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A decorated four-year player at Duke, Williams entered the NBA with plenty of hype. He was taken fifth in 2005 and was thought to be a key piece of the future in Atlanta. However, his time with the Hawks lasted 117 games. He averaged just 5.5 points and 5.4 rebounds as a rookie with the Hawks. He was traded in his second season to the Sacramento Kings. Williams bounced around after that and eventually left the NBA in 2012. He spent a few seasons in France and China.

Kedrick Brown and Jerome Moiso are frequent selections for the biggest Celtics draft busts in history, but the worst of the worst is Colorado State big man Bill Green. Had he simply chosen to play for the teams in other sports that drafted him — MLB’s Boston Red Sox or the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys — he would not have met any reasonable criteria for a bust. But Green’s fear of flying kept him out of pro sports altogether and cost the Celtics the No. 8 pick in the process.

–Justin Quinn, Celtics Wire

Ed O’Bannon is among the players most commonly considered one of the Nets‘ worst picks. He spent just 109 games with the team. O’Bannon later said he struggled with maintaining his confidence in games, affecting his overall performance. After two years, he was out of the NBA and bounced around in Europe before calling it quits in 2004.

For more coverage on the Nets, visit Nets Wire

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Morrison failed to live up to expectations as the third overall pick after a tremendous collegiate career at Gonzaga. He averaged 11.8 points per game in his first season with the Bobcats and earned a place on the NBA All-Rookie first team. However, he missed the next season due to a knee injury and was eventually traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009. He was out of the NBA following the 2009-10 season and then played overseas. Despite a short career, Morrison won two championships with the Lakers.

Williams’ story is well known. He turned in a strong first season with the Bulls and was named to the NBA All-Rookie second team after averaging 9.5 points, 4.7 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 75 games. However, he never played again after he was involved in a motorcycle accident, which violated the terms of his contract with the Bulls. He was cut after it became apparent he would miss a significant amount of time due to his rehab.

He was a two-time All-American and champion during his three years in college at Duke. His accident created perhaps one of the biggest “What if” situations in basketball history because he had shown promise as a rookie with the Bulls. Williams is an analyst with ESPN and frequently appears on many of their day-time shows across the network and on their coverage of games.

For more coverage on the Bulls, visit Bulls Wire

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Anthony Bennett is regarded as perhaps the biggest draft bust in NBA history. He played 52 games with the Cavaliers in his rookie season, after which he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played one season each with the Timberwolves, Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets. During his stint in Toronto, Bennett appeared in the then-NBA D-League, becoming the first No. 1 pick to do so. Following his stint with the Nets, Bennett played in the NBA G League and bounced around overseas. He played last in Taiwan. 

The fourth pick in 1982, Garnett lasted four seasons in the NBA and two with the Mavericks. He averaged 5.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 155 games in Dallas. He played his final two years with the Indiana Pacers. To make matters worse, Fat Lever (11th), Sleepy Floyd (13th) and Ricky Pierce (18th) were selected after Garnett that year.

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Nuggets fans likely still cringe when they hear this name. The Nuggets were very high on Tskitishvili entering the draft and hoped he would become the next great European prospect like Dirk Nowitzki. Instead, Tskitishvili played four years in the NBA and lasted two-and-a-half seasons with the Nuggets. He averaged 3.2 points and 1.9 rebounds in 143 games in the Mile High City.

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Milicic is regarded as one of the biggest busts in history after flaming out with the Pistons after 96 games across three seasons; he averaged 1.6 points and 1.2 rebounds in Detroit. Pistons fans would likely rather not be reminded of the elite players taken after Milicic, such as Carmelo Anthony (third), Chris Bosh (fourth), Dwyane Wade (fifth) and so on. Milicic had a decent run after he left Detroit, though. He turned his career around in Orlando the next year and played until 2013. Fans likely don’t want to be reminded about that, either. But, the Pistons won the title his first year in the league so it all worked out for them or something.

Given their recent run of success in the draft and on the court, it is hard to think of a time when things weren’t going right for the Warriors. However, in 1986, the team took Washburn with the third pick. He had all of the talent in the world on the court but struggled off the court. Washburn was arrested in college at N.C. State for stealing a stereo and spent about two days in jail. After joining the Warriors, he later admitted to having a cocaine problem and eventually received a lifetime ban from the NBA for substance abuse. Washburn played 72 total games in the NBA.

