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There’s never much time between the NBA Finals and the NBA Draft, and 2024 was no different. In other words, the NBA Draft is the most recent hardwood-related action fans have seen, and the past two have been quite interesting. We’ve seen the rise of French players, most notably Victor Wembanyama. He’s one of the most recent #1 overall picks, and we’ll touch on a few of them as we dive into the NBA Draft history.
Before the actual NBA Draft itself takes place, it’s all about the NBA Draft Lottery. Many fans find it even more exciting, as there are far fewer rounds and picks compared to other sports, such as the NFL Draft.
Similarly, picks seem to be much more clear-cut in the NBA, and we often see plenty of international players selected that some fans have never even seen play, and we’ll dive more into that coming up. As for the NBA Draft Lottery, it’s a night when teams and their fans discover their fate for where they will be selected.
Rather than the team with the worst record making the #1 overall pick and then working through the league that way, there is a lottery between the teams that did not make the postseason. While the team with the worst record does not automatically receive the #1 overall pick, they will have the best odds to claim it.
To start NBA Draft history, the Lottery covered the first three picks, but in 2018, it was increased to the first four picks. Following those first four picks, the remaining non-playoff teams are placed in order 5-14 based on record.
Now that we have the preface for the current NBA Draft, how did we even get to that point in NBA Draft history? Well, the NBA Draft Lottery was put into place to combat teams intentionally tanking. This was pre-1985, when the worst team in each division/conference would flip a coin for the first pick.
We also mentioned that the NBA Draft involves far fewer picks and rounds than other sports, but that was not always the case. Before the standard two-round format we see today, picks were made until they simply ran out of prospects. If that sounds lengthy, that’s because it is – there were 21 rounds multiple times in the 1960’s.
In 1974, the NBA Draft was standardized to 10 rounds, and in 1985, it dwindled to seven rounds. That lasted just four years, as it was ultimately shortened to two rounds beginning in 1989.
Speaking of the two-round format, we saw an even more recent change. Just this past season, with the 2024 NBA Draft, it was the first time in NBA Draft history that the event was held over two separate nights.
As we shared right at the top, Victor Wembanyama was the #1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and won Rookie of the Year quite definitively this past season. Fellow countryman Zaccharie Risacher joined him in 2024, but, we haven’t seen him on the court yet.
Before Wembanyama, Paolo Banchero went #1 overall to the Orlando Magic. After a couple of years of being among the worst teams in the NBA, they had arguably the most surprising 2023-24 seasons, not only making the playoffs but doing so while avoiding the Play-In Tournament. Similarly, the Minnesota Timberwolves surprised many fans by making it to the 2024 Western Conference Finals. That was mainly thanks to Anthony Edwards, who was the #1 overall pick in 2020.
Of the past 10 years, perhaps one of the most notable #1 overall picks in NBA Draft history not in terms of success is Ben Simmons. He can’t seem to find a true home, and injuries certainly haven’t helped him either. Overall, recent top picks have been successful in the NBA, and those teams have the history of the NBA Draft to thank for that.
Mark has been a lifelong fan of all sports, and five years ago turned it into a profession, specializing in the NFL, NHL and MLB. He is a diehard Baltimore Ravens fan and has had his work published in sites such as Sports Illustrated, Pickswise and other top outlets.