With the NBA Draft Lottery taking place last Tuesday, teams selecting in the lottery hope to pick up a player who can be a mainstay for their franchise.
Not everyone can be LeBron James or Kevin Durant though. Here are the least productive lottery picks at each draft position 1-14 since 2000.
To see the best lottery pick at each draft position 1-14 since 2000, click here.
1. Anthony Bennett (2013)
Bennett spent all of last season in the G-League, not where you’d expect a top overall pick to reside. He has played in just 151 career NBA games averaging 4.4 points and 3.1 rebounds.
Last year’s #1 pick: Markelle Fultz
Dishonorable mentions: Kwame Brown (2001), Andrea Bargnani (2006), Greg Oden (2007)
2. Hasheem Thabeet (2009)
Standing at 7-3, the Grizzlies believed they were getting the next great defensive center in Thabeet. He last played in the NBA in 2014 and has only 483 career points.
Last year’s #2 pick: Lonzo Ball
Dishonorable mentions: Stromile Swift (2000), Jay Williams (2002), Darko Milicic (2003), Derrick Williams (2011)
3. Adam Morrison (2006)
Morrison only lasted three years in the league. He played in 161 games and shot just 37.3 percent from the field.
Last year’s #3 pick: Jayson Tatum
Dishonorable mentions: Darius Miles (2000), Jahlil Okafor (2015)
4. Marcus Fizer (2000)
Fizer was never able to fully recover from a torn ACL in early 2003 as he only appeared in 100 NBA regular season games after the injury.
Last year’s #4 pick: Josh Jackson
Dishonorable mentions: Tyrus Thomas (2006), Wesley Johnson (2010)
5. Nickoloz Tskitishvili (2002)
In 172 career games, Tskitishvili had an ugly field goal percentage of .304. It is safe to say that career totals of 507 points and 307 rebounds had him fall well short of expectations.
Last year’s #5 selection: DeAaron Fox
Dishonorable mentions: Shelden Williams (2006), Thomas Robinson (2012), Mario Hezonja (2015)
6. Jan Vesely (2011)
Vesely last appeared in the NBA in 2014. Altogether, he has played in just 162 games making very little impact.
Last year’s #6 pick: Jonathan Isaac
Dishonorable mentions: DerMarr Johnson (2000), Dajuan Wagner (2002), Martell Webster (2005), Yi Jianlian (2007),
7. Eddie Griffin (2001)
Alcohol problems helped to derail Griffin’s career, and his life tragically ended in 2007 after his car hit a moving train.
Last year’s #7 pick: Lauri Markkanen
Dishonorable mentions: Bismack Biyombo (2011), Ben McLemore (2013)
8. Joe Alexander (2008)
After appearing in 59 games as a rookie, Alexander played in a grand total of eight afterwards. His NBA totals of 282 points and 120 rebounds surely mean he was a colossal bust.
Last year’s #8 pick: Frank Ntilikina
Dishonorable mentions: DeSagana Diop (2001), Rafael Araujo (2004), Nik Stauskas (2014)
9. Patrick O’Bryant (2006)
O’Bryant never played in more than 39 games in a season totaling only 90 altogether. He played just 524 career minutes.
Last year’s #9 pick: Dennis Smith Jr.
Dishonorable mentions: Rodney White (2001), Mike Sweetney (2003), Ike Diogu (2005), Noah Vonleh (2014)
10. Mouhamed Sene (2006)
Sene has one career assist.
That should say enough about his career not living up to the expectations of being a lottery pick.
Last year’s #10 pick: Zach Collins
Dishonorable mentions: Luke Jackson (2004), Jimmer Fredette (2011)
11. Fran Vazquez (2005)
Vazquez has never suited up for an NBA game as he decided to remain in Spain throughout the years where he is still currently playing.
Last year’s #11 pick: Malik Monk
Dishonorable mentions: Jerome Moiso (2000), Kedrick Brown (2001), Acie Law (2007), Terrence Williams (2009), Cole Aldrich (2010)
12. Yaroslav Korolev (2005)
In a career that spanned just 34 games, Korolev shot an atrocious 13-46 from the field with totals of 16 rebounds and 13 assists.
Last year’s #12 pick: Luke Kennard
Dishonorable mentions: Melvin Ely (2002), Robert Swift (2004), Hilton Armstrong (2006), Xavier Henry (2010)
13. Marcus Haislip (2002)
Haislip played in 89 career NBA games finishing with 311 points and 131 rebounds.
Last year’s #13 pick: Donovan Mitchell
Dishonorable mentions: Courtney Alexander (2000), Sean May (2005), Julian Wright (2007), Kendall Marshall (2012), Georgios Papagiannis (2016)
14. Mateen Cleaves (2000)
Much-hyped coming out of Michigan State, Cleaves started just 10 career games at the NBA level and ended his career with averages of 3.6 points and 1.9 assists.
Last year’s #14 pick: Bam Adebayo
Dishonorable mentions: Rashad McCants (2005), Anthony Randolph (2008), Earl Clark (2009)