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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Karl Rasmussen

Busts, Bad Trades and Regrets: Each NBA Team's Biggest Draft Mistake Since 2000

Anthony Bennett shakes hands with NBA commissioner David Stern after being with the No. 1 pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2013 NBA Draft. | Jerry Lai-Imagn Images

The 2025 NBA draft features plenty of talented players, and the teams selecting early in the first round will be hopeful of making the most of their selection.

Of course, misfiring with a first-round pick can be a significant hindrance to a team looking to rebuild, or even one that's looking to find its missing piece to contend. It happens every year, where a team is high on a player that simply doesn't pan out for whatever reason. There's not a single NBA team that drafts perfectly, though there are certainly some that have had more success evaluating incoming rookies than others.

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