NBA 1st Overall Picks: Where Are They Now?

We take a look at what happened to the last 10 men to be drafted #1 overall in the NBA draft

Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving was the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers He played for the Cavaliers for six seasons, winning an NBA Championship in 2016. He was traded to the Boston Celtics in 2017 and has played for them since.

Anthony Bennett

Anthony Bennett was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft He played one season for the Cavaliers before being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves where he spent two seasons. Bennett then had brief stints with the Toronto Raptors Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns before returning to Toronto in 2017. He is currently a free agent

Andrew Wiggins

The NBA 1st overall pick for the 2014-2015 season was Andrew Wiggins who was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers He was then traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves where he has spent his entire NBA Career so far. Wiggins is a Canadian professional basketball player who plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is also a member of the Canadian national team

Jabari Parker

In 2014, the Milwaukee Bucks took Jabari Parker with the second overall pick in the NBA draft

Parker, a Chicago native, was one of the most accomplished High School players in recent memory. He won four State Championships at Simeon Career Academy was named Mr. Basketball of Illinois two times, and was a McDonald’s All-American.

He was also one of the most polarizing prospects in his Draft Class Some thought he was too raw offensively and wouldn’t be able to score consistently at the next level. Others believed his defensive shortcomings would be exploited by more experienced players.

So far, Parker has shown flashes of brilliance but has yet to reach his full potential. In his rookie season, he averaged 12.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 49 percent from the field. He improved those numbers to 14.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in his second year, but his shooting percentage dipped to 44 percent.

Entering his third season, Parker will be looking to prove doubters wrong and show that he can be one of the best players in the league for years to come.

Joel Embiid

Joel Hans Embiid is a Cameroonian professional basketball player for the Philadelphia
76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After one year of college basketball with the Kansas Jayhawks he was drafted with the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the 76ers. However, multiple foot and Knee injuries caused him to miss his first two seasons. He made his Nba Debut on October 4, 2016, against the Oklahoma City Thunder and since then has become one of the best players in the league, being named an All-Star and All-NBA performer in 2018.

Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons was born in Melbourne, Australia to American father David Simmons and Australian mother Julie Simmons. He grew up playing Australian Rules football and didn’t begin playing basketball until he was 14 years old. He moved to the United States to play high school basketball at Montverde Academy in Florida. In his one season at LSU, he was named a Consensus First Team All-American and the USBWA National Freshman of the Year. He was selected with the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Markelle Fultz

The Philadelphia 76ers selected Markelle Fultz with the first overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft

A native of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Fultz starred at the University of Washington during his lone collegiate season, averaging 23.2 points, 5.7 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game.

Fultz was widely viewed as the most complete prospect in his draft class and figures to be a foundational piece for the Sixers as they look to build a championship-contending team.

Lonzo Ball

Lonzo Ball was the 2nd overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers and played for them for two seasons before being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019. He is currently in his third season with the Pelicans.

Deandre Ayton

Ayton was drafted first overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2018 NBA draft He is a center who is originally from the Bahamas. He played one year of college basketball for the University of Arizona before being drafted. Ayton has shown promise as a young player averaging a double-double in his rookie season. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. Ayton is still with the Suns and is expected to be a key part of their future.

Zion Williamson

Zion Williamson was the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans He is a 6’7″ forward from Duke University Zion is known for his incredible athleticism and highlight reel dunks. He was named the AP College Basketball Player of the Year and won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2019 FIBA World Cup

After missing the start of his rookie season due to injury, Zion has taken the NBA by storm. In February of 2020, he became the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 30 points in seven straight games. He finished his rookie season averaging 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game