic in Phoenix feels like the biggest mistake they've made, but at least Ayton is still an NBA player. He's not nearly as big a bust as… say…
5. James Wiseman, Golden State Warriors, 2020
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No. 2 overall
Golden State Warriors center James Wiseman | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
It's not a good thing when the second-overall pick in the NBA Draft from six years ago still has his high school picture as the header on his Wikipedia page. James Wiseman joined the league in 2020. After spending a season with the University of Memphis, he declared for the draft and was expected to be a top-three pick. The Golden State Warriors felt like a natural fit. They were always putting veteran presences at the center position while building around stars Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
The Warriors were seeing the end of their dynasty that had them dominating the NBA for close to a decade, but when it went away, it fell hard. The Warriors won just 15 games in 2019-20, and Curry played just six games. They could turn this around very quickly with growth from Wiseman and 2019 first-round pick Jordan Poole.
Wiseman looked really good at first, but then he tore his meniscus. That caused him to miss the rest of his rookie season. After that, he suffered a setback in his return timeline right before he was ready to come back, and he ended up missing another season. Despite this, the Warriors would go on to win the NBA title. The Warriors traded Wiseman as part of a four-team deal that sent him to the Pistons. Obviously, Halliburton would be the best pick here, but even LaMelo Ball would have been incredibly fun on this Warriors team.
4. Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers, 2016
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No. 1 overall
Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
This one might be the most bizarre situation in the NBA. Not even talking about draft picks, the failure of Ben Simmons' NBA career needs to be studied. He was supposed to be the final piece of The Process, this failed experiment by the Philadelphia 76ers to tank multiple seasons to build a dynasty. Instead, all it got them was a few regular season awards for Joel Embiid and a second-round sweep from the New York Knicks this season.
When Simmons joined the league, he was as advertised. He averaged just under 16 points in his rookie season, adding eight rebounds and eight assists to his stat line. On top of that, he kept growing, pushing his scoring up a little and leading the league in steals per game in his third season. He won Defensive Player of the Year in 2020 and 2021, but something happened in this moment. He was failing in the biggest moments, causing the Sixers to get sent home early. Then, he demanded a trade and sat out for a season, claiming a back injury. He was traded to the Nets and became a support player.
Simmons's failure is probably the biggest factor (even though there's another Sixer on this list) for the low ceiling plaguing the 76ers for years. They haven't made it past the second round since Allen Iverson took this team to the NBA Finals in 2001. Simmons was four years old at the time.
3. Marvin Bagley III, Sacramento Kings, 2018
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No. 2 overall
Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley III | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
The choice seemed simple, but everyone was projecting the Sacramento Kings to make the wrong decision. Marvin Bagley came into the league with some questions surrounding his game, including his compete level and defensive structure. Luka Doncic had no questions. He was a clear star and NBA-ready right off the bat. He was such a clear star that the Dallas Mavericks traded a second first-round pick just to move up from fifth to third to select him.
Like so many on this list, this is a story about injuries. Throughout his career, Bagley dealt with repeated foot, hand, knee, and ankle injuries that interrupted his development and limited his playing time. Young players usually improve through repetition and experience, but Bagley rarely had long stretches of healthy basketball. The Kings are used to this kind of issue, as their entire franchise has been derailed by injuries and failed draft picks.
Add to that a question about the competitive level, and the Kings clearly went in the wrong direction here. Going into his fourth season, the Kings let Bagley know that he would not be a major part of their rotation. He dropped to 22 minutes per game, and his points dropped under 10 for the first time in his career, eventually getting traded to Detroit. He's still bouncing around the league as a bench player.
2. Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans, 2019
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No. 1 overall
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
It's no secret how we feel about Zion Williamson. It's still relatively early in his career, and he's shown drips of greatness when he's able to stay healthy. But his career is full of injuries and disappointments so far, and he has failed to take the New Orleans Pelicans anywhere of note. What was supposed to be this no-doubt superstar who changed the fortunes of a franchise that just lost Anthony Davis is now just another guy who can't stay on the court, and the Pelicans are in an even worse position.
While others will point to how disastrous some of the other players on this list are, and how most of them are out of the league while there's still hope for Zion to do great things in the NBA, we have to look at this objectively. The Pelicans franchise has no direction forward because of the Zion Williamson choice.
This was a strange draft, which might give the Pelicans a pass. RJ Barrett has been fine in New York and Toronto. Ja Morant had a small window of greatness, but now the Grizzlies can't wait to trade him. Darius Garland is fine in Cleveland, but there's not much else to get excited about. This is all about the hype surrounding Williamson, who had teams lining up to draft him a year in advance of his declaration.
1. Markelle Fultz, Philadelphia 76ers, 2017
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No. 1 overall
Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Markelle Fultz wasn't just a bad No. 1 pick… he may be the defining draft bust of the last decade. Everything the Philadelphia 76ers sacrificed to get him and everything they passed on in the process (pun intended) makes this the biggest franchise blunder since the 2015 NBA Draft.
The 76ers didn't simply find themselves in a position where the wrong players were available. They aggressively traded up with the Boston Celtics, sending the No. 3 overall pick and another future first-rounder just to move up two spots in the 2017 NBA Draft. Boston already looked like a genius franchise after fleecing the Brooklyn Nets in the Kevin Garnett-Paul Pierce trade, and somehow Philadelphia handed them another franchise-altering win. With the top pick, the Sixers selected Markelle Fultz. The Celtics stayed at No. 3 and drafted Jayson Tatum. We don't have to explain why that didn't work out.
"The Process" was finally supposed to pay off. Joel Embiid looked like a superstar, and Ben Simmons had just arrived. Fultz was expected to complete a championship core. Instead, he became one of the strangest and most disappointing flameouts in modern NBA history. Almost immediately, Fultz's game unraveled. His jump shot completely disappeared, his confidence cratered, and questions swirled about injuries, mechanics, and even his mental state. It was a strange time in Philadelphia media. Two years later, the Sixers dumped him to the Orlando Magic for a fraction of what they paid.
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This article was originally published on www.fansided.com as The 10 biggest NBA Draft busts of the past decade, ranked.
