# Who is the best player from the 2004 NBA Draft?

> Defensive anchors, a Finals MVP and several high-school gambles all came out of one June night. Some peaked early; others lasted nearly two decades.

*By YPB Team · Published November 5, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-best-player-from-the-2004-nba-draft*

---

## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Dwight Howard** — score 1000/1000
   Orlando's No. 1 pick out of an Atlanta high school, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and eight-time All-Star who won the 2020 title with the Lakers.
2. **Trevor Ariza** — score 943/1000
   Second-round pick (43rd) by the Knicks out of UCLA who won the 2009 championship with the Lakers and played 1,118 regular-season games.
3. **Josh Smith** — score 800/1000
   Oak Hill Academy forward taken 17th by Atlanta, winner of the 2005 Slam Dunk Contest and a 2010 All-Defensive Second Team pick.
4. **Andre Iguodala** — score 771/1000
   Arizona wing taken ninth by Philadelphia who was named 2015 Finals MVP and won four championships with the Golden State Warriors.
5. **J. R. Smith** — score 692/1000
   High-school guard picked 18th by New Orleans who won 2012–13 Sixth Man of the Year with the Knicks and titles with Cleveland (2016) and the Lakers (2020).
6. **Kevin Martin** — score 600/1000
   Western Carolina scorer selected 26th by Sacramento who finished his 12-season career averaging 17.4 points per game.
7. **Jameer Nelson** — score 600/1000
   Saint Joseph's point guard drafted 20th by Denver and traded to Orlando, where he spent ten seasons and was a 2009 All-Star.
8. **Al Jefferson** — score 491/1000
   Drafted 15th by Boston straight from a Mississippi high school, he averaged 15.7 points and 8.4 rebounds and made the 2014 All-NBA Third Team with Charlotte.
9. **Emeka Okafor** — score 491/1000
   UConn center chosen second as the Charlotte Bobcats' first-ever draft pick, then named 2004–05 Rookie of the Year.
10. **Luol Deng** — score 360/1000
   Duke forward picked seventh by Phoenix and traded to Chicago, where he made the All-Star team in 2012 and 2013.
11. **Devin Harris** — score 360/1000
   Wisconsin point guard drafted fifth by Washington and traded to Dallas, who became a 2009 All-Star with the New Jersey Nets.
12. **Ben Gordon** — score 360/1000
   Chicago's third overall pick after a 2004 NCAA title at UConn, who became the first rookie to win Sixth Man of the Year in 2005.
13. **Shaun Livingston** — score 0/1000
   Fourth overall pick by the Clippers out of Peoria High School who returned from a severe 2007 knee injury to win three titles with Golden State.
14. **Anderson Varejão** — score 0/1000
   Brazilian big man drafted 30th by Orlando and traded to Cleveland, where he played 13 seasons over two stints and averaged 7.2 rebounds for his career.

Tags: 2000s, basketball, players, nba, nba draft, 2004