For more coverage on the Warriors, visit Warriors Wire

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White publicly dealt with anxiety, which made it difficult to travel by plane, and he never logged a minute with the Rockets. The team traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers, and he was later waived. White signed two 10-day contracts with the Sacramento Kings during the 2013-14 season and logged nine minutes across three appearances. He also played in the National Basketball League of Canada and the BIG3 League. White is a civil rights activist and mental health awareness advocate.

For more coverage on the Rockets, visit Rockets Wire

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Long-time Pacers fans may have a special disdain for Rick Robey — who was selected third in 1978, three spots ahead of Larry Bird — but Bender likely has a better case to be the biggest bust in team history. The team traded one of the beloved Davis brothers (Antonio) to the Toronto Raptors for the fifth pick that year to take Bender out of high school. He never lived up to those lofty expectations, averaging 2.7 points in 24 games as a rookie. He battled knee problems that limited him to 237 games during his six seasons in Indianapolis. He missed three years due to a knee injury and played one final season with the New York Knicks (2009-10).

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Olowokandi, the top selection in 1998, had a solid nine-year career in the NBA, but it fell well short of fulfilling the standards of being a No. 1 overall pick. He averaged 8.9 points and 7.9 rebounds in his first year with the Clippers and was named to the NBA All-Rookie second team. To add insult to injury, Olowokandi was drafted ahead of some great company: Mike Bibby (second), Vince Carter (fifth), Dirk Nowitzki (ninth) and Paul Pierce (10th). He dealt with injuries throughout his time in L.A. and apparently wasn’t a great teammate in the locker room. Needless to say, Clippers fans would like to forget about this pick.

Crittenton spent two seasons in the NBA and lasted 22 games as a rookie with the Lakers, averaging 3.3 points and one rebound. The team traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Pau Gasol deal. Crittenton was traded to the Washington Wizards in what was his final season. He was involved in the infamous gun incident with Gilbert Arenas in the Wizards’ locker room and was later sentenced to 23 years in prison in 2015 after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter with a weapon.

For more coverage on the Lakers, visit LeBron Wire

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In 2009, the Grizzlies were a team on the rise in the NBA. They had a strong core that turned into the “Grit & Grind” squad fans fell in love with, and they had the second pick in the draft. The team took Thabeet with the expectation he could develop into a rotation player. Instead, Thabeet lasted 113 games in Memphis before he was traded to the Houston Rockets in 2011. He even had a stint in the then-NBA D-League and was the highest-drafted player to appear in a D-League game at the time. He bounced around the NBA for a few more years and played overseas after that. Unfortunately, Thabeet is regarded as one of the biggest busts in history.

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It seems difficult to include Beasley on this list given he averaged 13.9 points in his first season in Miami and was named to the NBA All-Rookie first team, but he largely failed to live up to expectations as the second overall pick. He spent two years with the Heat to begin his career and was later traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. On top of that, Russell Westbrook (fourth) and Kevin Love (fifth) were selected after Beasley. However, Beasley had a couple of other stints with the Heat and turned in a productive 11-year career. He is still somewhat of a fan favorite in Miami.

Alexander made it only one season in Milwaukee, averaging 4.7 points and 1.9 rebounds in 59 games as a rookie. He appeared in eight games the next season with the Chicago Bulls and was out of the league after his stint there. He has played with several teams overseas and is a three-time Israeli Cup winner. Alexander said in an interview in October 2021 that he shouldn’t be considered a bust, but rather, the Bucks should be labeled a bust. We love that energy, Joe.

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The Timberwolves have a couple of really good candidates: Flynn and Wesley Johnson (fourth pick, 2010). We are going with Flynn for a variety of reasons, starting with the fact he lasted only four years in the NBA, including two with the Timberwolves. He averaged 13.5 points and 4.4 assists in his first season and was named to the NBA All-Rookie second team. However, he averaged just 5.3 points and 3.4 assists in his second season and was traded to the Houston Rockets. He logged 11 appearances there and then 18 the following season in Portland. The other reason Flynn earned this spot is he was drafted ahead of Stephen Curry. Timberwolves fans are reminded of that fact every year around draft time, and it will go down as one of the biggest blunders in recent memory.

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New Orleans took Simmons 15th overall during one of the two years it played in Oklahoma City because of Hurricane Katrina. Simmons was the second of two first-round picks that year by the Hornets (Hilton Armstrong, 12th overall) and lasted only one season with the team. The following year, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers and played only two more seasons in the NBA. Armstrong suited up for the Hornets for two additional seasons and then bounced around the league. Suffice it to say New Orleans did not have a good draft year in 2006.

