Drafting is simple to judge after a few years. Either the team found real value, or it didn’t. This list looks at every team’s best pick from 2017 to 2026. The main base is career production, not only one season. Awards, playoff impact, draft slot, trade value, and current 2026 context also count.
Some picks are still with the team that drafted them. Others are gone already, and that matters. A team can make the right pick and still mess up the next part. Trae Young, Luka Doncic, LaMelo Ball, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are examples of that.
This is not only about the biggest name. It is about who gave the best return for the pick.
Atlanta Hawks – Trae Young
No. 5 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft
The Hawks don’t have Trae Young anymore, and that changes the mood of the pick. Atlanta moved him to the Wizards in 2026, then Young signed a four-year, $212.0 million deal with Washington.
Still, this was not a bad pick. Young has played 498 regular-season games and put up 25.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 9.8 APG. He also made four All-Star teams, made All-NBA, and carried the Hawks to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals.
The Luka Doncic trade will always make this one painful. Doncic became better. That is obvious. But Young still became an elite offensive guard and the best Hawks player of this era.
Jalen Johnson is the new Hawks face now. Zaccharie Risacher still has upside. Neither has Young’s resume.
The ending was bad. The pick was good.
Boston Celtics – Jayson Tatum
No. 3 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft
This was a robbery. The Celtics moved down from No. 1 to No. 3 and still got Jayson Tatum. That is one of the best draft moves of the last 10 years.
Tatum has played 601 regular-season games with 23.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 3.9 APG. He is a six-time All-Star, an All-NBA regular, and already won one championship as Boston’s main player.
The full value is more than the stats. Tatum gave the Celtics a wing scorer with size, defense, shot creation, and playoff volume. That is the player type every team is chasing.
Robert Williams III was a good pick. Payton Pritchard became useful. None of them get close.
Boston didn’t just draft a star. It drafted the base of its whole era.
Brooklyn Nets – Jarrett Allen
No. 22 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft
The Nets found the right center and then let another team get the best years. Jarrett Allen has played 624 games with 13.1 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 1.7 APG. He also became an All-Star with the Cavaliers after leaving Brooklyn.
That is strong value at No. 22. Allen is not a star scorer, but he is a real starting center. He protects the rim, rebounds, finishes at high efficiency, and doesn’t need touches to help.
The Nets moved him in the James Harden trade, and that part aged badly. The draft pick itself did not. Brooklyn found a long-term starter late in the first round.
Nic Claxton and Cam Thomas have real cases. Claxton became a defensive piece. Thomas can score. Allen has the better full resume.
Good scouting. Bad patience.
Charlotte Hornets – LaMelo Ball
No. 3 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft
LaMelo Ball is now with the Timberwolves, but the Hornets still hit on the talent.
Ball has played 303 games with 20.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 7.3 APG. He won Rookie of the Year and made an All-Star team. For the Hornets, that is a big hit. They don’t draft star guards often.
The injuries made everything worse. Ball missed too much time, and the Hornets finally moved him for Naz Reid and a huge pick package. That trade says a lot about how tired Charlotte got with the timeline.
Still, the pick was not wrong. Ball gave the Hornets passing, deep shooting, pace, and real national attention.
Brandon Miller can pass him later. He is still with the Hornets and has a better two-way build. But Ball reached a higher NBA level already.
Short run. Big talent. Best pick.
Chicago Bulls – Lauri Markkanen
No. 7 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft
The Bulls drafted Lauri Markkanen before they knew how to use him. That is the annoying part. Markkanen has played 492 games with 18.9 PPG and 7.1 RPG. He became an All-Star and won Most Improved Player, but both happened after he left Chicago.
The scouting was right. A 7-footer who can shoot, attack closeouts, and score without needing post touches is valuable. The Bulls had that player. They just never got the best version.
Coby White has the strongest countercase. He stayed longer, developed with the Bulls, and became a good guard. But Markkanen’s peak is higher and his league value became bigger.
Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson still have time, but they are not there yet.
This pick looks frustrating because Chicago lost him. It also proves the Bulls found real talent at No. 7.
Cleveland Cavaliers – Evan Mobley
No. 3 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft
Darius Garland made this hard. Evan Mobley still wins. Mobley has played 334 games with 16.7 PPG, 9.0 RPG, and 3.0 APG. He is already an All-Star and a Defensive Player of the Year winner. That last part is the separator.
