Category: Sports News

The names are about to be read. The 2026 NBA Draft is tomorrow, and new names will join the annals of NBA history. But today, we arrive at the final chapter of this six-part series, identifying the best player ever drafted at each draft position in NBA history. And without question, the top 10 was the toughest section of this entire project.

I’ll admit something. I probably spent way too much time thinking about these selections. I’d write a few paragraphs supporting one player, feel pretty good about my choice, take my dog for a walk, and come back with an entirely different opinion. That’s what happens when you get to this part of the draft. You’re no longer comparing good players to great players. You’re comparing franchise icons to Hall of Famers. MVPs to champions. Players who defined generations against players who changed the sport itself.

It becomes less about identifying the correct answer and more about deciding which argument you find most compelling. Because that’s the thing about exercises like this. There isn’t a correct answer.

The word “best” is inherently subjective. It’s an arbitrary debate built on personal values, statistical accomplishments, championships, longevity, peak performance, cultural impact, and whatever other criteria you choose to prioritize. Every fan weighs those categories differently, which is why two intelligent basketball fans can look at the same list of accomplishments and arrive at completely different conclusions.

As we’ve moved closer and closer to the top of the draft, the decisions have become increasingly difficult. The honorable mention sections have gotten longer. The debates have become more nuanced. And the margins separating players have become razor-thin.

That’s especially true in the top 10. These aren’t simply great players. These are players who carried franchises. Players who won MVPs. Players who lifted trophies. Players whose names are permanently woven into the history of the NBA.

So let’s take one final trip through draft history and see where this journey ends. And if I change my mind three more times along the way, well, that wouldn’t exactly be surprising.

10. Paul Pierce (1998)

Honorable Mentions:

• Paul George (2010)
• Joe Johnson (2001)
• Paul Westphal (1972)
• Paul Silas (1964)

Suns Taken at 10:

• Greg Howard (1970)
• Ron Lee (1976)
• Ed Pickney (1985)
• Mikal Bridges (2018)*
• Jalen Smith (2020)
• Khaman Maluach (2025)**

*draft rights acquired on draft night
** draft rights re-acquired in the Kevin Durant trade

We kick off our final draft position in our final article of the series with Paul Pierce, whom the Boston Celtics drafted 10th overall in 1998 out of Kansas.

There are some good names on the honorable mention list, and three of them are former Phoenix Suns. Joe Johnson, Paul Westphal, and Paul Silas were all drafted 10th overall. But none of them reached the peak that Paul Pierce, a.k.a. The Truth, did during his 19 years in the NBA. That’s right. Nineteen years.

It all began in Boston, where he helped change the fortunes of a franchise that had been largely wandering since the Larry Bird era. By his fourth season in the NBA, he had played all 82 games, earned an All-Star selection, and made Third Team All-NBA while averaging 26.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.

It was the first of 10 All-Star selections and four All-NBA honors. Three of those were Third Team selections, with the exception being a Second Team nod in 2008-09.

Pierce put up productive numbers throughout the front half of his career, but it wasn’t until Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett arrived that he reached the pinnacle. In 2008, he led the Celtics to an NBA championship and was named NBA Finals MVP, averaging 21.8 points, 6.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in a six-game Finals victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

That was the peak. As his career progressed, his production gradually declined. At age 36, he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets. He later spent time with the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers before retiring in 2017.

When you look at the totality of his career, however, it was unbelievably impressive and productive. That’s why Paul Pierce gets the nod as the best player ever drafted 10th overall.

9. Dirk Nowitzki (1998)

Honorable Mentions:

• Tracy McGrady (1997)
• Amar’e Stoudmire (2002)
• Shawn Marion (1999)
• Jojo White (1969)
• Andre Iguodala (2004)

Suns Taken at 9:

• Shawn Marion (1999)
• Amar’e Stoudmire (2002)

I love Tracy McGrady. Amar’e Stoudemire and Shawn Marion will forever be among my favorite players I’ve ever watched play for the Phoenix Suns. But the honor of the best player ever drafted ninth overall goes to Dirk Nowitzki, and I doubt I’ll get much argument in the comments about it.

