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 4 draft pick in the NBA.
You might also be interested in the history of the number 1 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 4th Overall NBA Draft Picks
| PLAYER | TEAM | AFFILIATION | YEAR | ||
| Scottie Barnes | Toronto Raptors | Florida State | 2021 | ||
| Patrick Williams | Chicago Bulls | Florida State | 2020 | ||
| De’Andre Hunter | Los Angeles Lakers | Virginia | 2019 | ||
| Jaren Jackson Jr. | Memphis Grizzlies | Michigan State | 2018 | ||
| Josh Jackson | Phoenix Suns | Kansas | 2017 | ||
| Dragan Bender | Phoenix Suns | Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C. (Israel) | 2016 | ||
| Kristaps Porzingis | New York Knicks | CB Sevilla (Spain) | 2015 | ||
| Aaron Gordon | Orlando Magic | Arizona | 2014 | ||
| Cody Zeller | Charlotte Bobcats | Indiana | 2013 | ||
| Dion Waiters | Cleveland Cavaliers | Syracuse | 2012 | ||
| Tristan Thompson | Cleveland Cavaliers | Texas | 2011 | ||
| Wesley Johnson | Minnesota Timberwolves | Syracuse | 2010 | ||
| Tyreke Evans | Sacramento Kings | Memphis | 2009 | ||
| Russell Westbrook | Oklahoma City Thunder | California-Los Angeles | 2008 | ||
| Mike Conley | Memphis Grizzlies | Ohio State | 2007 | ||
| Tyrus Thomas | Portland Trail Blazers | Louisiana State | 2006 | ||
| Chris Paul | New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets | Wake Forest | 2005 | ||
| Shaun Livingston | Los Angeles Clippers | Peoria | 2004 | ||
| Chris Bosh | Toronto Raptors | Georgia Tech | 2003 | ||
| Drew Gooden | Memphis Grizzlies | Kansas | 2002 | ||
| Eddy Curry | Chicago Bulls | Thornwood | 2001 | ||
| Marcus Fizer | Chicago Bulls | Iowa State | 2000 | ||
| Lamar Odom | Los Angeles Clippers | Rhode Island | 1999 | ||
| Antawn Jamison | Toronto Raptors | North Carolina | 1998 | ||
| Antonio Daniels | Vancouver Grizzlies | Bowling Green | 1997 | ||
| Stephon Marbury | Milwaukee Bucks | Georgia Tech | 1996 | ||
| Rasheed Wallace | Washington Bullets | North Carolina | 1995 | ||
| Donyell Marshall | Minnesota Timberwolves | Connecticut | 1994 | ||
| Jamal Mashburn | Dallas Mavericks | Kentucky | 1993 | ||
| Jim Jackson | Dallas Mavericks | Ohio State | 1992 | ||
| Dikembe Mutombo | Denver Nuggets | Georgetown | 1991 | ||
| Dennis Scott | Orlando Magic | Georgia Tech | 1990 | ||
| Glen Rice | Miami Heat | Michigan | 1989 | ||
| Chris Morris | New Jersey Nets | Auburn | 1988 | ||
| Reggie Williams | Los Angeles Clippers | Georgetown | 1987 | ||
| Chuck Person | Indiana Pacers | Auburn | 1986 | ||
| Xavier McDaniel | Seattle SuperSonics | Wichita State | 1985 | ||
| Sam Perkins | Dallas Mavericks | North Carolina | 1984 | ||
| Byron Scott | San Diego Clippers | Arizona State | 1983 | ||
| Bill Garnett | Dallas Mavericks | Wyoming | 1982 | ||
| Al Wood | Atlanta Hawks | North Carolina | 1981 | ||
| Kelvin Ransey | Chicago Bulls | Ohio State | 1980 | ||
| Greg Kelser | Detroit Pistons | Michigan State | 1979 | ||
| Micheal Ray Richardson | New York Knicks | Montana | 1978 | ||
| Greg Ballard | Washington Bullets | Oregon | 1977 | ||
| Leon Douglas | Detroit Pistons | Alabama | 1976 | ||
| Alvan Adams | Phoenix Suns | Oklahoma | 1975 | ||
| John Shumate | Phoenix Suns | Notre Dame | 1974 | ||
| Mike Green | Seattle SuperSonics | Louisiana Tech | 1973 | ||
| Corky Calhoun | Phoenix Suns | Pennsylvania | 1972 | ||
| Ken Durrett | Cincinnati Royals | La Salle | 1971 | ||
| Dave Cowens | Boston Celtics | Florida State | 1970 | ||
| Terry Driscoll | Detroit Pistons | Boston College | 1969 | ||
| Tom Boerwinkle | Chicago Bulls | Tennessee | 1968 | ||
| Lloyd Dove | Detroit Pistons | St. John’s (NY) | 1967 | ||
| Lou Hudson | St. Louis Hawks | Minnesota | 1966 | ||
| Jerry Sloan | Baltimore Bullets | Evansville | 1965 | ||
| Lucious Jackson | Philadelphia 76ers | Texas-Pan American | 1964 | ||
| Eddie Miles | Detroit Pistons | Seattle | 1963 | ||
| Len Chappell | Syracuse Nationals | Wake Forest | 1962 | ||
| Ray Scott | Detroit Pistons | Portland | 1961 | ||
| Jackie Moreland | Detroit Pistons | Louisiana Tech | 1960 | ||
| Dick Barnett | Syracuse Nationals | Tennessee State | 1959 | ||
| Pete Brennan | New York Knicks | North Carolina | 1958 | ||
| Win Wilfong | St. Louis Hawks | Memphis | 1957 | ||
| Ron Shavlik | New York Knicks | North Carolina State | 1956 | ||
| Ken Sears | New York Knicks | Santa Clara | 1955 | ||
| Dick Rosenthal | Ft. Wayne Zollner Pistons | Notre Dame | 1954 | ||
| Richie Regan | Rochester Royals | Seton Hall | 1953 | ||
| Joe Dean | Indianapolis Olympians | Louisiana State | 1952 | ||
| Zeke Sinicola | Ft. Wayne Zollner Pistons | Niagara | 1951 | ||
| Dick Schnittker | Washington Capitols | Ohio State | 1950 | ||
| Tony Lavelli | Boston Celtics | Yale | 1949 | ||
| Dolph Schayes | New York Knicks | New York University | 1948 | ||
| Walt Dropo | Providence Steamrollers | Connecticut | 1947 |