Every basketball fan remembers that gut-wrenching moment when their team drafts a player with high hopes, only to watch him spiral into obscurity. Think about Greg Oden, taken first overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2007. Oden’s career was marred by injuries—he played only 82 games in his first five seasons. Those are the kind of numbers you don’t want to see when you’re investing multi-million dollar contracts in a prospect. A big man standing 7 feet tall, his promising frame never lived up to the expectations due to injury after injury. Portland’s medical team couldn’t keep him on the court, and his short-lived career left fans disappointed.
Anthony Bennett is another player that comes to mind. Drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2013, Bennett averaged just 4.2 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in his rookie season. You’re talking about a first pick in the NBA Draft here, expected to be a franchise savior, who couldn’t even rack up double-digit points consistently. Bennett’s inefficiency, with a shooting percentage of just 39.3% from the field, quickly led to him being traded and eventually fading out of the league completely. The return on investment was extremely low, costing the Cavaliers not only money but precious years of rebuilding.
Darko Miličić is another name that stands out in infamy. Drafted second overall in 2003 by the Detroit Pistons, Miličić’s career is often used as a cautionary tale. While LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade—all drafted in the same year—went on to become All-Stars, Darko’s career stats tell a different story. He averaged just 6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game over ten seasons in the league. You look at those numbers and wonder, how did Pistons’ scouting go so wrong? Well, they gambled on potential rather than proven talent, a move that ended up costing them dearly.
Michael Olowokandi, famously known as “The Kandi Man,” was drafted first overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in 1998. With high expectations, Olowokandi was supposed to be the centerpiece of the Clippers’ rebuilding efforts. Instead, he averaged just 8.3 points and 6.8 rebounds over his career and frequently seemed lost on the court. The Clippers’ decision to draft him looks even worse when you realize Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce were still on the board. Olowokandi never lived up to the hype, making his selection a painfully memorable mistake for Clippers fans.
Leroy Ellis, picked 6th overall in the 1962 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, had arguably a more disappointing career. He played 12 seasons but never averaged more than 11.2 points per game. Lakers had high hopes of making Ellis a key player, but he became more known for his journeyman status, bouncing between several teams. For a 6th overall pick, averaging such stats was way below the expected outcome, ultimately reflecting poorly on the Lakers’ draft choices of that era.
Kwame Brown, the first overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, is another prime example. Michael Jordan himself endorsed Brown, which only elevated expectations. Brown averaged just 6.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game over his 12-season career. Jordan’s gamble on Brown’s potential turned out to be a costly error, leading to years of poor team performance for the Wizards. Brown’s inability to capitalize on his physical gifts became the talk of numerous sports analysts and commentators.
One can’t ignore the bust that was Hasheem Thabeet, the second overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. Thabeet struggled to find playing time, averaging just 2.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. Those are G-League numbers, not NBA stats. His 7’3″ frame led many to believe he’d be a shot-blocking phenom, but in reality, Thabeet spent more time riding the bench than impacting games. His poor performance helps explain why Memphis quickly moved on, and Thabeet bounced around to five different teams before washing out of the league.
Jay Williams, drafted 2nd overall in the 2002 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, had a career derailed not solely by poor performance but by a tragic motorcycle accident. Williams averaged 9.5 points and 4.7 assists per game in his rookie season. A promising start, indeed, but his tragic accident cut his career short. While his story has some sympathy attached to it, the Bulls’ investment turned sour quickly. Williams’ potential was left unfulfilled, leaving what-ifs in the minds of many Bulls fans who had hoped he’d be the next big thing.
Markelle Fultz, picked first in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, is another modern case of high expectations cruelly dashed. Fultz averaged just 7.7 points and 3.4 assists in his first season. Fans expected him to complete “The Process,” but a mysterious shoulder injury and a broken jump shot sidelined him. The Sixers eventually traded him to Orlando, but his rocky start has many labeling him as another major draft bust. The trade decisions and wasted time impacted the 76ers, delaying their progress in building a championship team.
So there you have it, the painful tales of dashed hopes and heavy losses. The common thread through all these stories is the high cost—both in financial terms and valuable time. Fans, teams, and even the players themselves would have wished for much different outcomes. For more stories in the world of basketball and other sports, you can check out arena plus.