Top 12 Team Drafts in NBA History

The Cleveland Cavaliers owned two of the top four picks in this past June's NBA draft.

They chose Duke point guard Kyrie Irving with the the first overall pick and then former Texas forward Tristan Thompson fourth overall.

Who knows, Irving and Thompson just might lead the Cavaliers to a championship somewhere down the road. If that's the case, the Cavs' 2011 draft class will go down as one of the greatest in NBA history. 

This slideshow that you're about to view will rank the NBA's 12 best team drafts of all time.

In order to make the list, a team has to have selected or traded for at least two players in the same draft who went on to become contributors.

With that said, don't look for the Chicago Bulls' 1984 draft. Sure, they took Michael Jordan, the greatest player in basketball history. But, he was the only one of the class that did anything for the team.

And no, Carl Lewis, the former Olympic track star who was drafted in the 10th round that year, doesn't count.

Here we go!

12. Orlando Magic (2004)

At the 2004 draft, Orlando, who owned the No. 1 pick, had to decide between taking Emeka Okafor or Dwight Howard.

The team ended up making the right choice by passing up Okafor, who had led Connecticut to a national title a few months earlier, in favor of Howard, the big man fresh out of high school.

Nothing against Okafor. He's a sold rebounder and shot-blocker, but Howard will one day make the Hall of Famer, barring any serious injuries.        

Also in the '04 draft, the Magic acquired point guard Jameer Nelson, who was selected 20th overall by Denver in the draft.

An All-Star in 2009, Nelson has helped Howard and the Magic become one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

11. Chicago Bulls (2004)

In 2005, the Bulls reached the playoffs for the first time in seven years. The 2004 draft was perhaps the main reason for the team ending their long postseason drought.

Chicago drafted Ben Gordon third overall and acquired Luol Deng, who was selected seventh overall by Phoenix.

And don't forget about the Bulls taking Deng's Duke teammate Chris Duhon in the second round (38th overall).

Gordon went on to become the first rookie in NBA history to win Sixth Man of the Year; Deng has developed into a quality small forward; and Duhon has served as a solid backup point guard.   

10. Portland Trail Blazers (2006)

Some Chicago Bulls fans are still upset about what happened in the 2006 draft.

Their team drafted LaMarcus Aldridge second overall and then traded him to Portland in exchange for Tyrus Thomas, who was picked fourth overall.

Today, Aldridge is one of the best big men in the league and was an All-Star snub this past season, while Thomas is nothing more than a decent bench player in Charlotte.

The Aldridge-Thomas trade wasn't the only lopsided deal the Blazers made on that draft night. They also acquired Brandon Roy, who was picked sixth overall by Minnesota, giving up Randy Foye.

Roy has made the All-Star team three of his five seasons in Portland.   

9. Philadelphia 76ers (1973)

Doug Collins is currently the head coach of the 76ers. And back in the 70s, he was with the team as a player.

The former Illinois State star was selected by Philly with the first overall pick in the 1973 draft. He would spend his entire eight-year career with the team and was named an All-Star on four occasions.

Philadelphia also drafted George McGinnis 22nd overall and Caldwell Jones 32nd overall.  

All three players teamed up with Julius Erving and World B. Free to lead the Sixers to the NBA Finals in 1977.   

8. Detroit Pistons (1981)

Detroit drafted Isiah Thomas second overall in 1981. The Chicago native and Indiana University legend would later become the leader of the "Bad Boy" Pistons.

Widely considered one of the greatest point guards to ever play the game of basketball, Thomas led the Pistons to a pair of championships.

The team also chose Notre Dame forward Kelly Tripucka 12th overall in the '81 draft. Tripucka wasn't still a member of the Pistons during the championship years. However, he was named an All-Star twice during his five-year stay in Detroit.    

7. San Diego Rockets (1970)

In 1970, the San Diego (now) Houston Rockets drafted a future head coaching legend and an outstanding free throw shooter.

