2008 NBA draft
The 2008 NBA Draft was the 62nd annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA), held on June 26, 2008, at the WaMu Theater (now Theater at Madison Square Garden) in New York City.[1][2] The event consisted of two rounds with 60 total selections, where National Basketball Association franchises selected newly eligible players, primarily from U.S. colleges and international leagues.[1] The Chicago Bulls, despite entering the draft lottery with the ninth-worst record and only a 1.7 percent chance of securing the top pick, won the lottery and chose point guard Derrick Rose from the University of Memphis as the first overall selection.[1][3] This draft class is widely regarded as one of the deepest in modern NBA history, particularly strong at the guard and forward positions, yielding multiple future superstars, All-Stars, and championship contributors. Key early selections included forward Michael Beasley (second overall, Miami Heat), guard O.J. Mayo (third overall, Minnesota Timberwolves, immediately traded to the Los Angeles Clippers), guard Russell Westbrook (fourth overall, Seattle SuperSonics, now Oklahoma City Thunder), and forward Kevin Love (fifth overall, Memphis Grizzlies, traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves).[4] Later notable picks encompassed forward Danilo Gallinari (sixth overall, New York Knicks), who announced his retirement from professional basketball on December 2, 2025, after 16 NBA seasons, guard Eric Gordon (seventh overall, Los Angeles Clippers), center Roy Hibbert (seventeenth overall, Indiana Pacers), center Brook Lopez (tenth overall, New Jersey Nets), and center DeAndre Jordan (thirty-fifth overall, Los Angeles Clippers, second round).[1][5] Of the sixty draftees, fifty-one ultimately played at least one game in the NBA, underscoring the class's talent depth.[1] The long-term impact of the 2008 draft has been profound, with its players accumulating over 1,000 combined win shares and featuring two eventual NBA Most Valuable Players—Rose in 2011 and Westbrook in 2017—along with All-Stars including Love (five-time selection), Hibbert (two-time), and Lopez (one-time).[1] Rose led the Bulls to the playoffs in his rookie season and became the youngest MVP in league history, while Westbrook shattered records for triple-doubles and became a perennial scoring and rebounding leader. Love contributed to the Cleveland Cavaliers' 2016 NBA Championship alongside LeBron James, and Gordon earned Sixth Man of the Year honors in 2017. Other standouts like Jordan and Lopez anchored defenses for contending teams, including the Clippers and Bucks, respectively, highlighting how the draft bolstered multiple franchises over the subsequent decades.Overview
Event Details
The 2008 NBA Draft took place on June 26, 2008, at the WaMu Theater within Madison Square Garden in New York City.[4][6] The event featured a standard two-round structure, with each of the league's 30 teams holding one selection per round for a total of 60 picks.[4] NBA Commissioner David Stern presided over the proceedings, announcing the first-round selections, while Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver assisted with the overall operations.[7] A historic milestone occurred in the second round when the Portland Trail Blazers selected Mike Taylor from the NBA D-League's Idaho Stampede with the 55th overall pick, the first time a player from the developmental league was directly drafted into the NBA.[8][9] Draft picks in the NBA, including those for 2008, could be traded between teams prior to the event, often with conditional protections to mitigate risk for the trading team.[10] These protections typically specified ranges, such as "top-10 protected," where if the pick landed within that range based on the originating team's record, it would not convey to the acquiring team and might instead defer to a future draft or convert to a second-round pick; failure to meet conveyance conditions in subsequent years could result in forfeiture.[11] Several 2008 picks were subject to such agreements, influencing team strategies leading into the draft.[11]Summary of Top Picks
The Chicago Bulls won the 2008 NBA Draft lottery, earning the No. 1 overall selection despite entering with just a 1.7 percent chance.[1] This positioned them to draft point guard Derrick Rose from the University of Memphis, a highly touted freshman who led his team to the NCAA championship game earlier that year.[12] The Miami Heat followed suit with the second pick, selecting forward Michael Beasley from Kansas State University, another freshman known for his scoring prowess in college.[12] The third pick went to guard O.J. Mayo from the University of Southern California, chosen by the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he was traded immediately to the Memphis Grizzlies in an eight-player deal that also sent the fifth overall pick—forward Kevin Love from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)—to Minnesota.[13] Rounding out the top five was guard Russell Westbrook, also from UCLA, selected fourth overall by the Seattle SuperSonics, who relocated to become the Oklahoma City Thunder shortly after.[12] This draft class stood out for its depth in promising guards and forwards, many of whom evolved into foundational pieces for their franchises over the years. It also set a then-record with 9 freshmen chosen in the first round, underscoring the growing trend of elite one-and-done college players entering the league.[1]Eligibility
College Underclassmen