Dirk is another player who has longevity on his side, playing 21 years in the NBA, all of them with the Dallas Mavericks. Ironically, he was drafted in 1998, one spot ahead of Paul Pierce, by the Milwaukee Bucks. But Milwaukee opted to trade him, along with Pat Garrity, to the Dallas Mavericks for Robert Traylor. From there, a Hall of Fame career was born.

From a Suns fan’s perspective, we know Nowitzki well. His mid-range dagger was automatic. It was revolutionary. We had never really seen a 7-footer operate the way he did, stretching defenses and creating offense from all over the floor. He also helped legitimize international players in a way few others had before him. You can make a strong argument that Dirk’s success helped usher in the European wave that has become such a significant part of today’s NBA.

So how did he end up in the Hall of Fame in 2023? The résumé speaks for itself. Dirk was a 14-time All-Star, a 12-time All-NBA selection, the 2007 MVP, and an NBA champion in 2011.

And while I’ll always have some disdain for those Dallas teams, especially after what Jerry Stackhouse did to Joe Johnson’s orbital bone, I respected the hell out of Dirk. Particularly in 2011. That Miami Heat team was a superteam. They were talented, confident, and at times an incredibly cocky group. When they started mocking Dirk for being sick during the Finals, it rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.

Dirk responded the best way possible. He averaged 26.0 points and 9.7 rebounds in the six-game series, shooting 42%, 37%, and 98% from the field, three-point range, and free throw line, respectively. More importantly, he completely shut them up.

That championship cemented his legacy. It also earned my respect.

8. Willis Reed (1964)

Honorable Mentions:

• Robert Parrish (1976)
• Sam Jones (1957)
• Tom Chambers (1981)
• Ron Harper (1986)
• Vin Baker (1993)
• Jack Sikma (1977)

Suns Taken at 8:

• Gary Gregor (1968)
• Mike Bantom (1973)
• Marquese Chriss (2016)

The eighth overall draft position has produced some unbelievably valuable players over the years, along with plenty of key contributors to championship teams. And one bonehead in Marquese Chriss. While there are some worthy candidates here, I think the honor has to go to Willis Reed, whom the New York Knicks selected in the 1964 NBA Draft out of Grambling State.

Reed was the big man who helped lead the Knicks to two NBA championships, something the franchise wouldn’t accomplish again until this season. He made an immediate impact, winning Rookie of the Year in 1965 while also earning his first All-Star selection.

A few years later, he entered the peak of his career. Beginning in 1968, Reed put together a three-year stretch in which he finished no lower than second in MVP voting. In 1970, he finally won the award. That same season, he was First Team All-NBA and First Team All-Defense. More importantly, he was named NBA Finals MVP, an honor he would earn again in 1973.

The résumé is overwhelming. Reed was a seven-time All-Star, a two-time NBA champion, a five-time All-NBA selection, a two-time Finals MVP, a league MVP, a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, and a Hall of Famer. It’s hard for anyone drafted eighth overall to compete with that.

What’s remarkable is that he accomplished all of this in only 10 NBA seasons. Injuries ultimately took their toll on Reed, and nowhere was that more evident than during the 1970 NBA Finals. After suffering a torn quadriceps in Game 5, he missed Game 6 and appeared unlikely to play in the decisive Game 7 against the Los Angeles Lakers. Then came one of the most iconic moments in NBA history.

Reed emerged from the tunnel and took the floor.

He only scored four points, hitting the first two baskets of the game, but the emotional lift he provided swung the momentum firmly in New York’s favor. The Knicks went on to win the championship, and Reed was named Finals MVP. To this day, it’s remembered simply as “The Willis Reed Game.”

That’s the kind of legacy that makes this decision easy.