Garland is a very good offensive guard. Mobley is a rare player. He protects the rim, switches, moves in space, and covers mistakes behind guards. That lets the Cavaliers build a real defensive base every season.
The offense also improved. Mobley is not only a lob threat. He can pass, finish, attack short rolls, and punish smaller matchups.
A No. 3 pick has to become a core piece. Mobley did that.
Garland was a great pick. Mobley is the better franchise bet.
Dallas Mavericks – Luka Doncic
No. 3 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft
The Mavericks drafted Luka Doncic, took him to the NBA Finals, and then somehow traded him to the Lakers. That is still crazy.
Doncic has played 514 games with 29.2 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 8.2 APG. He is a five-time All-Star, won Rookie of the Year, and became one of the best offensive players ever before turning 30.
The Mavericks traded up for him in 2018. That part was perfect. He became the post-Dirk Nowitzki superstar right away and gave Dallas a full offensive system by himself.
Jalen Brunson was also an amazing pick. A second-round guard becoming a superstar is insane value. But Doncic is in a different tier.
The ending was awful for Dallas. The draft call was elite.
Denver Nuggets – Michael Porter Jr.
No. 14 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft
Jamal Murray would win, but he was drafted in 2016. So this one goes to Michael Porter Jr. Denver took the medical gamble at No. 14, and it paid off. Porter has played 397 games with 17.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 1.6 APG. He also won a championship as a starter with the Nuggets.
The fit was simple. Nikola Jokic needed shooting size around him. Porter gave that. At 6-foot-10, he could punish help defenses without needing the ball all night.
Now he is with the Nets, so the Denver story is done. But the Nuggets still got a title starter from the middle of the first round.
Christian Braun deserves respect because he helped the title run, too. Porter had the bigger talent and the better production.
Risk pick. Title payoff. Good result.
Detroit Pistons – Cade Cunningham
No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft
Cade Cunningham had to survive a bad rebuild before the pick looked right. The numbers now do the talking. Cunningham has played 272 games with 22.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 8.0 APG. He is an All-Star and the main creator of the Pistons’ offense.
That is what Detroit needed from a No. 1 pick. Not just scoring. A real lead guard. Someone who can control pace, make reads, and organize late-game possessions.
Jalen Duren has a big case because young centers with his production are not easy to find. Ausar Thompson brings elite defense, too. But Cunningham has the ball and sets the ceiling.
The early injuries made it slower. The bad roster made it uglier.
Now the pick looks right. Detroit got the engine.
Golden State Warriors – Jordan Poole
No. 28 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft
Jordan Poole is a messy name now, but the Warriors got what every late first-round pick wants to become. He has played 451 games with 16.6 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 3.7 APG. He also won a championship with Golden State in 2022.
That title run is the whole argument. Poole gave the Warriors another scorer next to Stephen Curry. He could run bench units, shoot deep threes, attack closeouts, and create chaos when defenses loaded up on Curry.
The ending was ugly. The Draymond Green incident, the contract, and the trade changed how people talk about him. Now Poole is with the Pelicans.
Still, this is a draft-value list. At No. 28, a championship rotation scorer is a win.
Jonathan Kuminga still has more physical upside. Brandin Podziemski has a case. Poole already produced in June.
Houston Rockets – Alperen Sengun
No. 16 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft
The Rockets didn’t just draft a center. They drafted an offense. Alperen Sengun has played 358 games with 16.9 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 4.5 APG. That assist number is why this pick is so strong. Most centers drafted at No. 16 don’t become half-court hubs.
Sengun can pass from the elbows, score with footwork, run handoffs, and punish switches. Houston went from a young team with random athletes to a team with structure because of him.
Amen Thompson may pass him later. Amen’s defense, size, and transition game are special. Reed Sheppard and Jabari Smith Jr. still have value, but right now, Sengun is the best result. He became an All-Star-level offensive center from the middle of the first round.
That is not normal value.
Indiana Pacers – Andrew Nembhard
No. 31 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft
Andrew Nembhard is not a flashy answer. That is fine. The Pacers picked him No. 31, and he became a real guard. Nembhard has played 265 games with 11.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 5.2 APG. He also has playoff numbers of 13.5 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 5.0 APG in 40 games.
That playoff part matters. He doesn’t play like a second-round pick when the game gets tight.
