Year

Player

Draft position

Notes

1989

Clifford Robinson

36

Robinson ranks 7^th on the list of most games played in NBA history, over an impressive 18 year career. He was voted an all-star in 1994 and Sixth Man of the Year in 1993.

1990

Toni Kukoc

Cedric Ceballos

29

48

While neither would necessarily be classified as ‘stars’, both enjoyed long productive careers in the NBA. Kukoc won three championships with the Bulls and was selected Sixth Man of the Year in 1996, while Ceballos averaged 14 points and 5 rebounds over his career, was an All-Star in 1995 and won the Slam Dunk Championship in 1992. But let’s face it. The biggest star of the 1990 NBA Draft was Dwayne Schintzius’ phenomenal mullet

1992

Latrell Sprewell

24

OK, so he choked his coach and was batshit insane, but there’s no denying that Sprewell was an excellent basketball player. Before he ended his NBA career by telling the Timberwolves that a 3-year $21-million contract would not be enough to feed his children, Sprewell averaged over 18 ppg, was a 4-time All-Star and, according to PJ Carlesimo, had very strong hands.

1993

Sam Cassell

24

A 3-time NBA champion who averaged almost 16 points, 6 assists, and three rebounds per game, Cassell was a NBA All-Star in 2004 and a solid player throughout his 16-year career.

1993

Nick Van Exel

37

Van Exel averaged 14 points and 7 assists per game over his 13-year career, and was NBA All-Star in 1998

1994

Voshon Lenard

46

Over his 11-year career, Lenard averaged almost 12 points per game and was the NBA Three-Point Shootout Champion in 2004

1995

Michael Finley

21

Two-time NBA All-Star, NBA All-Rookie First Team, NBA Champion, Michael Finley averaged almost 16 points per game over a highly productive 15-year career

1996

Žydrūnas Ilgauskas

20

Would you believe that Ilgauskas averaged 13 points and 7 rebounds over his 15-year career? Believe it.

1996

Derek Fisher

24

While Fisher may not have gaudy numbers, he does have five championship rings and has played in 240 playoff games, the second-most in NBA history. For a guy who was drafted 24^th out of Arkansas-Little Rock, there’s little doubt that Derek Fisher surpassed anyone’s expectations of him.

1997

Stephen Jackson

42

Though he may be best known for his role in the infamous Malice at the Palace brawl, Jackson has carved out a solid career for himself, averaging 15 points per game and played a pivotal role in the Warriors defeat of the Dallas Mavericks in the 2007 NBA playoffs, what many consider to be the greatest upset in NBA history.

1998

Rashard Lewis

32

Though his numbers have tailed off over the last couple seasons, Lewis boasts an average of almost 16 points and 5 rebounds per game for his career, and is a 2-time all-star

1999

Andrei Kirilenko

24

NBA All-Star in 2004, All-Defensive First Team in 2006, All-Defensive Second Team in 2004-05, NBA blocks leader in 2005, Kirilenko has averaged 12 points and 6 rebounds for his career thus far.

1999

Manu Ginobili

57

That’s right. The second-to-last pick in the 1999 NBA Draft was Manu, a little known player from Argentina, who is a 3-time NBA champion (almost 4, but we won’t go there), a 2-time NBA All-Star, and winner of NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2008. While his poor showing in this year’s NBA Finals is still fresh in everyone’s mind, let’s not forget that Manu has averaged 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists over his career, and played an integral role in each of those 3 championships.

2000

Michael Redd

43

Though he started his career behind Ray Allen on the depth chart, Redd managed to establish himself as a solid player. Not only did he earn himself a starting role, but Redd established himself as a legit star. He was voted to the All-Star team in 2004 and the US Olympic Team in 2008. He also holds the record for the most 3-point field goals made in a quarter (8), and is 4^th on the Milwaukee Bucks all-time points list, and 5^th in Bucks’ all-time scoring average (19ppg for his career).

2001

Tony Parker

28

The Spurs hit gold again with the French point guard. The last pick in the first round of the draft, Parker (like Ginobili) is now a 3-time NBA champion, was the NBA Finals MVP in 2007, and a 5-time NBA All-Star. His career averages are 17 points/6 assists/3 rebounds per game.

2001

Gilbert Arenas

30

Though, at this point, his career has been of a mixed bag due to injuries and some extraordinarily poor judgment, Arenas enjoyed a number of years as one of the best players in the NBA. A 3-time all-star, Arenas jas averaged 21 ppg over his career and averaged almost 30 points, 6 assists and 2 steals per game in the 2005-06 season.

2002

Tayshaun Prince

23

Defensive specialist Prince has been selected to the NBA defensive second team 4 years in a row and won a NBA championship with the Pistons in 2004, and won a Gold medal with the US Olympic team in 2008.

2002

Carlos Boozer

34

Boozer has been one of the top power forwards in the league since his NBA career began, averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds per game over the course of his career thus far. He’s been a 2-time NBA all-star and was a member of team USA in 2004 and 2008.

2002

Luis Scola

55

Yet another great international pick by the Spurs, though he didn’t start playing in the NBA until the 2007-08 season after his rights were traded to the Houston Rockets. He’s been a solid contributor since, averaging 14 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

2003

Mo Williams

47

Though he’s been a sixth-man for much of his career, Williams has still managed to average 14 points and 5 assists per game over the course of his career, and played in the 2009 All-Star game.

2004

Jameer Nelson

20

Though he wasn’t drafted until #20, Nelson was initially projected to be a top-10 pick. So, the fact that he has turned into one of the top point guards in the league should come as little surprise. Nevertheless, he didn’t go until #20, so he makes the list.

2005

Nate Robinson

21

2005 was an underwhelming draft. Though it did feature Chris Paul and Deron Williams, there were few highlights in this year’s draft. So, considering the number of busts, 3-time slam dunk champion, Nate Robinson, stands out as a success.

2006

Rajon Rondo

21

Quick! Who was the first pick in the 2006 draft? Yep, Andrea Bargnani. And then, twenty picks later, Rajon Rondo was picked up by the Suns and traded to the Celtics. Since then, he has won a NBA Championship and has been selected to the All-Star team 4 times, let the league in steals in 2010, assists per game and triple-doubles in both 2012 and 2013.

2007

Marc Gasol

48

Though Tiago Splitter was yet another solid late-first round pick by the Spurs at number 28, the biggest steal was Pau’s little brother at #48. An All-Star in 2012 and Defensive Player of the Year this past season, many consider Marc to be the best Center in the game right now.

2008

Serge Ibaka

Nicolas Batum

Mario Chalmers

24

25

34

With only a few years under their belts, it remains to be seen whether these players will continue to be solid contributors throughout their careers. Both Ibaka and Chalmers have benefited from being on two of the top teams in the NBA, and have managed to be vital members of each of their respective teams. Nicolas Batum has shown a great deal of promise, and his stats improve every year. Will that trend continue? Only time will tell.