Forward Rudy Tomjanovich was selected second overall and Calvin Murphy heard his name called 18th overall.

Tomjanovich would play his entire 11-year career as a Rocket, and was a five-time All-Star. He also went on to guide the team to back-to-back titles as a coach in 1994 and 1995. 

Murphy spent all of his 13-year career in San Diego/Houston, made the All-Star team once and is currently seventh all-time in free throw percentage in NBA history. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 1993.

6. Detroit Pistons (1986)

Former Pistons GM Jack McCloskey made two wise draft decisions in 1986.

He used the 11th overall pick on John "Spider" Salley and later chose Dennis "The Worm" Rodman in the second round (27th overall).

Salley would provide solid shot-blocking to the Pistons' lineup, while Rodman developed into one of the league's greatest defenders and possibly the best rebounder ever; even better than Wilt Chamberlain.

Both Salley and Rodman's stellar defense helped the Pistons win back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990.     

5. Dallas Mavericks (1981)

The Mavericks were a successful ball club in the '80s, mostly due to their great 1981 draft.

Future three-time All-Star Mark Aguirre was taken first overall, four-time All-Star Rolando Blackman was taken ninth, and Jay Vincent was the 24th overall pick.

Vincent would lead the Mavs in scoring his first year and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team.

Aguirre and Blackman eventually formed a dangerous one-two punch and led Dallas to five straight postseason appearances, including the Western Conference Finals in 1988.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers (1986)

Philadelphia traded the No.1 pick to the Cavaliers for forward Roy Hinson and cash the day before the 1986 draft.

With the acquired pick, the Cavaliers drafted North Carolina center Brad Daugherty. The team also picked Miami (OH) guard Ron Harper eighth overall, before later trading for Georgia Tech point guard Mark Price, who was drafted 25th overall by Dallas.   

Daugherty would develop into a five-time All-Star and one of the league's top centers of the late '80s and early '90s. 

Harper became a 20-point scorer and drew comparisons to Michael Jordan, his future Chicago Bulls teammate.

And Price proved to be a draft steal, emerging as one of the NBA's greatest shooters from both the free throw line and behind the three-point arch. 

A four-time All-Star, Price is certainly one of the most underrated players in league history.  

3. Milwaukee Bucks (1969)

With the first overall pick in the 1969 draft, the Bucks chose Lew Alcindor, now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Abdul-Jabbar would go on to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer and is considered by some as the greatest player in league history.

The Bucks also drafted Bob Dandridge in the fourth round (45th overall). No, he's no where close to Kareem in term of greatness, however he had a solid career as a pro.   

Dandridge was named an All-Star three times during his time in Milwaukee and helped the Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson-led Bucks win a title in 1971.

2. Chicago Bulls (1987)

The Bulls had the perfect draft in 1984 as they selected Michael Jordan third overall.

The 1987 draft wasn't too bad for the team either.

Olden Polynice was drafted eighth overall and then dealt to Seattle for an unknown forward out of Central Arkansas named Scottie Pippen. The Bulls later chose Horace Grant 11th overall.

Pippen would eventually turn into one of the greatest defenders ever and teamed with Jordan to lead the Bulls to six titles in the '90s.

Grant was the starting power forward during Chicago's first three-peat and was an All-Star in '94, his final season in the Windy City.   

1. Boston Celtics (1956)

The Celtics came away with not one, not two, but three future Hall of Famers in the '56 draft.

The team selected Holy Cross forward Tom Heinsohn with their territorial pick and later took San Francisco point guard K.C. Jones 13th overall.

But the icing on the cake was receiving Jones' college teammate, 6'9" center Bill Russell. Russell was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks second overall in the draft and then dealt to the Celtics for Ed Macauley  and Cliff Hagan.

Russell would lead the Celtics to 11 NBA titles, while both Heinsohn and Jones helped the team win eight.

With that said, there's no need for you to wonder why they made the top spot on this list.