Bennedict Mathurin has more scoring talent. Jarace Walker has more size. But Nembhard gave Indiana a guard who can start, defend, run offense, and play next to Tyrese Haliburton without needing the ball every time.
At No. 31, this is very strong value. Not every best pick has to be a star. Sometimes it is the guy nobody expected to start playoff games.
Los Angeles Clippers – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
No. 11 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft
The Clippers found Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and then traded him before the monster version arrived. That is brutal.
Shai has played 530 games with 25.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 5.3 APG. He is a multiple-time All-Star, won MVP, won Finals MVP, and won a championship with the Thunder.
That is insane value at No. 11. The Clippers saw the size, pace, defense, and scoring feel before everyone else had him as a superstar.
The Paul George trade made sense at the moment because it helped bring Kawhi Leonard. But the long-term cost was huge. Shai became the player every team wants and almost nobody has.
Terance Mann was useful. No other Clippers pick is close. This is great scouting and bad timing in the same paragraph.
Los Angeles Lakers – Kyle Kuzma
No. 27 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft
Kyle Kuzma wins because Brandon Ingram was drafted in 2016 and misses the window. The Lakers got Kuzma at No. 27, and he gave them real value. He has played 610 games with 16.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 2.7 APG. He also won the 2020 championship with the Lakers.
The best part was the role change. Kuzma came in as a young scorer, then had to become more of a support forward next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He defended more, touched the ball less, and still stayed in the rotation.
Kuzma was picked near the end of the first round and helped on the court during a title run. Now he is with the Bucks. The Lakers still got enough from him to call it a win.
Memphis Grizzlies – Ja Morant
No. 2 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft
Ja Morant is complicated now. The pick is still the best one. Morant has played 327 games with 22.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 7.4 APG. He won Rookie of the Year, won Most Improved Player, made two All-Star teams, and made All-NBA.
At his peak, he turned the Grizzlies into one of the most exciting teams in the league. The rim pressure was ridiculous. He made Memphis fast, loud, and hard to guard.
The current context is much worse. The Grizzlies already moved Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., drafted Cameron Boozer, and look closer to a reset. Morant’s injuries, contract, shooting, and off-court history make the future less stable.
Desmond Bane at No. 30 was a great pick. Jaren Jackson Jr. won Defensive Player of the Year. Morant still reached the highest level.
The story got messy. The pick hit.
Miami Heat – Bam Adebayo
No. 14 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft
Bam Adebayo is the Heat development machine at its best. Miami picked him No. 14, then turned him into a franchise center. Adebayo has played 640 games with 16.2 PPG, 9.0 RPG, and 3.6 APG. He is a three-time All-Star and one of the best defensive bigs of his era.
The numbers are strong, but his playoff defense is the bigger thing. Bam can switch, protect the rim, defend in space, pass from the elbow, and survive matchup hunting.
That is why the Heat reached multiple Finals with him as a core piece. He gave them a defensive identity after the Dwyane Wade era.
Tyler Herro has a scoring case. Bam is more valuable. It is not only about points. At No. 14, Miami found a center who can define a team. That is a huge win.
Milwaukee Bucks – Donte DiVincenzo
No. 17 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft
The Bucks don’t have a great list here, so Donte DiVincenzo takes it. Malcolm Brogdon would win, but he was drafted in 2016. In this window, DiVincenzo has the best mix of role value and career.
He has played 498 games with 11.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 3.0 APG. He also won a championship with the Bucks, even though injury knocked him out for most of the 2021 playoff run.
DiVincenzo is not a star. He is a rotation guard who rebounds, defends, moves the ball, and shoots enough to fit next to better players. That has kept him useful on different teams.
MarJon Beauchamp and later Bucks picks haven’t done enough to pass him. This is more solid than exciting. But at No. 17, getting a long-term NBA guard is still fine.
Minnesota Timberwolves – Anthony Edwards
No. 1 pick in 2020 NBA Draft
The Wolves got the No. 1 pick and actually got the guy. Anthony Edwards has played 442 games with 24.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.1 APG. He is a three-time All-Star and the clear face of the Timberwolves.
Edwards gives Minnesota rim pressure, pull-up scoring, transition violence, and real playoff confidence. He is not just a scorer with big numbers. He changed the whole feel of the franchise.
Jaden McDaniels was also a strong pick at No. 28. A wing defender like that is very valuable. But he is not close to Edwards.