A total of 39 underclassmen from U.S. colleges declared early entry into the 2008 NBA draft, contributing to an overall pool of 44 early-entry candidates that included five international players.[4] These declarations highlighted a growing trend of talented young players forgoing additional college seasons to pursue professional opportunities. Prominent among the college declarants were freshmen Derrick Rose from the University of Memphis and Michael Beasley from Kansas State University, both projected as top lottery selections based on their exceptional freshman campaigns.[14] Other notable entrants included sophomore point guard Russell Westbrook from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), as well as freshmen Kevin Love from UCLA and Eric Gordon from Indiana University, each bringing high-upside skills that positioned them as blue-chip prospects.[14] Under NBA rules, these underclassmen had until June 16, 2008—ten days before the draft—to withdraw their entries and preserve their NCAA eligibility, allowing many to test the draft waters through workouts and the pre-draft camp without full commitment.[15] Of the group, 14 freshmen stood out as top prospects, underscoring the draft's emphasis on one-and-done talent. This class represented a milestone, as it was the first time multiple one-and-done freshmen dominated lottery projections, ultimately resulting in a record seven freshmen selected in the lottery picks.[4]International Early Entrants
The 2008 NBA draft marked a significant moment in the league's globalization, as NBA teams intensified scouting efforts in Europe and other regions to identify young international talent eligible under the early entry rules for players under 22 years old. Five such players declared early entry and remained in the draft after the withdrawal deadline on June 16, allowing them to be selected without completing additional professional seasons or college eligibility. These entrants hailed from professional leagues in France, Italy, Spain, and Croatia, showcasing the diverse pathways for non-U.S. prospects to enter the NBA. The group included versatile forward Nicolas Batum, who played for Le Mans in the French Pro A league and was selected 25th overall by the Houston Rockets (later traded to the Portland Trail Blazers). Danilo Gallinari, a 6-foot-10 forward from Olimpia Milano in Italy's Lega Basket Serie A, went sixth overall to the New York Knicks, noted for his shooting range and athleticism. Center Alexis Ajinça, from Hyères-Toulon in France's Pro B division, was picked 20th by the Charlotte Bobcats, valued for his size and shot-blocking potential. Power forward/center Serge Ibaka, born in the Republic of the Congo but playing for L'Hospitalet in Spain's LEB league, was chosen 24th by the Seattle SuperSonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder), bringing raw athleticism and defensive upside. Finally, center Ante Tomić from KK Zagreb in Croatia's Premijer Liga was selected 44th overall by the Utah Jazz in the second round, recognized for his passing and post skills. Although initial filings included a broader pool of international candidates, several withdrew before the deadline to pursue further development overseas, a common strategy to enhance draft stock in subsequent years. The successful selections of Batum, Gallinari, Ajinça, and Ibaka in the first round—along with other international picks—highlighted the draft's role in expanding the NBA's global footprint, with teams prioritizing prospects who could adapt quickly to the league's pace and physicality.Automatically Eligible Players
Under the 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreement governing the 2008 NBA draft, players were automatically eligible without requiring an early entry declaration if they satisfied specific age or experience criteria. For domestic players, automatic eligibility applied to those who had completed four years of college basketball, including seniors who had exhausted their NCAA eligibility or whose high school graduating class had already advanced four years beyond. Players four years removed from their high school graduation who had not enrolled in college were also automatically included. This ensured a pool of more seasoned prospects available to teams without additional paperwork.[16] International players qualified automatically if they turned 22 during the 2008 calendar year or had signed and fulfilled a contract with a professional basketball team outside the NBA. Additionally, any player—domestic or international—who had previously signed a professional contract and rendered services for a non-NBA team was eligible without declaration. These rules, established in Article X of the CBA, balanced the influx of young talent with opportunities for older or professionally experienced athletes.[16] The automatically eligible pool for the 2008 draft included numerous former U.S. college players and qualifying international prospects; many were drafted in the first round, offering teams reliable options with proven college or pro pedigrees. Notable examples featured college seniors like Roy Hibbert from Georgetown, selected 17th overall by the Toronto Raptors (and immediately traded to the Indiana Pacers), who brought four years of Big East experience as a dominant center, and Jason Thompson from Rider University, picked 12th by the Sacramento Kings for his versatile forward skills honed over a senior season averaging 20.4 points and 12.1 rebounds per game. Other seniors such as George Hill (26th overall, IUPUI) exemplified the group's impact, with several contributing as rotation players in their rookie seasons.[1]Draft Lottery
Selection Process