7. Stephen Curry (2009)

Honorable Mentions:

• John Havelicek (1962)
• Chris Mullin (1985)
• Bernard King (1977)
• Kevin Johnson (1987)
• Richard Hamilton (1999)

Suns Taken at 7:

• Tim Perry (1988)
• Luol Deng (2004)*

*draft rights traded to the Bulls on draft day

Seventh overall is a tough one because you have John Havlicek sitting there. Hondo was a 13-time All-Star, an eight-time NBA champion, and an 11-time All-NBA selection. Perhaps recency bias plays into this particular decision because I never had the pleasure of watching him play. I should also note that this is one of those draft slots with some controversy attached to it. Basketball Reference has Havlicek drafted ninth overall in the 1962 NBA Draft, while NBA dot com and Wikipedia have him seventh overall. So even with a little controversy involved, I’m giving this one to Stephen Curry. The greatest shooter of all time.

While Curry doesn’t have the same career accolades as Havlicek, what he has accomplished is incredibly impressive when you consider the era in which he’s played. When Havlicek entered the league, there were only nine teams in the NBA. Curry has spent his entire career competing in a 30-team league. And what a career it has been.

The Baby Faced Assassin revolutionized basketball. He changed the geometry of the court and completely altered how the game is played. He owns the NBA record for most three pointers made in a career and most three pointers made per game for a career. He also holds the record for most three-point attempts in NBA history with 10,073. The efficiency is what makes it ridiculous. Curry is a career 42.2% three point shooter while taking a volume of shots no player before him would have even considered attempting.

Along the way, he’s won four championships, earned 12 All-Star selections, captured two scoring titles, led the league in steals in 2016, and won two MVP awards. And his career isn’t over. At 37 years old, he’s still one of the most dangerous offensive players in basketball. He may not be quite the same player he was during his unanimous MVP season, but he’s still capable of changing a game the moment he crosses half-court.

That’s what separates him. The numbers are incredible. The championships matter. The MVPs matter. But his impact on the sport is what ultimately puts him over the top. Stephen Curry didn’t simply dominate an era. He changed it.

6. Larry Bird (1978)

Honorable Mentions:

• Lenny Wilkens (1960)
• Damian Lillard (2012)
• Adrian Dantley (1976)
• Shane Battier (2001)
• Brandon Roy (2006)

Suns Taken at 6:

• William Bedford (1986)
• Jarrett Culver (2019)*

*traded on draft day for Dario Saric and rights to Cameron Johnson

Again, you have some great names taken sixth overall in NBA history, but the fact that Larry Bird went sixth is a travesty. Or, if you’re a Boston Celtics fan, it’s a miracle.

Bird was selected sixth overall in the 1978 NBA Draft because he was an underclassman who chose to return to Indiana State for his senior season. Due to the draft rules at the time, many teams were unwilling to spend a premium pick on a player they couldn’t sign for a full year. The Celtics took the gamble and retained his exclusive rights.

Because of that, Boston essentially burned a top pick on a player who wouldn’t suit up for them for an entire season. That season, they went 29-53. When the 1979-80 season arrived, Larry Bird arrived with it.

From there, he put together one of the greatest 13-year careers you’ll ever find. He won Rookie of the Year in 1980, and one season later, helped lead Boston to its first championship of the decade. Bird wasn’t the Finals MVP in 1981 — that honor went to Cedric Maxwell — but it was the first title the Celtics had won since beating the Suns in the 1976 NBA Finals.

Larry Bird was a player who defied every stereotype. He was a goofy-looking kid from French Lick, Indiana, who possessed a devastating jumper, an innate ability to score, and a basketball IQ that became the tip of the spear for multiple Celtics championship teams. More than anything, he simply cared more than everybody else. When people talk about the competitive fire of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird belongs in that conversation, too.

After everything was said and done, he finished with three NBA championships and three consecutive MVP awards, winning them in 1984, 1985, and 1986. He was a 10-time All-NBA selection, a 12-time All-Star, a three-time All-Defensive Team member, and a two-time Finals MVP.

Larry Legend. The Hick from French Lick. The Great White Hope. Whatever nickname you prefer, Bird was one of the defining players in NBA history. Alongside Magic Johnson, he helped push the NBA into the mainstream consciousness and laid the foundation for what the league would eventually become.

