Picking a young but inexperienced point guard via the NBA draft is often a hit-or-miss affair. Most college or international standouts are constantly billed as great prospects for certain teams, only to flame out of the league due to a number of factors that greatly affected their games.
In this list, we will tackle every point guard draft bust for each team throughout the history of their franchise. We will only include point guards who were drafted in the first round as they carry a different status compared to their second-round counterparts.
Atlanta Hawks – Acie Law IV (11th overall pick, 2007 NBA draft)
After a very successful college career at Texas A&M, the Atlanta Hawks were pleased to add Law to their young roster. However, Law lasted just four seasons in the league.
Boston Celtics – Marcus Banks (13th overall pick, 2003 NBA draft)
The Celtics had high hopes for Banks, who was an elite defender for UNLV. While he showed potential on the defensive end, he never really developed his offensive repertoire and silently exited the league in 2011.
Brooklyn Nets – Marcus Williams (22nd overall pick, 2006 NBA draft)
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Williams was projected to be Kidd’s successor with the Nets after a strong college career at UConn. But Williams only lasted three years in the league after a strong rookie year campaign.
Charlotte Hornets – Tony Delk (16th overall pick, 1996 NBA draft)
Delk was expected to replicate his college success into the pros after a successful college career in Kentucky. He spent nine years in the league, mostly as a backup with different teams.
Chicago Bulls – Marquis Teague (29th overall pick, 2012 NBA draft)
There was optimism that Teague’s game was better suited to the pros after a great year in Kentucky. It was the total opposite as he only played sparingly in his four seasons in the league.
Cleveland Cavaliers – Brevin Knight (16th overall pick, 1997 NBA draft)
To be fair, the diminutive Knight was not projected to be a star, but he was picked too high by the Cavaliers in 1997. He enjoyed an 11-year career in the league as a respected journeyman.
Dallas Mavericks – Dennis Smith (9th overall pick, 2017 NBA draft)
Smith’s demise from a potential All-Star career to become a backup point guard is partly due to Luka Doncic’s selection in the 2018 NBA draft. He never lived up to the hype after a successful rookie year with Dallas.
Denver Nuggets – Rob Williams (19th overall pick, 1982 NBA draft)
Williams’ NBA career was doomed from the start as he reportedly came into Denver’s camp completely out of shape. The former Houston standout just lasted two years in the league.
Detroit Pistons – Brandon Knight (8th overall pick, 2011 NBA draft)
Knight had a decent start on his career in the league and was poised to become Detroit’s starting point guard of the future. But after suffering a devastating knee injury in 2017, he was never the same player he once was.
Golden State Warriors – Lester Conner (14th overall pick, 1982 NBA draft)
Conner was a combo guard with a ton of upside after a great college career in Oregon. His potential never fully materialized but became a solid journeyman throughout his NBA career.
Houston Rockets – Luther Head (24th overall pick, 2005 NBA draft)
Head was supposed to help Houston’s point guard problem in the Yao Ming era. Sadly, he never improved as a player and was out of the league in 2011.
Indiana Pacers – Travis Best (23rd overall pick, 1995 NBA draft)
Best graduated as one of the greatest point guards in Georgia Tech’s history. While Bell had a decent career, he was mostly a backup point guard during his time in the league.
Los Angeles Clippers – Shaun Livingston (4th overall pick, 2004 NBA draft)
Livingston suffered a career-threatening injury in just his third year in the league. While he never lived up to the expectations given to him, Livingston won three rings while playing as a backup for Stephen Curry with the Golden State Warriors.
Los Angeles Lakers – Lonzo Ball (2nd overall pick, 2017 NBA draft)
Coming out from UCLA, Ball was dubbed as the new “Magic” in town and was projected to be the face of the Lakers for years to come. It’s safe to say that Lonzo never really justified the hype while donning the purple and gold jersey.
Memphis Grizzlies – Antonio Daniels (4th overall pick, 1997 NBA draft)
Daniels was designated as the young franchise’s point guard of the future but it was evident from the start that the 6’4″ guard had trouble adjusting to the pace of the NBA game. He served mostly as a backup for numerous teams throughout his 13-year career.
