NBA Draft History: Worst First-Round Screw-Ups of All Time, Pt. 1
Ricky Rubio was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2009 NBA Draft as the fifth overall pick over Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan and Brandon Jennings.
He had an impressive resume coming into the NBA—if he had ever made it.
Rubio backed out of a deal with Minnesota to buy out his contract with his former Spanish team and later on that summer, had his rights traded to FC Barcelona. There are a bunch of long-term conditions involved in his relationship with the Timberwolves but his presence on U.S. soil remains to be seen.
Joe Alexander
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Joe Alexander was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2008 NBA Draft as the eighth overall pick, trumping Brooke and Robin Lopez and Serge Ibaka.
Described as the second best athlete on paper among the players mentioned above, Alexander averaged decent—though definitely not impressive—numbers in the summer league.
In the few short years that he has been in the league thus far, his journey has included a trip to Milwaukee, the D-League, the Chicago Bulls, the New Orleans Hornets (but he was waived about two months later) and then back to the D-League to play for the Texas Legends, where he currently resides.
Luke Jackson
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Luke Jackson is the definition of why analysts stress the ability of a college athlete to transition into professional play—he simply could not do it.
Jackson was—and still is—the only guard in men’s basketball history to place in the top 10 in nine different statistical categories. He became the third player in Pac-10 history to put up multiple triple- doubles, along with Jason Kidd and Loren Woods. Being in such good company, it would seem as if Jackson would be a shoe in for Rookie of the Year.
He was traded to the Boston Celtics after only two seasons and 46 games with Cleveland and then waived before the season began. He signed two 10-day contracts with the Toronto Raptors, then after performing well, signed a two-year pact with the team.
He was waived in 2007 and then headed to the Idaho Stampede of the D-League. It turns out that Miami had a little faith in Jackson, because they ended up releasing Penny Hardaway to make room for him. After that short relationship, he made trips to Portland, Idaho, Dallas, Memphis and then back to Idaho.
Darko Milicic
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Drafted in the first round probably only because he is 7'0", Milicic has got to be, by far, the worst draft mistake in the history of the game.
His 2010 season alone looks like a hospital chart and his tenure with Detroit, Orlando, New York and Memphis do not exactly look like first-round numbers. Or even second round. It has taken Milicic until his current stint with the Minnesota Timberwolves to actually perform like he knows how to play basketball.
Oh and he was drafted above Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade.
Michael Sweetney
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Sweetney made a permanent mark in the Georgetown record books with 1,750 points, 887 rebounds and 180 blocks in his college career. Of course, it was thought that he would turn into one of the league’s elite, however after only two years with New York, he was traded to the Bulls.
He had a well-known battle with his weight which could be the reason why he made no appearances from 2007-2009. He played with the Celtics in the summer league in 2009 and was extended an invitation to training camp.
Unfortunately, he was waived soon after.