Now the Wolves added LaMelo Ball next to Edwards, so the roster looks different. The main thing does not change. Edwards is still the center of the project.
A No. 1 pick should become a franchise star. This one did.
New Orleans Pelicans – Zion Williamson
No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft
Zion Williamson is still the Pelicans’ answer because the talent is too much. He has played 276 games with 23.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 4.1 APG. He shoots 59.1% from the field for his career. That efficiency at that scoring volume is crazy.
The problem is the games number. Only 276 games through six seasons tells the whole issue. Injuries, conditioning, roster fit, and team direction have made the Zion era hard to trust.
Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones are both great value picks. Murphy gives size and shooting. Jones gives elite defense. Either one is easier to build with on some nights.
Still, neither has Zion’s ceiling. When Zion is right, he bends the game with paint pressure.
The Pelicans made the obvious pick. The pick was not wrong. The follow-through has been the hard part.
New York Knicks – RJ Barrett
No. 3 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft
RJ Barrett should take this spot over Immanuel Quickley, although I struggled between the two at first.
Quickley was better value at No. 25. Mitchell Robinson was a strong second-round hit. But Barrett gave the Knicks more production and more trade weight.
Barrett has played 444 games with 18.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 3.3 APG. He did not become the franchise star people wanted from a No. 3 pick, but he became a real starting wing.
The OG Anunoby trade matters here. Barrett was one of the main pieces that helped the Knicks get the exact two-way forward they needed. That is draft value too.
The pick was not perfect. The efficiency was uneven. The late-game fit was not always great.
Still, Barrett was not a bust. He produced, then became part of a major roster upgrade. That is enough for this Knicks window.
Oklahoma City Thunder – Jalen Williams
No. 12 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft
Chet Holmgren is great. Jalen Williams might be better as an overall player down the road, given what we’ve already seen in the playoffs.
The Thunder got Williams at No. 12, and he became a two-way creator on a title team. He has played 248 games with 18.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 4.5 APG. He is already an All-Star and an NBA champion.
That is huge from the middle of the lottery. Williams can score, pass, defend wings, play next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and run offense when needed.
Holmgren has the rare body and defensive ceiling. Cason Wallace was another smart pick. The Thunder have a lot of good answers here.
Williams still wins because of pick slot. No. 12 picks usually become solid starters if everything goes well. Williams became much more than that.
The Thunder didn’t just draft talent. They drafted a title core piece.
Orlando Magic – Paolo Banchero
No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft
Paolo Banchero gave the Magic the thing they were missing for years: a real No. 1 option. Banchero has played 270 games with 22.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 4.8 APG. He won Rookie of the Year and made the All-Star team.
The efficiency is still not perfect, but the creation is the point. Orlando needed a big forward who could score off the dribble, post smaller defenders, pass out of pressure, and carry usage. Banchero does that.
Franz Wagner makes this closer than people think. He has 19.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 3.6 APG in 325 games. No. 8 for Franz is great value.
But Banchero is the engine. He gives Orlando the top option. That is harder to find. The Magic took him No. 1 and got a franchise scorer. Correct pick.
Philadelphia 76ers – Tyrese Maxey
No. 21 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft
Tyrese Maxey at No. 21 is disgusting value. He has played 388 games with 21.1 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 4.8 APG. He is an All-Star, won Most Improved Player, and became the guard who kept the 76ers alive through all the chaos.
The speed is the first thing. Maxey gets downhill fast, shoots off the dribble, and puts pressure on defenses without needing a slow setup. The playmaking jump made the pick even bigger.
The 76ers had ugly draft stories in this era. Markelle Fultz at No. 1 did not work for them. Matisse Thybulle could defend but never had enough offense.
Maxey is the opposite. Late first-round pick. Star-level output. Massive roster value. This is one of the best picks on the whole list.
Phoenix Suns – Mikal Bridges
No. 10 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft
Mikal Bridges is the Suns’ best pick because his value traveled everywhere. He has played 638 games with 14.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 2.9 APG. He also won a championship with the Knicks after being part of the Suns’ 2021 Finals run earlier in his career.
The Suns version was exactly what a contender wants. Bridges defended elite wings, hit threes, played every night, and didn’t need the ball to be useful.
Then he became the main piece in the Kevin Durant trade. That adds another layer. A draft pick can help you win games, then help you land a superstar. Bridges did both.