Miami Heat – Shabazz Napier (24th overall pick, 2014 NBA draft)
Miami traded for Napier in a bid to retain LeBron’s services after he infamously tweeted that the UConn floor general was the “best point guard in the nation.” Napier just lasted six years in the league and never played a single minute together with James as the latter went back home to Cleveland in 2014.
Milwaukee Bucks – T.J. Ford (8th overall pick, 2003 NBA draft)
Ford hid a career-threatening injury he suffered during a pickup game ahead of the 2003 NBA draft, which eventually bothered him throughout his career in the league.
Minnesota Timberwolves – Jonny Flynn (6th overall, 2009 NBA draft)
Flynn’s selection was considered one of the biggest flops in league history as a guy named Stephen Curry was still available on the board for the Wolves. Flynn was out of the league at just 22.
New Orleans Pelicans – Kira Lewis Jr. (13th overall pick, 2020 NBA draft)
It’s a bit harsh to label a 22-year-old as a bust, but Kira’s career has been hampered by injuries and time is quickly running out for the former Alabama standout.
New York Knicks – Frank Ntilikina (8th overall pick, 2017 NBA draft)
The Knicks have had a plethora of point guard busts throughout their history but Ntilikina takes the cake on this list. The Frenchman never really justified his lottery selection as he’s a constant DNP on a nightly basis.
Oklahoma City Thunder – Cameron Payne (14th overall pick, 2015 NBA draft)
While Payne had a resurgence in his career as a solid backup point guard in recent years, people forget that he was a lottery selection in 2014 who never lived up to his status in the draft.
Orlando Magic – Reece Gaines (15th overall pick, 2003 NBA draft)
Dwyane Wade once called Gaines “the best college basketball player he ever faced”. Gaines only lasted three years in the league while averaging a disappointing 1.7 PPG in his NBA career.
Philadelphia 76ers – Markelle Fultz (1st overall pick, 2017 NBA draft)
While Fultz is recently making strides in his career with Orlando, this selection proved to be a stinger for Philadelphia as they could’ve had Jayson Tatum alongside Joel Embiid in a Sixer uniform.
Phoenix Suns – Kendall Marshall (13th overall pick, 2012 NBA draft)
After winning the Bob Cousy award in college, big things were expected from Marshall in a Suns’ uniform. Sadly, his game was never suited for the NBA and quickly flamed out of the league in just four seasons.
Portland Trail Blazers – Sebastian Telfair (13th overall pick, 2004 NBA draft)
Telfair was billed as the next great point guard coming from New York, but it was clear from the start that he’d struggle in the league due to his inconsistent play and abysmal shooting numbers.
Sacramento Kings – Jimmer Fredette (10th overall pick, 2011 NBA draft)
Fredette was an electrifying scorer in BYU and the nation was swept with a phenomenon called “Jimmermania”. Jimmer is considered one of the biggest busts in modern history as he only played sparingly over five NBA seasons.
San Antonio Spurs – Beno Udrih (28th overall pick, 2004 NBA draft)
This was a hard one as San Antonio rarely misses on draft night. Compared to other first-round point guard selections by the Spurs, Udrih was the least successful but still enjoyed a lengthy career in the NBA.
Toronto Raptors – Delon Wright (20th overall pick, 2015 NBA draft)
Wright never became a starting-caliber guard despite his selection in the first round of the 2015 NBA draft. He has since become a journeyman after his stint with the Raptors.
Utah Jazz – Dante Exum (5th overall pick, 2014 NBA draft)
Exum just couldn’t stay healthy enough to perform on the court and is widely considered one of the biggest busts in recent memory, averaging a measly 5.7 PPG in his NBA career.
Washington Wizards – Juan Dixon (17th overall pick, 2002 NBA draft)
Dixon led Maryland to their first NCAA championship in 2002 while earning the Most Outstanding Player honors in the process. But Dixon struggled mightily right from the start and was out of the league after seven seasons.