Note: The Pelicans’ selection includes only players drafted in New Orleans beginning in 2003 and not during the Charlotte era.

The Knicks didn’t have a high enough pick in 2003 to have a chance at LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh or Dwyane Wade, so they took Sweetney at No. 9. They’d probably like to have that one back. Sweetney made it only two years with the Knicks, averaging seven points and 4.8 rebounds across his 119 games. He played two more years with the Chicago Bulls before going overseas.

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Save a couple of blips, Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti’s history with lottery picks is impeccable. However, the biggest miss of Presti’s 16-year career came in the 2010 NBA draft, when the New Orleans Hornets drafted and subsequently traded Kansas center Cole Aldrich to the Thunder. The 11th pick played 44 games with the Thunder before being shipped to the Houston Rockets in the James Harden trade. Aldrich’s NBA career lasted eight seasons.

-Clemente Almanza, OKC Thunder Wire

Note: Only draftees in the Oklahoma City era were considered.

When it comes to draft busts in Magic history, there is only one acceptable answer in Central Florida: Fran Vazquez. The team took him 11th in 2005 with the intention of pairing him next to Dwight Howard, who was drafted first the year before. Vazquez even indicated he would leave Spain to sign with the Magic, but ultimately, he never left. The organization tried time and time again to convince Vazquez to make the jump to the NBA but eventually gave up and moved on. Vazquez finished as the all-time block leader in the ACB, though.

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There are a few options to consider with the 76ers, but Markelle Fultz likely tops the list. His injuries were well-documented during his time in Philadelphia, and they limited the former Washington guard to 33 games in two seasons. The team eventually moved on, trading Fultz to the Orlando Magic for Jonathon Simmons. The fact he is flourishing in Orlando likely doesn’t ease things for Sixers fans, so Fultz will likely stay atop their biggest bust list for now.

For more coverage on the 76ers, visit Sixers Wire

The Suns have had plenty of recent nominees, such as Jalen Smith, Dragan Bender, Kendall Marshall or Earl Clark, but Bedford is likely the worst pick in team history. Unfortunately, his short career stemmed from off-the-court issues. He played six seasons in the NBA and just one with the Suns. Following his one year in Phoenix, Bedford spent four seasons with the Detroit Pistons. He missed the entire 1988-89 season due to substance abuse.

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Unfortunately, Oden will go down as perhaps the biggest bust in history. He was one of the top collegiate players at Ohio State, earning All-American honors en route to an appearance in the NCAA championship game. However, he battled several knee injuries and missed his first year in the NBA. Oden played 82 games with Portland in two seasons. He missed three years from 2010-2013 and returned to log 23 appearances with the Miami Heat in the 2013-14 season. Oden spent one season in China and serves as the director of basketball operations for Butler under head coach Thad Matta, who was with Oden at Ohio State.

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From Quincy Douby to Jimmer Fredette, the Kings have had some bad luck in the draft. Thomas Robinson also probably stings a bit, too, considering they were apparently set on taking Damian Lillard but changed course at the last minute. Robinson played 51 games with the Kings, averaging 4.8 points and 4.7 rebounds. He was traded to the Houston Rockets and bounced around with a few teams, including the Portland Trail Blazers. Robinson was last in the NBA during the 2016-17 season and played last year in Puerto Rico.

Of all the players on this list that suited up to play, Alfredrick Hughes had one of the shortest careers in history. Hughes, the 14th pick, played one season in the NBA with the Spurs after a tremendous collegiate career at Loyola Chicago; he is still the program’s all-time scoring leader. He averaged 5.2 points and 1.7 rebounds in 68 games with the Spurs and then bounced around overseas.

Rafael Araújo spent three seasons in the NBA before flaming out in 2007. Araújo posted 2.9 points and three rebounds in two seasons with the Raptors before playing one more year with the Utah Jazz. He played for seven more years, mostly in his home country of Brazil, before retiring in 2014.

Knight, a standout at Loyola Chicago, is widely regarded as the biggest bust in team history, mainly because he never played. He was known as a rebounder in college with little offensive skill. Knight couldn’t make the team in 1979 and was eventually waived before the season started.

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Brown, who became the first high school player chosen No. 1 overall, averaged 4.5 points and 3.5 rebounds as a rookie with the Wizards. He entered the NBA with astronomical expectations as the top pick of team president Michael Jordan and never lived up to the hype. He lasted four seasons with the Wizards.