5. Charles Barkley (1984)

Honorable Mentions:

• Kevin Garnett (1995)
• Dwayne Wade (2003)
• Scottie Pippen (1987)
• Ray Allen (1996)
• Walt Frazier (1967)
• Sidney Moncrief (1979)
• Vince Carter (1998)

Suns Taken at 5:

• Walter Davis (1977)
• Alex Len (2013)

If you want to talk about one of the hardest draft slots to determine the best player from, look no further than fifth overall. Some of the names here are spectacular. From Scottie Pippen and Ray Allen to Walt Frazier and Sidney Moncrief, this is a who’s who of elite NBA talent.

But then there’s the top tier. This is one I’ve been going back and forth on for days. Is it Dwyane Wade, Kevin Garnett, or Charles Barkley? All three have a legitimate case.

When you look at Wade, he was the best player on a team that won a championship and the second-best player on two more championship teams. That’s three rings and a Finals MVP. He was a 13-time All-Star and arguably had the longest stretch of sustained success among the group.

Then there’s Kevin Garnett. He played the most games of the trio, has the highest value over replacement, won a championship, won an MVP, won a Defensive Player of the Year award, and made 15 All-Star teams. In fact, Garnett occupied this spot on my list for days.

But then there’s Charles Barkley. He never won a championship, but he’s also the only one of these three who had to run headfirst into Michael Jordan in order to try and win one. And he did a pretty damn good job getting there. You could argue that Barkley had the highest peak of the three. You could also argue he had the most sustained individual excellence.

For his career, he averaged 22.1 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. From 1986 through 1996, he averaged 24.2 points per game. He led the league in offensive rebounds three times and total rebounds once. He also led the NBA in two-point field goal percentage for five consecutive seasons in Philadelphia, doing so in an era before teams were stretching the floor with three-pointers.

I don’t think enough people remember how dominant Barkley was in Philadelphia. Part of that is because he was competing for attention against Larry Bird and Michael Jordan. Those guys understandably consumed much of the spotlight. Meanwhile, Barkley kept stacking All-Star appearances and All-NBA selections year after year, eventually culminating with his MVP season in 1993.

And that’s where I’m going to let a little bias creep in. This is close. Really close. You can make a compelling argument for all three players, and ultimately, it comes down to how you define the word “best.” There isn’t a wrong answer.

Barkley finished his career as an 11-time All-Star, an 11-time All-NBA selection, and the 1993 MVP, solidifying his place in the Hall of Fame. Pound for pound, there might not have been a better rebounder in NBA history outside of Dennis Rodman. What made Barkley different was that rebounding was only part of his game. He could score. He could shoot. He could post up. He could overpower you with his strength and will.

At only 6’6″, he routinely dominated players much bigger than him. He grabbed rebounds in traffic, created extra possessions, and turned them into points on the other end. Night after night, he imposed his will on games. He combined the mentality and physicality of a power forward with the offensive skill set of a much more versatile player. He wasn’t simply cleaning the glass. He was carrying offenses, creating mismatches, and producing at an elite level for more than a decade.

That’s why, even without the championship, Charles Barkley remains one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.

Dwyane Wade didn’t change Miami. Kevin Garnett didn’t change Minnesota. Charles Barkley changed Phoenix. Barkley arrived and immediately transformed the franchise, the city, and the way people viewed Suns basketball. He was a cultural icon. He was a superstar in every sense of the word.

A role model? Well, he’d be the first person to tell you he wasn’t. But he was Charles Barkley. And that’s enough for me.

4. Chris Paul (2005)

Honorable Mentions:

• Russell Westbrook (2008)
• Dikembe Mutombo (1991)
• Chris Bosh (2003)
• Dave Cowens (1970)
• Dolph Schayes (1948)

Suns Taken at 4:

• Corky Calhoun (1972)
• John Shumate (1974)
• Alvan Adams (1975)
• Drgan Bender (2016)
• Josh Jackson (2017)

Third overall gives us another quality list of players, as it should. What’s interesting about the third overall pick is that there are plenty of amazing players, but not many who served as the alpha on multiple championship teams. You could argue that Dave Cowens was, considering he won two championships with the Celtics in the 1970s and captured the 1973 MVP award.

But I’m giving this one to Chris Paul. Perhaps that’s recency bias again. Perhaps it’s because I had the opportunity to watch him closely for three seasons in Phoenix. Either way, Chris Paul gets the nod.

