The biggest NBA Draft blunders of all time

New York took Heyman, who played two seasons for the Knicks before going to the ABA. Thurmond was taken only two picks later, going to the Warriors and becoming a Hall of Famer.

Martin played only four seasons at center for Portland, and while he did average 13.6 points and 11.9 rebounds, he was selected over future Hall of Famers Bob McAdoo and Julius Erving, among others.

Bird wasn't coming out in 1978, but the team that drafted him would retain his rights. The Blazers, Kings, Pacers, Knicks and Warriors decided to take players who could help them immediately, while the Celtics waited one year for Bird's arrival. The wait paid off.

Cross went to Golden State sixth overall, playing only 45 games in his rookie season before his career ended. The Warriors could have had Dale Ellis, Derek Harper or Clyde Drexler with the pick.

The biggest blunder of them all, Portland took Bowie second overall, one pick ahead of Jordan. Bowie had an injury-plagued career at center, averaging 10.9 points and 7.5 rebounds over 10 seasons, while Jordan went on to become a six-time champion and arguably the best player in NBA history.

Drafting Perkins fourth overall, one pick ahead of Barkley, was a monumental blunder but not even the biggest of the 1984 draft, given Portland passing on MJ. Perkins was a productive power forward in the league, averaging 11.9 points over 17 seasons, but Barkley is a Hall of Famer and 11-time All-Star.

Hopson went third overall to the Nets and played only five seasons in the league. Pippen is a Hall of Famer and became Michael Jordan's sidekick on the championship Bulls teams.

Proof that it takes more than height to succeed in the NBA, the 76ers drafted the 7-foot-6 Bradley second overall. The center was a bust, averaging only 8.1 points and 6.3 rebounds over his career, with players like Anfernee Hardaway, Jamal Mashburn, Isaiah Rider and Sam Cassell taken later.

Needing a big man, the Warriors drafted Smith first overall ahead of high schooler Kevin Garnett, who went fifth. Smith had a productive career, averaging 14.9 points over 16 seasons, but Garnett is a future Hall of Famer.

Kobe dropped to 13th overall before the Hornets traded him to L.A. for veteran center Vlade Divac. The rest is history, as Bryant became one of the best players in NBA history over 20 seasons.

The Kandi Man went first overall out of Pacific and was a massive bust, averaging only 8.3 points and 6.8 rebounds over his nine seasons. The players L.A. missed out on include Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce.

Milwaukee had Nowitzki, a surefire Hall of Famer, in its hands after taking him ninth overall but traded him in a package for Traylor, the sixth overall pick. Traylor had weight problems during his career and played only seven seasons, averaging 4.8 points.

One of the worst first overall picks ever, Michael Jordan's Wizards selected Brown first overall out of high school ahead of Tyson Chandler and Pau Gasol, among others. Brown averaged only 6.6 points and 5.5 rebounds over his 12-year NBA career.

Toronto selected Bradley, a Villanova power forward, two picks ahead of Randolph. Bradley played just five NBA seasons, only seeing significant playing time in 2002-03. Randolph has had a strong career with two All-Star appearances, averaging nearly a double-double.

Denver took Tskitishvili fifth overall, bypassing high school big man Stoudemire. Tskitishvili played only four NBA seasons, while Stoudemire went ninth and became a six-time All-Star.

Milicic is a notorious blunder given that the Pistons were on the cusp of an NBA championship, and the Serbian was taken directly ahead of three future stars in Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. Milicic averaged 11.7 points over 10 seasons.

Williams has had a long and decent NBA career, but he's been far less than Atlanta bargained for with the second overall pick, averaging only 10.5 points for his career. He was taken just ahead of Deron Williams and Chris Paul.

Morrison was a college star at Gonzaga and considered by some to be the next Larry Bird. As it turned out, he was one of the draft's biggest busts ever, playing only three seasons. The players Charlotte missed out on include Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay, Rajon Rondo and Kyle Lowry.

Chicago took Aldridge second overall and traded him to Portland for the athletic Thomas. Aldridge has been an All-Star seven times, while Thomas is no longer in the league.

The Blazers are known for their draft blunders, and history repeated itself in this case. Portland took the big man over the shooter, just as it did in 1984, and the results were similar. Oden was never able to stay healthy, while Durant is a former MVP, two-time NBA champion and one of the NBA's top stars.

Milwaukee took Jianlian seventh overall when it could have taken Florida star Joakim Noah, who went ninth. Jianlian played five seasons for four different teams, averaging 7.9 points.

Miami decided to take Beasley over another power forward in Love. The results were bad for Miami, though few fans are complaining after Miami won two NBA championships. Beasley has averaged 12.7 points for his career to date.

Memphis took a big man second overall, one pick ahead of Harden. Thabeet was a journeyman center with only 20 career starts, and he last played in the league in 2013-14. Harden has developed into one of the league's stars.

The Timberwolves had picks five and six in 2009, selecting Ricky Rubio and Flynn, respectively. While Rubio has developed into a solid point guard, Flynn played only three NBA seasons and did hardly anything after his rookie year. Stephen Curry, drafted seventh, has now won two league MVPs and is already considered by many to be the best shooter in history.

Bennett could go down as the worst first overall pick ever, albeit in a weak 2013 draft. The UNLV power forward started only four games over his four seasons, averaging only 4.4 points and 3.1 rebounds. He was traded by the Cavs along with Andrew Wiggins for Kevin Love and then waived by the Timberwolves.