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 5 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 5th Overall NBA Draft Picks
| PLAYER | TEAM | AFFILIATION | YEAR | ||
| Jalen Suggs | Orlando Magic | Gonzaga | 2021 | ||
| Isaac Okoro | Cleveland Cavaliers | Auburn | 2020 | ||
| Darius Garland | Cleveland Cavaliers | Vanderbilt | 2019 | ||
| Trae Young | Dallas Mavericks | Oklahoma | 2018 | ||
| De’Aaron Fox | Sacramento Kings | Kentucky | 2017 | ||
| Kris Dunn | Minnesota Timberwolves | Providence | 2016 | ||
| Mario Hezonja | Orlando Magic | FC Barcelona Basquet (Spain) | 2015 | ||
| Dante Exum | Utah Jazz | Australian Institute of Sport (Australia) | 2014 | ||
| Alex Len | Phoenix Suns | Maryland | 2013 | ||
| Thomas Robinson | Sacramento Kings | Kansas | 2012 | ||
| Jonas Valanciunas | Toronto Raptors | BC Lietuvos rytas (Lithuania) | 2011 | ||
| DeMarcus Cousins | Sacramento Kings | Kentucky | 2010 | ||
| Ricky Rubio | Minnesota Timberwolves | Joventut Badalona (Spain) | 2009 | ||
| Kevin Love | Memphis Grizzlies | California-Los Angeles | 2008 | ||
| Jeff Green | Boston Celtics | Georgetown | 2007 | ||
| Shelden Williams | Atlanta Hawks | Duke | 2006 | ||
| Raymond Felton | Charlotte Bobcats | North Carolina | 2005 | ||
| Devin Harris | Washington Wizards | Wisconsin | 2004 | ||
| Dwyane Wade | Miami Heat | Marquette | 2003 | ||
| Nikoloz Tskitishvili | Denver Nuggets | Universo Treviso Basket (Italy) | 2002 | ||
| Jason Richardson | Golden State Warriors | Michigan State | 2001 | ||
| Mike Miller | Orlando Magic | Florida | 2000 | ||
| Jonathan Bender | Toronto Raptors | Picayune Memorial | 1999 | ||
| Vince Carter | Golden State Warriors | North Carolina | 1998 | ||
| Tony Battie | Denver Nuggets | Texas Tech | 1997 | ||
| Ray Allen | Minnesota Timberwolves | Connecticut | 1996 | ||
| Kevin Garnett | Minnesota Timberwolves | Farragut Career Academy | 1995 | ||
| Juwan Howard | Washington Bullets | Michigan | 1994 | ||
| Isaiah Rider | Minnesota Timberwolves | Nevada-Las Vegas | 1993 | ||
| LaPhonso Ellis | Denver Nuggets | Notre Dame | 1992 | ||
| Steven Smith | Miami Heat | Michigan State | 1991 | ||
| Kendall Gill | Charlotte Hornets | Illinois | 1990 | ||
| J.R. Reid | Charlotte Hornets | North Carolina | 1989 | ||
| Mitch Richmond | Golden State Warriors | Kansas State | 1988 | ||
| Scottie Pippen | Seattle SuperSonics | Central Arkansas | 1987 | ||
| Kenny Walker | New York Knicks | Kentucky | 1986 | ||
| Jon Koncak | Atlanta Hawks | Southern Methodist | 1985 | ||
| Charles Barkley | Philadelphia 76ers | Auburn | 1984 | ||
| Sidney Green | Chicago Bulls | Nevada-Las Vegas | 1983 | ||
| LaSalle Thompson | Kansas City Kings | Texas | 1982 | ||
| Danny Vranes | Seattle SuperSonics | Utah | 1981 | ||
| Jamesearl Ray | Denver Nuggets | Jacksonville | 1980 | ||
| Sidney Moncrief | Milwaukee Bucks | Arkansas | 1979 | ||
| Purvis Short | Golden State Warriors | Jackson State | 1978 | ||
| Walter Davis | Phoenix Suns | North Carolina | 1977 | ||
| Wally Walker | Portland Trail Blazers | Virginia | 1976 | ||
| Darryl Dawkins | Philadelphia 76ers | Maynard Evans | 1975 | ||
| Bobby Jones | Houston Rockets | North Carolina | 1974 | ||
| Kermit Washington | Los Angeles Lakers | American | 1973 | ||
| Fred Boyd | Philadelphia 76ers | Oregon State | 1972 | ||
| George Trapp | Atlanta Hawks | Long Beach State | 1971 | ||
| Sam Lacey | Cincinnati Royals | New Mexico State | 1970 | ||
| Larry Cannon | Chicago Bulls | La Salle | 1969 | ||
| Zaid Abdul-Aziz | Cincinnati Royals | Iowa State | 1968 | ||
| Walt Frazier | New York Knicks | Southern Illinois | 1967 | ||
| Jack Marin | Baltimore Bullets | Duke | 1966 | ||
| Billy Cunningham | Philadelphia 76ers | North Carolina | 1965 | ||
| Jeff Mullins | St. Louis Hawks | Duke | 1964 | ||
| Gerry Ward | St. Louis Hawks | Boston College | 1963 | ||
| Wayne Hightower | San Francisco Warriors | Kansas | 1962 | ||
| Wayne Yates | Los Angeles Lakers | Memphis | 1961 | ||
| Lee Shaffer | Syracuse Nationals | North Carolina | 1960 | ||
| Johnny Green | New York Knicks | Michigan State | 1959 | ||
| Connie Dierking | Syracuse Nationals | Cincinnati | 1958 | ||
| Brendan McCann | New York Knicks | St. Bonaventure | 1957 | ||
| Joe Holup | Syracuse Nationals | George Washington | 1956 | ||
| Ed Conlin | Syracuse Nationals | Fordham | 1955 | ||
| Togo Palazzi | Boston Celtics | Holy Cross | 1954 | ||
| Frank Ramsey | Boston Celtics | Kentucky | 1953 | ||
| Ralph Polson | New York Knicks | Whitworth | 1952 | ||
| John McConathy | Syracuse Nationals | Northwestern State | 1951 | ||
| Larry Foust | Chicago Stags | La Salle | 1950 | ||
| Vern Gardner | Philadelphia Warriors | Utah | 1949 | ||
| Ed Mikan | Chicago Stags | DePaul | 1948 | ||
| Dick Holub | New York Knicks | Long Island-Brooklyn | 1947 |