He’s one of the last members of a dying breed. You don’t find many cerebral, pass-first point guards left in today’s NBA, and that’s unfortunate. Go back and watch Chris Paul in his prime. Outside of the antics that drove opposing fans crazy, and drove Suns fans crazy until he finally arrived in Phoenix, he played a beautiful game.

At 6 feet tall, he impacted both ends of the floor. He knew how to run an offense. He knew how to control tempo. He knew how to defend opposing point guards to the point of irritation. Six times during his 21-year career, he led the NBA in steals, and five times he led the league in assists.

The production never stopped. The 2006 Rookie of the Year was also a career 37% shooter from beyond the arc, making him a threat whether he was creating for teammates or looking for his own shot. He spent time with several franchises throughout his career, although his longest stint came with the Clippers, where he played seven seasons. But those three years in Phoenix were special. Not only for the franchise, but for Chris Paul as well.

Despite all of his accomplishments, all of his statistics, and all of his awards, Phoenix was the only place he reached the NBA Finals. That 2021 run remains one of the defining moments of his career. When everything was said and done, Paul finished with 11 All-NBA selections, nine All-Defensive Team honors, and 12 All-Star appearances.

The Point God. A player I absolutely could not stand until he arrived in Phoenix. Funny how that happens when they start playing for your team.

Side note: The Suns sure have drafted plenty at third overall, and only one time did they get it right.

3. Michael Jordan (1984)

Honorable Mentions:

• Wilt Chamberlain (1959)
• Luka Doncic (2018)
• Kevin McHale (1980)
• Pete Maravich (1970)
• James Harden (2009)
• Bob Cousy (1950)
• Grant Hill (1994)

Suns Taken at 3:

• Phoenix has never drafted from this position

There are certainly some tough discussions to be had as we navigate this top 10. Third overall is not one of them. Because drafted at this slot is the greatest player to ever play the game of basketball.

I know it’s a debate people have over and over again. For me, it’s not even close. You can argue that LeBron James has had the greatest career ever. That’s a fair argument. But Michael Jordan is the greatest player who has ever played the game.

One way I always make this argument is by asking a simple question: Would you consider a player with two championships, two Finals MVPs, three All-Defensive Team selections, one league MVP, and one Defensive Player of the Year award to be a Hall of Famer? Of course you would. That’s the gap between Michael Jordan and LeBron James when it comes to accolades.

I’ve had the benefit of watching both play. Yes, Jordan is tied to my youth, and there’s undoubtedly some nostalgia attached to what he accomplished. But even when I try to remove that from the equation, there’s simply nobody like him. When you combine athleticism, competitiveness, basketball IQ, the desire to win, and the ability to perform in the biggest moments, nobody checks every box the way Jordan did. Nobody.

There are some damn good players drafted second overall. Hall of Famers. MVPs. Champions. It doesn’t matter. I will be a Michael Jordan defender forever. Part of that is the emotional connection. When I was six years old in 1988, my dad told me to watch this guy because he had never seen anything like him. So I watched. Intently. Obsessively.

I grew up idolizing Michael Jordan. I read the books. I got my left ear pierced because he had one. I shaved my head when the Bulls won championships during the summer, which is something I regret now because, well, I’m bald. Even as I sit here typing these words, there’s a painting I made of Michael Jordan hanging above me. That’s how much of an impact he had on me. I’ll always be a Suns fan. But I’ll always be a Jordan fan too.

When you look at his career accolades, they’re staggering.

Michael Jordan finished his career as a 14-time All-Star, a 10-time scoring champion, a three-time steals champion, an 11-time All-NBA selection, a nine-time All-Defensive Team selection, a five-time MVP (how did he only win five?!), a six-time Finals MVP, a six-time NBA champion, and the 1985 Rookie of the Year. And he did it all while wearing shoes that people are still lining up to buy decades later. That’s how iconic he was.

Jordan wasn’t simply a basketball player. He was a cultural phenomenon. His impact extended far beyond the court. He transcended the sport in a way few athletes ever have, becoming recognizable to people who never watched a single NBA game. But the reason all of that happened was because of what he did on the court.

