Martell Webster became the latest former top 10 draft pick to find himself out of the NBA when the Wizards released him Monday, and he has plenty of company. More than a quarter of all top 10 picks drafted between 2005 and 2011 aren’t currently under contract with an NBA team. Webster, the No. 6 pick in 2005, stands a decent chance to find his way back to the NBA once he recovers from hip surgery, but the same can’t be said for many of the rest. Jonny Flynn, who like Webster was once the sixth overall pick, hasn’t played an NBA regular season game since 2012. It shows the capriciousness of the draft, since the player drafted immediately after Flynn in 2009 is Stephen Curry, the reigning MVP.
The latest two players in the NBA to hit waivers are both former top 10 picks. The Pelicans cut Jimmer Fredette, the 10th selection from 2011, a couple of weeks before the Wizards split with Webster. All the players who’ve become top 10 picks since Fredette are still in the NBA, though not coincidentally, the vast majority of the top 10 picks from 2012 forward remain on their rookie scale contracts.
Here’s a look at every top 10 pick chosen since 2005 who’s no longer in the NBA:
2005
- 6. Martell Webster
- 9. Ike Diogu
- 10. Andrew Bynum
2006
- 3. Adam Morrison
- 4. Tyrus Thomas
- 5. Shelden Williams
- 6. Brandon Roy
- 9. Patrick O’Bryant
- 10. Saer Sene
2007
- 1. Greg Oden
- 6. Yi Jianlian
2008
- 2. Michael Beasley
- 8. Joe Alexander
2009
- 2. Hasheem Thabeet
- 6. Jonny Flynn
2010
- 6. Ekpe Udoh
2011
- 6. Jan Vesely
- 10. Jimmer Fredette
I think interesting thing to look at as well is Contributing Minutes…As a quick observational look it would not surprise to see a higher number of Draft Picks do not have High Contributing minutes…Like Under 10 minutes a game…
That’s a good idea. There’s something to be said for not just taking up a spot on the end of the bench. My co-author and I devised a standard to measure whether a player had a serviceable career when we wrote a book about the baseball draft. It’s remarkable how many draftees failed to hit the mark, though the baseball draft is much different from the NBA draft.
Always interesting to look in the rear view mirror…. If Miami takes Love or Westbrook over Beasley…
Given where the Warriors are now, it’s interesting to see how often their picks failed
Hence why Chris Mullen and Larry Riley are no longer the GSW GM’s.
Jimmer needs to get another opportunity, I mean the 76ers need guards don’t they?
They need veterans.