The NBA draft is a player’s best opportunity to be drafted into the league. Since 1947, the NBA has drafted eligible players, typically from college to the league. Below, we are going to review the history of the number 15 draft pick in the NBA.
What is the NBA Draft?
The NBA draft is an annual ceremony, in which NBA teams, through a lottery system, select eligible players from college and the international stage to join their teams. College players who have completed all four years of their education are automatically eligible for the draft.
However, college players who have not completed all four years of their education, but are one-year removed from high school, must declare their eligibility for the draft. In declaring their eligibility, these underclassmen will effectively give up their remaining college eligibility.
For international players, any player older than 22 years old are automatically eligible for the draft. However, any international player younger than 22 years old must declare their eligibility.
How Does the Lottery System Work?
The NBA draft lottery system was revamped for the 2018 season. Looking at these new rules, the 14 NBA teams which did not make the playoffs will be eligible for the first 14 picks in the draft. Under the new system, the NBA Draft Lottery will ensure that the team with the worst overall record in the league will receive no worse than the fifth overall pick.
Similarly, in the new system, the three NBA teams with the worst regular-season records will each have a 14% chance of winning the lottery and the first overall pick. Once the first four teams with the worst records have been selected, the remaining ten teams will continue to pick in inverse order of their regular-season record.
How Does the NBA Draft Work?
Going a bit deeper, and speaking only of the new system, the NBA draft will be televised on ESPN, who will air the results live. Drawings will be conducted to determine the first four picks, with the remaining ten picks being doled out in inverse order of an NBA teams regular-season record.
The actual lottery procedure, however, takes place in a separate room before ESPN announces the results. In this room, a member of the media, an NBA official, and a representative of the accounting firm Ernst & Young are present to ensure no foul play or tampering with the machine.
In this separate room, fourteen ping-pong balls numbered 1-14 will be placed in the lottery machine. The lottery machine used by the NBA is manufactured by Smart Play Company. This company also weighs, measures, and certifies the ping-pong balls before the drawing.
There are 1,001 possible combinations when four balls are drawn out of 14, without regard to their order of selection. Before the lottery, 1,000 of those 1,001 combinations will be assigned to the 14 participating NBA teams.
Once all 14 balls have been placed into the machine, they will be mixed for 20-seconds before the first ball is removed. Similarly, the balls will be mixed for another 10-seconds before the second ball is drawn. Again, the machine will be mixed for another 10-seconds for both the third and fourth picks.
Full History of all 15th Overall NBA Draft Picks
| PLAYER | TEAM | AFFILIATION | YEAR | ||
| Corey Kispert | Washington Wizards | Gonzaga | 2021 | ||
| Cole Anthony | Orlando Magic | North Carolina | 2020 | ||
| Sekou Doumbouya | Detroit Pistons | Limoges CSP (France) | 2019 | ||
| Troy Brown Jr. | Washington Wizards | Oregon | 2018 | ||
| Justin Jackson | Portland Trail Blazers | North Carolina | 2017 | ||
| Juancho Hernangomez | Denver Nuggets | Movistar Estudiantes | 2016 | ||
| Kelly Oubre Jr. | Atlanta Hawks | Kansas | 2015 | ||