He dominated. He won. He delivered in every big moment. And he made it look cool while doing it. For an entire generation, Michael Jordan wasn’t simply the best basketball player in the world. He was who you wanted to be.

Like Mike. If I could be like Mike.

2. Bill Russell (1956)

Honorable Mentions:

• Jerry West (1960)
• Kevin Durant (2007)
• Isiah Thomas (1981)
• Jason Kidd (1994)
• Bob Pettit (1954)

Suns Taken at 2:

• Neal Walk (1969)
• Armen Gilliam (1987)

In the same breath, the best player ever drafted second overall is somebody who won and changed the game.

He played long before my time, and by today’s standards, he wasn’t an overwhelming offensive player. But he changed basketball with the way he defended, controlled the paint, and rebounded the ball. And if your argument for the greatest player ever begins and ends with championships, then Bill Russell is your guy.

Drafted second overall in 1956 out of the University of San Francisco, Russell was actually selected by the St. Louis Hawks. He was then traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan. What’s interesting is how it all came together.

The Rochester Royals held the first overall pick, but it was widely reported that Celtics owner Walter Brown, who was also a part-owner of the Ice Capades show, convinced the Royals to pass on Russell. In exchange, Brown guaranteed a series of Ice Capades performances in Rochester. Boston then capitalized on the circumstances and orchestrated the trade with St. Louis.

To be fair, the Hawks did pretty well for themselves. Macauley and Hagan helped them win a championship two years later. But the Celtics got Bill Russell. And the winning began.

Russell averaged only 15.1 points per game during his 13-year career, but he also averaged 22.5 rebounds. His best season came in 1963-64 when he averaged 24.7 rebounds per game. He simply owned the paint for an entire generation of basketball. His career playoff average of 24.9 rebounds per game remains an NBA record.

As a result, in 13 seasons, Bill Russell won 11 NBA championships. Eleven! What’s also interesting is that the NBA Finals MVP award didn’t exist until 1969, the final season of Russell’s career and the year he won his 11th championship. Yet he didn’t win the award. Instead, it went to Jerry West, marking the only time in league history that the Finals MVP was awarded to a player on the losing team.

When everything was said and done, Russell’s résumé was overwhelming. He was a 12-time All-Star, a four-time rebounding champion, a five-time MVP, a First Team All-Defense selection in 1969, which happened to be the first year the award existed, and an 11-time NBA champion. And to show just how much he meant to the sport, the NBA retired his No. 6 league-wide in 2022. Nobody else can say that.

1. LeBron James (2003)

Honorable Mentions:

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1969)
• Magic Johnson (1979)
• Hakeem Olajuwon (1984)
• Tim Duncan (1997)
• Shaquille O’Neal (1992)

Suns Taken at 1:

• Deandre Ayton (2018)

I’ll start by acknowledging how tough it was to determine the best player ever drafted first overall in NBA history. Why? Because collectively, the No. 1 pick has produced 22 MVP awards, 50 NBA championships, roughly 250 All-Star selections, around 75 All-Defensive Team honors, and 19 Finals MVP awards.

There have certainly been some busts at the top of the draft (re: the only time the Suns ever drafted first overall), but there have also been some truly incredible players. The two that rose to the top for me, and the two that made this decision difficult, were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James.

Kareem changed the game in much the same way Bill Russell did, while also being an elite offensive player. His skyhook remains one of the most unstoppable shots basketball has ever seen, and I’m still not sure why more players haven’t tried to replicate it. He rode that shot to six championships, six MVP awards, and 15 All-NBA selections.

But if I want this list to be taken seriously, I think I have to give this one to LeBron James. Because while he didn’t change the game in quite the same way Kareem did, I believe he has had the greatest career from start to finish of any player in NBA history, especially when considering the weight of expectations.

The longevity alone is unbelievable. The fact that he’s still performing at such a high level this deep into his career is something we’ve never seen before. It’s always difficult to compare players across eras. We’ll never truly know how players from the early days of the NBA would have fared with today’s technology, training methods, nutrition, medical resources, and rules.