The NBA draft lottery was introduced in 1985 to discourage intentional tanking by non-playoff teams seeking better draft positions, replacing the prior system where draft order strictly followed inverse regular-season records.[17] This random element aimed to promote competitive play throughout the season while still rewarding poorer performance with higher odds.[18] The lottery includes the 14 teams that failed to qualify for the playoffs, with selection odds determined by the reverse order of their previous season's records.[18] For instance, the team with the league's worst record is assigned 250 of the 1,000 possible combinations, giving it a 25% chance at the top pick, while better-performing lottery teams receive progressively fewer combinations.[19] The top three picks were determined by weighted randomization among the 14 teams, with the remaining picks (4th through 14th) assigned in inverse order of regular-season records. The weighting heavily favored teams with worse records, making it highly probable (though not guaranteed) that struggling teams would secure top selections.[20] For the 2008 lottery, held on May 20 at the NBA Entertainment Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey, the drawing occurred behind closed doors using a machine with 14 ping-pong balls numbered 1 through 14.[19] Four balls were drawn sequentially to generate a four-digit combination, repeated three times to assign the top three picks according to pre-assigned team probabilities.[20] The results were then revealed live on television via a commissioner drawing envelopes marked with team names from a hopper, creating suspense for the audience while the actual randomization remained secure.[21] The winning team secures the No. 1 pick, with the other two lottery selections filling the second and third spots, and the overall order adjusting to accommodate any shifts.[18]Results and Odds
The 2008 NBA draft lottery, held on May 20, 2008, at the NBA's studios in Secaucus, New Jersey, produced a dramatic outcome highlighted by an improbable upset. The Chicago Bulls, who finished the 2007-08 regular season with a 33-49 record—the ninth-worst in the league—won the No. 1 overall pick despite entering with just a 1.7% probability of doing so.[22][23] This victory propelled the Bulls eight spots ahead of their projected position based on record, marking one of the lowest-odds triumphs in lottery history.[24] The full top-five order of lottery winners was as follows: No. 2 to the Miami Heat, who had the league's worst record at 15-67 and a 25% chance for the top selection; No. 3 to the Minnesota Timberwolves; No. 4 to the Seattle SuperSonics; and No. 5 to the Memphis Grizzlies (traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves).[25][3] The remaining picks from No. 6 to No. 14 were assigned to the other non-playoff teams in reverse order of their regular-season records.[26] Odds for the top selection were heavily weighted toward teams with the poorest records, with the Miami Heat at 25%, the Seattle SuperSonics at 19.9%, the Memphis Grizzlies at 15.6%, and the Minnesota Timberwolves at 12.5%. The Grizzlies held a 48.9% cumulative probability of landing in the top three but instead drew the No. 5 slot, aligning with the weighted system's design to favor struggling franchises while allowing limited upward mobility for others. No team exceeded the maximum positional jumps permitted under the rules, which capped extreme shifts to prevent complete randomization. The Bulls' ascent remained the standout surprise, underscoring the lottery's element of chance within its structured probabilities.[23]Draft Selections
First Round Picks
The first round of the 2008 NBA Draft, conducted on June 26, 2008, at the WaMu Theater in New York City, saw NBA teams select 30 players, with the order primarily determined by the draft lottery for the top picks and reverse order of regular-season records thereafter.[1] Several selections involved immediate trades on draft night, altering the initial destinations for key prospects.[27] All 30 first-round picks appeared in at least one NBA regular-season game during their careers. In contrast, of the 60 total draftees across both rounds, only 51 ultimately played in the league.[1] The selections are detailed in the following table, listing the pick number, player, selecting team, position, origin (college or country), and notes on immediate trades where applicable:Second Round Picks
The second round of the 2008 NBA Draft encompassed picks 31 through 60, focusing on prospects often seen as backups, specialists, or long-term projects rather than immediate starters, with a higher incidence of non-rostered players compared to the first round. Of the 30 selections, nine never logged an NBA regular-season minute, underscoring the round's volatility and the lack of guaranteed contracts for draftees.[1] International selections were a key feature, comprising seven players stashed abroad for further seasoning, such as centers Nikola Peković and Semih Erden, who later became rotation pieces for their teams. The round produced several impactful contributors, including rim-protecting center DeAndre Jordan, who evolved into a multiple-time All-Star and rebounding leader, and point guard Goran Dragić, a 2018 All-NBA Second Team honoree known for his scoring and playmaking. Additionally, this draft marked a milestone at pick 55 with Mike Taylor, the first player selected directly from the NBA Development League after leading the Idaho Stampede to a championship, though he appeared in only 11 NBA games.[28] The following table lists all second-round selections, including the drafting team at the time of the pick.
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