Hall of Fame talent sits beside second-round steals and long-serving role players in this class. Rank it by peak, longevity or rings, whichever matters most to you.
1Yao MingNo. 1 overall pick by the Houston Rockets who made eight All-Star teams in his nine NBA seasons and entered the Hall of Fame in 2016.1000pts
2Amar'e StoudemireTaken ninth by the Phoenix Suns straight out of high school, he won 2002–03 Rookie of the Year and earned six All-Star selections.663pts
3Matt BarnesUCLA product picked 46th by Memphis who carved out a 14-season career and closed it with the 2017 title on the Golden State Warriors.537pts
4Nenad KrstićSerbian center chosen 24th by the New Jersey Nets, joining them in 2004 and averaging 10.0 points and 5.4 rebounds over seven NBA seasons.537pts
5Drew GoodenKansas power forward selected fourth by Memphis, an All-Rookie First Team pick in 2003 who averaged 11.0 points and 7.1 rebounds across 14 seasons.473pts
6John SalmonsMiami (FL) swingman taken 26th by the Spurs and dealt to Philadelphia, who played 895 games over 13 seasons, including stints in Sacramento, Chicago and Milwaukee.401pts
7Caron ButlerMiami's 10th pick out of UConn, a two-time All-Star with the Washington Wizards in 2007 and 2008 who later won a ring with the 2011 Dallas Mavericks.401pts
8Mike Dunleavy Jr.Duke wing taken third by Golden State who logged 986 games in a 15-season career and later became the Warriors' general manager.316pts
9Luis ScolaArgentine forward drafted 56th by San Antonio who reached the NBA with Houston in 2007, made the All-Rookie First Team and averaged 12.0 points over ten seasons.316pts
10NenêBrazilian big man picked seventh by the Knicks and traded to Denver on draft night, who went on to play 965 NBA games across 17 seasons.215pts
11Carlos BoozerSecond-round pick (35th) by Cleveland who averaged 16.2 points and 9.5 rebounds over 13 seasons and was an All-Star with Utah in 2007 and 2008.215pts
12Tayshaun PrinceKentucky forward chosen 23rd by Detroit, where he started on the 2004 championship team and made four straight All-Defensive Second Teams (2005–2008).215pts
Photo credits
- Yao Ming — World Travel & Tourism Council, CC BY 2.0
- Amar'e Stoudemire — Keith Allison from Baltimore, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Matt Barnes — Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Nenad Krstić — J.smith, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Drew Gooden — All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0
- John Salmons — Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Caron Butler — User:Zafer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mike Dunleavy Jr. — Chrishmt0423, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Luis Scola — Basketinside il basket a 360°, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Nenê — Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Carlos Boozer — Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tayshaun Prince — Keith Allison from Baltimore, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
