6 Worst NBA Draft Picks of the Past Decade

The NBA Draft is one evening every summer where the next generation of basketball stars are welcomed to the league and their lives are changed forever...but sometimes for the worse.

Sometimes, teams in prime position to alter their franchise's path end up splattering on the turf, while those better organizations beneath them continue to swipe up top talent from sub-optimal positions. Here are unquestionably six of the worst NBA draft picks in the last decade.

6. Thomas Robinson

Thomas Robinson as a member of the Sacramento Kings / Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Thomas Robinson was on the Sacramento Kings' wishlist in the 2012 NBA Draft, which is why they selected him No. 5 overall. They thought he would form a fearsome frontcourt with DeMarcus Cousins. Turns out the Kings were wrong, as Robinson never lived up to the hype he created at Kansas. In his one season with Sacramento, he averaged 4.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. He was ultimately traded to the Rockets in a deal involving several other moving parts, none of them very impactful, in 2013.

5. Jimmer Fredette

Jimmer Fredette as a member of the Phoenix Suns / Alex Goodlett/Getty Images

Jimmer Fredette had an impressive college career at BYU, leading the NCAA in scoring in 2011 and beng named the MWC Player of the Year. In the 2011 draft, he was drafted No. 10 overall by the Bucks, then shipped to...Sacramento, of course. There was buzz in the air at his arrival in SacTown, but he ended up playing low minutes and never averaged more than 7.6 points (with the Kings) before his contract was bought out in 2014.

4. Cole Aldrich

Cole Aldrich with the Minnesota Timberwolves / Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

Entering the NBA in 2011, drafted No. 11 overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder (from New Orleans), Cole Aldrich was expected to become a big contributor to their team. However, he only played in 18 games his rookie season behind Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka's frontcourt duo. He has since played for six different teams, with his career highs being 5.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game (with New York)

3. Jahlil Okafor

Jahlil Okafor with the New Orleans Pelicans / Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

While Jahlil Okafor's downfall didn't come in his rookie campaign, he is still considered a bust among recent NBA draft picks. After his rookie season where he averaged 17.5 points and seven boards with the 76ers, he endured a sophomore slump in 2016. He never found the fame or minutes in Philly due to Joel Embiid's rise to the starting center spot, and he was soon traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2017. He never saw the completion of the "Process" the Sixers wanted him to be a part of.

2. Anthony Bennett

Anthony Bennett as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers / Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Anthony Bennett drew comparisons to Larry Johnson, a fellow former UNLV player, but he never met the expectations. Anticipated to go in the top 10, Bennett inexplicably went FIRST OVERALL, ruining any chance he had at flying under the radar. His rookie season was filled with mediocre performances and his rookie state sheet read 4.2 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in 52 games. He failed to find a home with several other teams and recently played in Canada.

1. Markelle Fultz

Markelle Fultz as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers / Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Markelle Fultz was the No. 1 overall pick in 2017 by the Sixers, but his time on the NBA hardwood has been slim to none. Up until recently, his career has been tainted with injury woes and a hideous yips-fueledjump shot, whicht is still in the works. In two years with Philadelphia, Fultz only played in 33 games and averaged 7.7 points per game. In Feb. 2019, he was traded to the Orlando Magic, marking the Sixers' worst draft pick from the "Process" years, shrouded in mystery forever.