| Adreian Payne | Atlanta Hawks | Michigan State | 2014 | ||
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | Basket Zaragoza 2002 (Spain) | 2013 | ||
| Maurice Harkless | Philadelphia 76ers | St. John’s (NY) | 2012 | ||
| Kawhi Leonard | Indiana Pacers | San Diego State | 2011 | ||
| Larry Sanders | Milwaukee Bucks | Virginia Commonwealth | 2010 | ||
| Austin Daye | Detroit Pistons | Gonzaga | 2009 | ||
| Robin Lopez | Phoenix Suns | Stanford | 2008 | ||
| Rodney Stuckey | Detroit Pistons | Eastern Washington | 2007 | ||
| Cedric Simmons | New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets | North Carolina State | 2006 | ||
| Antoine Wright | New Jersey Nets | Texas A&M | 2005 | ||
| Al Jefferson | Boston Celtics | Prentiss | 2004 | ||
| Reece Gaines | Orlando Magic | Louisville | 2003 | ||
| Bostjan Nachbar | Houston Rockets | Universo Treviso Basket (Italy) | 2002 | ||
| Steven Hunter | Orlando Magic | DePaul | 2001 | ||
| Jason Collier | Milwaukee Bucks | Georgia Tech | 2000 | ||
| Frederic Weis | New York Knicks | Limoges CSP (France) | 1999 | ||
| Matt Harpring | Orlando Magic | Georgia Tech | 1998 | ||
| Kelvin Cato | Dallas Mavericks | Iowa State | 1997 | ||
| Steve Nash | Phoenix Suns | Santa Clara | 1996 | ||
| Brent Barry | Denver Nuggets | Oregon State | 1995 | ||
| Eric Piatkowski | Indiana Pacers | Nebraska | 1994 | ||
| Doug Edwards | Atlanta Hawks | Florida State | 1993 | ||
| Anthony Peeler | Los Angeles Lakers | Missouri | 1992 | ||
| Anthony Avent | Atlanta Hawks | Seton Hall | 1991 | ||
| Dave Jamerson | Miami Heat | Ohio | 1990 | ||
| Todd Lichti | Denver Nuggets | Stanford | 1989 | ||
| Gary Grant | Seattle SuperSonics | Michigan | 1988 | ||
| Jose Ortiz | Utah Jazz | Oregon State | 1987 | ||
| Dell Curry | Utah Jazz | Virginia Tech | 1986 | ||
| Blair Rasmussen | Denver Nuggets | Oregon | 1985 | ||
| Terence Stansbury | Dallas Mavericks | Temple | 1984 | ||
| Howard Carter | Denver Nuggets | Louisiana State | 1983 | ||
| David Thirdkill | Phoenix Suns | Bradley | 1982 | ||
| Jeff Lamp | Portland Trail Blazers | Virginia | 1981 | ||
| Reggie Johnson | San Antonio Spurs | Tennessee | 1980 | ||
| Phil Hubbard | Detroit Pistons | Michigan | 1979 | ||
| Mike Mitchell | Cleveland Cavaliers | Auburn | 1978 | ||
| Brad Davis | Los Angeles Lakers | Maryland | 1977 | ||
| Chuckie Williams | Cleveland Cavaliers | Kansas State | 1976 | ||
| John Lambert | Cleveland Cavaliers | Southern California | 1975 | ||
| Al Eberhard | Detroit Pistons | Missouri | 1974 | ||
| Barry Parkhill | Portland Trail Blazers | Virginia | 1973 | ||
| Harold Fox | Buffalo Braves | Jacksonville | 1972 | ||
| Kenny McIntosh | Chicago Bulls | Eastern Michigan | 1971 | ||
| John Hummer | Buffalo Braves | Princeton | 1970 | ||
| Rick Roberson | Los Angeles Lakers | Cincinnati | 1969 | ||
| John Trapp | San Diego Rockets | Nevada-Las Vegas | 1968 | ||
| Byron Beck | Chicago Bulls | Denver | 1967 | ||
| Neil Johnson | Baltimore Bullets | Creighton | 1966 | ||
| Flynn Robinson | Cincinnati Royals | Wyoming | 1965 | ||
| Bill Chmielewski | Cincinnati Royals | Dayton | 1964 | ||
| Hershell West | Philadelphia 76ers | Grambling | 1963 | ||
| Gene Wiley | Los Angeles Lakers | Wichita State | 1962 | ||
| Ted Luckenbill | Philadelphia Warriors | Houston | 1961 | ||
| William Kennedy | Philadelphia Warriors | Temple | 1960 | ||
| Mike Mendenhall | Cincinnati Royals | Cincinnati | 1959 | ||
| Jimmy Smith | Boston Celtics | Franciscan | 1958 | ||
| Jim Morgan | Syracuse Nationals | Louisville | 1957 | ||
| Al Ferrari | St. Louis Hawks | Michigan State | 1955 | ||
| Dick Farley | Syracuse Nationals | Indiana | 1954 | ||
| Roland Minson | New York Knicks | Brigham Young | 1951 |