What we do know is that LeBron took advantage of everything the modern NBA had to offer and turned it into the greatest career we’ve ever seen. Not the most winning career.

Winning is part of the equation, a big part of it, but it’s only part of it. LeBron has won plenty while also maintaining a level of consistency that no player has ever matched. No player has appeared in more NBA games. No player has played more minutes. No player has attempted more field goals. No player has scored more points. And yes, nobody has turned the ball over more than LeBron James either. That’s what happens when you have the ball in your hands for more than two decades.

In an era where the league has expanded and the talent pool has become deeper than ever, LeBron has remained relevant. For his career, which now spans 23 seasons, he’s averaged 26.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. The accolades are ridiculous. He’s a 22-time All-Star, a four-time NBA champion, a 21-time All-NBA selection, a six-time All-Defensive Team member, a four-time MVP, and a four-time Finals MVP.

It’s hard to even comprehend those numbers when you stop and think about them.

What’s interesting is that he’s only led the league in scoring once, doing so in 2008 when he averaged 30.0 points per game. Yet in 2020, at age 35, he led the NBA in assists at 10.2 per game. That’s why I’ve never really viewed him as another Michael Jordan. To me, LeBron has always felt like a more physical version of Magic Johnson. And that’s another player who was drafted first overall.

In fact, when you look through the list of great No. 1 picks, you’ll see plenty of Lakers legends. Interestingly enough, only Magic was actually drafted by the Lakers. But that’s a story for another day.

For now, I tip my hat to The King. The greatest player ever drafted first overall in NBA history.

So that’s it. Every draft position and the best player drafted at each slot. 27,016 words spent answering a question I’ve always had, and now I have the data to back it up. Expect to see this article referenced for years to come as the Suns navigate future drafts, even if they’re picking near the back of the board for the foreseeable future.

But alas, the work is done. After six articles, one thing became abundantly clear. Greatness can be found anywhere in the draft. From Nikola Jokic at 41 to LeBron James at 1, the journey matters every bit as much as the destination. Some picks changed franchises. Some changed the sport itself.

And while we could debate the order endlessly, that’s part of the fun. The draft is hope, history, and hindsight all rolled into one. It’s potential versus production. Projection versus reality. Every selection carries a different story, and that’s what makes looking back through draft history so fascinating.

Because every year, teams walk to the podium believing they’ve found the next great player. Sometimes they’re right. Most of the time, they’re not. But that’s why we keep coming back to the draft year after year. And it all kicks off tomorrow night.

For posterity’s sake, here is the list in its final form:

The 2026 NBA Draft is on the horizon, bringing one of the most significant dates on the league’s calendar. 

Childhood dreams of making it to the NBA will be achieved. 

Teams will turn draft assets into tangible players who they hope will contribute to winning in the short- and long-term future.

And in the background, teams will continue to explore the options that’ll help them achieve their goals for 2026–27. 

For the Lakers, who have a first-round pick in the draft (No. 25), the opportunity the draft presents as it pertains to roster building can’t be whiffed on.   

In their pursuit of assembling a roster that’ll be competitive against the 2026 Western Conference champion Spurs and 2025 NBA champion Thunder, the Lakers have two main options for their first-round pick: Trade it for a player who’s ready to compete for a title now alongside Luka Dončić or select a prospect whom they plan to develop and hope will help now and in the future.  

If the Lakers choose the latter path, there isn’t a shortage of options of prospects who they should consider drafting. 

Toward the top of that list should be St. John’s big man Zuby Ejiofor, whose hustle, defensive versatility and energetic style of play would be a welcome addition to the Lakers’ front court.

Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s big man

• 2025–26 stats (St. John’s): 16.3 points (53.6% shooting), 7.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.1 blocks, 1.2 steals, 30 minutes in 37 games
• 2024–25 stats (St. John’s): 14.7 points (57.7% shooting), 8.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.4 blocks, 31.8 minutes in 36 games
• 2023–24 stats (St. John’s): 4.3 points (48.9% shooting), 3.1 rebounds, 11.2 minutes in 33 games
• 202–23 stats (Kansas): 1.2 points (65% shooting), 1.7 rebounds, 5.1 minutes in 25 games
• Measurements: 6-foot-7 ½ (without shoes), 245 pounds, 7-foot-2 wingspan, 8-foot-11 standing reach  

Why draft Zuby Ejiofor?