Deandre Ayton went No. 1 in the same draft and had his moments. Bridges was better value at No. 10. The Suns found a premium wing. That is hard to beat.
Portland Trail Blazers – Anfernee Simons
No. 24 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft
Anfernee Simons is now with the Bulls, but the Blazers still get credit for the pick. Portland took him at No. 24 as a long-term project. Simons has played 444 games with 14.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 3.2 APG. His three-point mark is 38.1% for his career.
That is strong value late in the first round. Simons became a real NBA scorer, not just a bench shooter. At his best with the Blazers, he was a 20-point guard with deep range and off-dribble scoring.
The flaws are clear. He is not a strong defender, and he is not a full point guard. That is why the ceiling has limits. Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson still have time to pass him. But Simons has the best production right now.
Late first-round scoring hit. That counts.
Sacramento Kings – Tyrese Haliburton
No. 12 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft
De’Aaron Fox had the better Kings career. Tyrese Haliburton was the better pick. That is the difference that splits this decision.
Haliburton has played 333 games with 17.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 8.8 APG. He is a two-time All-Star and one of the best passers in the league.
Getting that at No. 12 is wild. Fox went No. 5 and became very good. Haliburton went seven picks later and became a franchise-level point guard for a Finals team.
The Kings traded him to the Pacers for Domantas Sabonis. That trade helped them get serious again, so it was not some total disaster. But Haliburton’s rise to one of the most exciting pure passers still makes the original pick look better every year.
The mistake was not drafting him. The mistake was moving him too early. For draft value, Haliburton is the answer.
San Antonio Spurs – Victor Wembanyama
No. 1 pick in 2023 NBA Draft
Victor Wembanyama is already the Spurs’ best pick in this window, and it is not close. He has played 181 games with 23.4 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 3.5 APG, and 3.5 BPG. That block number is stupid. He is already a Rookie of the Year winner and an All-Star.
The defense is the cheat code. Wembanyama changes shots before they even go up. Guards stop driving. Bigs rush finishes. Entire offenses look different when he is near the paint.
The offense makes it unfair. He can shoot threes, handle, pass, and score over anyone. That is not a normal center. Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and Dylan Harper are good picks. None of them belongs in this debate.
The Spurs got a generational player. Simple.
Toronto Raptors – Scottie Barnes
No. 4 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft
Scottie Barnes wins because Pascal Siakam was drafted in 2016. The Raptors took Barnes at No. 4 when a lot of people expected Jalen Suggs. They were right. Barnes has played 356 games with 17.4 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 5.2 APG. He won Rookie of the Year and made an All-Star team.
The shot is still the swing skill. But everything else is there. Size, passing, rebounding, transition play, defense, and enough scoring to run offense through him.
OG Anunoby has a big case. He was picked No. 23, helped the Raptors win the 2019 title, and now has two championships after the Knicks run. That is serious value.
Barnes still has the higher ceiling and became the face of the next Raptors era. Toronto needed a new cornerstone. Barnes became that.
Utah Jazz – Donovan Mitchell
No. 13 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft
The Jazz got a star at No. 13. That is the whole thing. Donovan Mitchell has played 609 games with 25.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 4.8 APG. He is a six-time All-Star and became Utah’s lead scorer almost right away.
The timing made it even bigger. Gordon Hayward left, and the Jazz needed a new offensive face. Mitchell gave them one as a rookie. He brought scoring, playoff shot-making, and star confidence.
Utah didn’t win a title with Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, but the pick was excellent. When the Jazz finally moved Mitchell to the Cavaliers, they got a huge return and reset the roster.
Keyonte George still has time. Nobody here touches Mitchell. A franchise scorer outside the top 10 is elite drafting.
Washington Wizards – AJ Dybantsa
No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft
AJ Dybantsa has no NBA experience yet, so this is a projection pick. The Wizards still need him here. Their recent draft record is not strong enough to ignore the upside.
Dybantsa went No. 1 in 2026 after one season at BYU, where he had 25.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.7 APG, and 1.1 SPG on 51.0%/33.1%/77.4% shooting splits.
That is the kind of profile Washington has been missing. Big wing, real scoring skill, athletic tools, and franchise-player upside.
Deni Avdija is the proven alternative. Corey Kispert became a shooter. Bilal Coulibaly still has defensive upside. None of them has this ceiling.
Dybantsa is not a finished answer. He is a bet. For the Wizards, it is the best bet they have drafted in years.