Despite being an undersized big man, Ejiofor was an impactful defender throughout college because of his wingspan, instincts, strength and communication. 

Ejiofor can switch onto perimeter ball handlers and contain them in isolations. And even if they get a step by him, he has the length and quickness to recover to either block or contest the shot. 

And four years of college basketball helped showcase that he’s regularly in the right position defensively. 

Ejiofor’s time in college allowed him to make significant strides as a passer/playmaker — which will be his strongest offensive skills in the NBA besides his reliable screening. 

But his best attribute is how hard he plays — which has proven to be a skill.

It was evident in the 3.3 offensive rebounds he averaged in 2025–26 and the 4.4 offensive rebounds he averaged as a junior. 

It was clear in the all-around growth he made as a player from his freshman year at Kansas to leading St. John’s to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.

A star-driven team like the Lakers could use more players like Ejiofor who give it their all on every possession, which raises the collective hustle and energy of the team.

Areas of improvement?

Ejiofor being undersized hurts him when it comes to scoring and finishing at the rim against bigger and longer players.

And if his 3-point shot isn’t going to be consistent (30.5% in 2025–26; 27.7% in college), then it’s going to be difficult for him to be viewed as an offensive threat outside of hustle plays because he’s limited in other areas since he isn’t an offensive creator.

If the shot doesn’t develop, Ejiofor’s ceiling likely would be as a change-of-pace energetic big man.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

The Warriors possess the No. 11 pick in this month’s NBA draft.

Who they pick with their highest selection since 2021 could hold the cards to not only the final years of Steph Curry’s career but also the future direction of the franchise.

This week, we are profiling five possible prospects GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. could target.

Concluding with Part 5:

Morez Johnson Jr.

Age: 20

Position: Forward

Height/weight: 6-foot-9 / 250 pounds

School: Michigan

Why he’s a fit

The Warriors were so short on frontcourt depth at the end of last season that they signed a center to their G League team that ended the regular season playing real NBA minutes.

Charles Bassey and Golden State’s three other big men — Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Quinten Post — all have uncertain futures. Even if some combination of them returns, a player whose game and body are as developed as Johnson’s will find a way to contribute.

Johnson teamed up with Yaxel Lendeborg, another possible Warriors target, and 7-3 center Aday Mara, who could also go in the lottery, to form one of the most physically formidable front courts in the country while leading Michigan to a national championship.

Johnson’s switchability and physicality on defense may remind you of another player from around those parts. He also has the same kind of length that has helped Draymond Green — a Michigan State man — be an elite defender, with a wingspan measuring 7-3 ½.

Why he’ll last until No. 11

Johnson is the prototypical high-floor, low-ceiling player.

He doesn’t have a 3-point shot and hasn’t tried to incorporate one. He has the physicality to get to the rim and finish through contact but isn’t considered to have many moves in his bag.

That said, Johnson knows his skill set and doesn’t waste shots, setting an Illinois record for field-goal percentage as a freshman and shooting 62.7% mostly from close range at Michigan, where he averaged 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds while starting all 40 games.

That doesn’t mean he is always a smart decision-maker on offense: He committed more turnovers (53) than he dished out assists (48). Foul trouble has also been a problem, though his 3.7 per 40 minutes with Michigan was an improvement over his 5.6 per 40 as a freshman.

Just as he makes up his lack of height with brute force, Johnson’s defensive prowess helps overshadow his offensive shortcomings, though he’ll have to work on avoiding the whistle.

NBA comp: Isaiah Stewart

Johnson’s pure physicality means he won’t be overwhelmed by the NBA. He lacks the upside of other lottery talent but could be of immediate help for the Warriors’ defensive scheme.

ICYMI

• Yaxel Lendeborg could be steal of NBA draft
• Brayden Burries could be instant playmaker for Warriors
• Hannes Steinbach could be impact rebounder for Warriors
• Baylor guard Cameron Carr could help bridge eras for Warriors

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters