Editor’s note: List does not include players who played for an NCAA team before getting drafted.

25) Victor Claver, Spain (#22 pick of Trail Blazers in 2009)

With Pau Gasol having risen to stardom and Marc Gasol coming off a strong rookie season, it made sense in 2009 for the Blazers to take a first round flier on another Spaniard in Claver, who showed early flashes of athleticism and shooting prowess. They kept him stashed with his home club of Valencia for three years before he made his NBA debut in ’12-’13. Over the next three years he vacillated between the Blazers lineup and the D-League, averaging just 3.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game at the NBA level and growing frustrated with his lacking of playing opportunities. He was eventually traded and then waived by the Nuggets, then retreated to Europe, playing several seasons in Russia before returning home to Spain. His national team career was much more distinguished, winning a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics, a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics, and a gold medal at the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

24) Slavko Vranes, Serbia (#39 pick of Knicks in 2003)

At 7’6″ (2.29 m), Vranes was the third tallest player in NBA history, behind only Manute Bol and Gheorge Muresan. But his career, if you can call it that, lasted just one game in the ’03-’04 season, where he played three minutes, missed the one field goal attempt he took, and recorded zero rebounds or assists. That appearance came not with the Knicks team that drafted him but with the Blazers, who signed him in January of 2004 after the Knicks had waived him a few days earlier. Luckily for New York, he was a low risk pick, 39th overall in 2003. He soon after returned to his home city of Belgrade, playing for Crvena Zvedza, and finished out his career with stints in Montenegro, Iran, and Turkey before retiring in 2018. His career PER of -20.4 is the sixth lowest in NBA history.

23) Efthimios Rentzias, Greece (#23 pick of Nuggets in 1996)

Before Giannis Antetokounmpo hit the scene in 2013, Greece had garnered a reputation as a disappointing pipeline of NBA talent. The Greek national team was a consistent contender at the international level in the ’90s and ’00s, even upsetting a U.S. team full of NBA All-Stars at the 2010 FIBA World Cup but none of their players could catch on with the rare NBA chances they received. The most notable early example was Rentzias, who was only 20 years old when the Nuggets drafted him in 1996, as one of four non-NCAA international players selected in the first round (there had been two total in all previous NBA drafts combined, Vlade Divac and Arvydas Sabonis). But he wouldn’t make his NBA debut until near his 27th birthday, during the ’02-’03 season. While he was starring for FC Barcelona, his draft rights were traded three times, eventually to the 76ers. He made 35 appearances for Philadelphia, but averaged just 1.5 points per game, mostly in garbage time of blowouts, and was left off the postseason roster and subsequently waived that summer. He had several more successful seasons with club teams in Europe but was forced to retire in 2006 at age 30 due to lingering back issues.

22) Lucas Nogueira, Brazil (#16 pick of Celtics in 2013)

Selected with the 16th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, one spot after Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nogueira had a markedly different career. He was drafted by the Celtics on behalf on the Mavericks, who traded him that day to the Hawks, who in turn traded him to the Raptors before he ever took the court in the NBA. After all that, the Brazilian seven-footer finally suited up for Toronto in ’14-’15 season and eventually played in 141 games for the team over the next four seasons. He averaged just 3.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in that span and never found a consistent spot in the rotation. Despite his height and obvious skill, Nogueira got no NBA free agent offers in 2018 and returned to where he started his pro career in Spain. In 2021, he announced his retirement at age 28, citing injury issues and also his bouts with clinical depression.

21) Chris Anstey, Australia (#18 pick of Trail Blazers in 1997)

A tennis phenom in his youth, Anstey didn’t pick up basketball until he was a teenager but quickly became one of the best players in his native Australia. After earning a championship in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) with the Southeast Melbourne Magic, he was drafted 18th overall by Portland in 1997. Those draft rights were immediately traded to the Mavericks, who were one of the worst teams in the NBA at the time and therefore put the skilled big man immediately into their rotation. Anstey’s NBA career ultimately lasted three seasons, two with Dallas and one with Chicago, with total averages of 5.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Not the worst career ever by any stretch but certainly not living up to being a near lottery pick. In 2000, he returned to the NBL and eventually won two MVPs in the Aussie league, as well as their equivalence of the Finals MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Sixth Man of the Year awards.

20) Sergei Monia, Russia (#23 pick of Trail Blazers in 2004)

On the night of the 2004 NBA Draft, the Trail Blazers targeted two CSKA Moscow teammates in Monia and Viktor Khryapa. They were obviously hoping for double the chances at landing the next Andrei Kirilenko but instead wound up with a couple of busts, as Monia makes this list and Khryapa just barely avoided it. The pair joined a Portland team in complete disarray, with stars Zach Randolph, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff, and Darius Miles all struggling with injuries, misuse, feuds with coach Nate McMillan, alcoholism, or some combination of the above. Monia showed some flashes of potential in 23 appearances, 15 of them as the starting small forward but was traded at the deadline in his rookie season and found playing time even more scarce with the Kings. A rookie year spent with two of the most dysfunctional franchises in the NBA apparently left Monia homesick, as he returned to Russia in 2006 to play for Dynamo Moscow and has spent the rest of his (still active) career in his home country.

19) Sergey Karasev, Russia (#19 pick of Cavaliers in 2013)

While LeBron James was in Miami, the Cavaliers took a few big swings in the NBA Draft in an attempt to rebuild around burgeoning, outside-the-box talent. One of those was Karasev, a 19th overall pick in 2013. He was only 19 years old at the time but already a star player in the top Russian league, an athletic sharpshooter with a strong pedigree (his father, Vasily, was an All-Star for CSKA Moscow in the ’90s). But in three seasons with the Cavs and Nets, he struggled to adapt, both culturally and physically. Just as things seemed to be falling into place for Karasev in ’14-’15 with Brooklyn, he suffered a torn MCL, effectively ending his time in the NBA. He returned to Russia to play under his father on Zenit St. Petersburg and has remained there since, becoming one of the top players in his home country. Father and son were back in the news in the U.S. in 2018, when Brandon Jennings reportedly clashed with them while playing for Zenit and was subsequently waived.

18) Zarko Cabarkapa, Serbia (#17 pick of Suns in 2003)

Lengthy, versatile, and possessing a solid jumper, Cabarkapa immediately became the Suns’ sixth man in his rookie season. Playing for a team struggling on the precipice of the “Seven Seconds or Less” era, he found playing time plentiful in the front court alongside All-Star Shawn Marion and fellow rookie Amare Stoudemire. But things took an unfortunate turn in a late November blowout over the Mavericks, when Cabarkapa put up 17 points and nine rebounds but was waylaid late in the game by a cheap shot from Danny Fortson. This left the Serbian youngster with a broken wrist and his NBA career was basically over before it could get started. Just as he was fully recovering from that broken bone, he suffered a series of back injuries that eventually forced him to retire at age 26. His career stats were 4.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per game over three seasons. 

17) Mirsad Turkcan, Serbia (#18 pick of Rockets in 1998)

Named a EuroLeague “Legend” in 2017, Turkcan has had a long, successful career with an NBA stop as just a footnote. Born in Serbia (then part of Yugoslavia) in 1976, he gained Turkish citizenship when his family relocated there during the Yugoslav Wars and thus became the first Turkish NBA player when he took the floor for the Knicks in 1999 (Hedo Turkoglu became the first Turkish born NBA player a year later). Initially drafted by the Rockets, Turkcan remained in Europe during the NBA lockout, establishing his reputation as the continent’s best rebounder and an elite post scorer. These skill just didn’t translate in the U.S., and Turkcan averaged only 1.9 points and 1.9 rebounds per game in 17 games with the Knicks and Bucks. Disappointed by the lack of playing time, he returned to Europe in 2000, ending his NBA career after one season.

16) Enes Kanter, Turkey (#3 pick of Jazz in 2011)

This may seem unfair given that he’s had a solid NBA career for a decade and counting now but remember we’re grading on a curve here and Kanter was the #3 overall pick in 2011. Also keep in mind that Klay Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jimmy Butler, and Kawhi Leonard were on the board when Utah took a flier on the Turkish center (Kanter was actually born in Switzerland but raised in Turkey). Things got off to a slow start but Kanter eventually developed into a solid offensive center, albeit one with a serious deficiency on the defensive end. He averaged 14.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game over a four-year prime spent with the Jazz, Thunder, Knicks, and Trail Blazers but has never risen to the level of an All-Star, let alone the third best player in his draft class.

15) Pavel Podkolzin, Russia (#21 pick of Jazz in 2004)

Despite being 19 years old, lacking polish, and suffering from rare growth hormone disease called acromegaly, Podkolzin was a hot draft prospect in 2004. When the Mavericks landed him with the 21st pick, via trade with the Jazz, many experts considered it the steal of the draft. Because despite all of the red flags (scouts also labeled him as timid, disjointed, and lacking work ethic and basketball IQ), Podkolzin was a rare physical specimen, a 7’5″ center who could run the floor and shoot the ball. He would end up with scarce chances to display these skills in the NBA, as Podkolzin missed most of his rookie season after receiving correct surgery for his acromegaly, then most of his second season due to a fractured foot. And that was that, a career spanning just six games over two years, where he compiled four points, nine rebounds, four turnovers, four personal fouls, and a negative PER.

14) Guerschon Yabusele, France (#16 pick of Celtics in 2016)
13) Thon Maker, South Sudan (#10 pick of Bucks in 2016)
12) Georgios Papagiannis, Greece (#13 pick of Suns in 2016)

Perhaps we’re being hasty here, but NBA stardom already seems like a distant pipe dream for these three first round picks from the 2016 class. Though he averaged just 2.3 points per game in two seasons with the Celtics, Yabusele was a fan favorite, nicknamed “Dancing Bear” in reference to his stout build, nimble footwork, and celebratory dabs after draining three-pointers. But he never found a consistent place in the rotation and was cut after Boston drafted the similarly skilled Grant Williams in 2019. He’s since played stints in China, his native country of France, and with Real Madrid in Spain. Maker, who was born in what is now South Sudan, raised in Australia, and attended high school in Canada, certainly had All-Star potential athleticism when the Bucks put him on the court as a rookie at age 19. He showed some early signs of that capacity, occasionally wreaking havoc defensively when called upon, but opportunities were few and far behind as he struggled with consistency. Maker was eventually traded to the Pistons, signed with the Cavaliers and then was out of the NBA at age 23. Things were even less successful for Papagiannis, who became the highest drafted Greek player in history when the Suns selected him at #13 (two spots higher than Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2013). His rights were then traded to the Kings and he became a useless cog in a dysfunctional machine, appearing in just 29 games over two seasons, averaging 4.1 points per game. He returned to Greece in 2018, playing for the legendary Panathinaikos squad.

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By the numbers: Five worst all-time amongst non-American, non-college, non-active, lottery picks

	Least career win shares	Least career points	Highest turnover %	Lowest career true shooting
1	Nikoloz Tskitishvili (-1.6)	Yaroslav Korolev (39)	DeSagana Diop (20.9%)	Yaroslav Korolev (36.8%)
2	Emmanuel Mudiay (-0.2)	Mouhamed Sene (103)	Jan Vesely (17.6%)	Nikoloz Tskitishvili (37.5%)
3	Yaroslav Korolev (-0.1)	Georgios Papagiannis (160)	Georgios Papagiannis (17.6%)	DeSagana Diop (44.1%)
4	Mouhamed Sene (0.3)	Nikoloz Tskitishvili (507)	Dante Exum (17.4%)	Yi Jianlian (47.4%)
5	Georgios Papagiannis (0.5)	Jan Vesely (590)	Dragan Bender (16.9%)	Darko Milicic (48.1%)

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11) Yi Jianlian, China (#6 pick of Bucks in 2007)

What were the Bucks thinking here? It’s still a bit of a mystery. Not only was Jianlian an inscrutable prospect, with NBA franchises only knowing him through carefully managed scouting tapes from his agent (even his age was in question), he had a shortlist of acceptable NBA franchises and Milwaukee was decidedly not on it. Despite the enigma and the ultimatum, the Bucks still nabbed him with the sixth pick, a definitive overreach. In fact, their general manager would be fired just a year later and his replacement immediately granted Jianlian’s trade request, shipping him off to New Jersey. A seven footer with handle and a solid jumper, Jianlian did find some offensive success in the NBA, averaging as much as 12.0 points per game for the Nets in ’09-’10 but struggled in all other aspects and flamed out of the league by 2012. He returned to China and has been a superstar for the last decade for the Guangdong Southern Tigers, winning six Chinese Basketball Association championships and earning Finals MVP in three of them.

10) Yaroslav Korolev, Russia (#12 pick of Clippers in 2005)

Heading into the 2005 NBA Draft, a rumor circulated that Korolev, considered a borderline first round talent by most experts, had been promised he would be drafted by a particular lottery team. It shocked no one when that team turned out to be the Clippers, whose coach/general manager Mike Dunleavy was reportedly enamored with the Russian “point forward.” Still only 18 at the time and with no significant experience playing at a senior level, Korolev looked completely lost in his rookie season and barely improved in his second and final campaign, finishing his NBA career with 1.1 points per game in 34 appearances. It’s baffling in retrospect that not only did the Clippers pick him that high, they then proceeded to leave him at the end of their bench for two years, rather than stashing him in Europe or the D-League. Korolev made attempts to catch on with the Cavaliers and Kings but eventually returned to Russia and played out the remainder of his career with various European teams. 

9) Mouhamed Sene, Senegal (#10 pick of SuperSonics in 2006)

Some players flame out so spectacularly that fans remember them years later despite their middling pro career while some, like Sene, essentially just disappear into the ether. An exceedingly raw prospect with almost no offensive skill, Sene was still expected to be a first round pick in 2006 just based on his size (7’0″) and wingspan (7’8″) alone. But few foresaw him going off the board in the top 10. Even worse, he was the third consecutive first round pick for the Sonics that was a raw, teenager center, following in the footsteps of Johan Petro and Robert Swift. All of it added up to a rookie season in which Sene averaged just 1.9 points and 1.6 rebounds per game in 28 performances. Things didn’t get much better from there, as he finished with career averages of 2.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game in three seasons, with the then Thunder cutting him unceremoniously following knee surgery. He went on to play several seasons in France and Spain, putting up solid stats but also struggling with injuries.

8) Alexsandar Radojevic, Montenegro (#12 pick of Raptors in 1999)

Drawing comparisons in his size and skill level to Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Radojevic was an intriguing prospect in the 1999 NBA Draft. Born in what was then Yugoslavia, he originally planned to migrate to the U.S. to play at Ohio State but was deemed ineligible due to previous pro experience with a team in Montenegro so he declared for the NBA Draft instead. To be fair to the Raptors, who picked him 12th overall in 1999: a) they could have done even worse (Frederic Weis went three spots later and never even reached the NBA), and b) Radojevic’s failure can be directly attributed to injuries. Just three games into the ’99-’00 season, Radojevic tore a ligament in his knee and was never the same. After bouncing between Toronto, Atlanta, and Denver over the next two years without seeing a minute of playing time, he returned to Europe in 2001 but eventually made a surprise return to the NBA in ’04-’05, playing in 12 games (and starting six) for the Jazz.

7) Mario Hezonja, Croatia (#5 pick of Magic in 2015)

This is another case where a young player has time still to develop into a solid NBA player but thus far Hezonja has failed to live up to a top five pick status in stints with the Magic, Knicks, and Blazers. “Super Mario” has otherwise become a star in the Greek Basketball League, earning their MVP award for the ’20-’21 season while leading Panathinaikos to a championship, flashing some of the scoring talent that lent comparisons to fellow Croatian Drazen Petrovic and shot Hezonja up draft boards in 2015. It was a minor surprise that the Magic took him so high and the big scouting report knock on him, his lack of defensive skill, ended up really hurting his ability to gain NBA playing time. One could easily blame the flawed Orlando front office and coaching for Hezonja’s early struggles but he also failed to break through in one year stints with New York and Portland and after he was traded to the Grizzlies and subsequently waived, he defected back to Europe. Perhaps Hezonja will receive another NBA opportunity and can play his way off this list but for now he’s ensconced in our top 10.

6) Dante Exum, Australia (#5 pick of Jazz in 2014) 

Coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history, the Jazz looked to bounce back in ’14-’15 and beyond by building around an exceedingly athletic and versatile rookie point guard from Australia. Exum went to Utah with the #5 pick in 2014 and was a disappointment from the start, averaging just 4.8 points per game as a rookie despite playing in all 82 games and starting half of them. Things only got worse from there, as he missed the entire ’15-’16 season with an ACL tear suffered while playing an exhibition game with the Australian national team. Exum showed some signs of promise upon his return, especially on the defensive end, but couldn’t develop a jumper and was eventually made obsolete by the emergence of Donovan Mitchell. Though the Jazz have bounced back successfully from their ’14-’15 nadir into title contention, fans can’t help but lament the available options on the board in 2014 behind Exum, including Julius Randle, Marcus Smart, Zach LaVine, and Jusuf Nurkic.

5) Jan Vesely, Czech Republic (#6 pick of Wizards in 2011)

Tall, versatile, skilled across the board, and athletic, Vesely was a breakout star for the Serbian club Partizan as a teenager and drawing comparisons to players like Lamar Odom and Andrei Kirilenko heading into the 2011 NBA Draft. What the Wizards got instead with the #6 overall pick was a player who looked lost and distracted on the court. After just 162 games spread across three seasons, Vesely called it quits in the NBA, signing with a Turkish club. Only four other players in the lottery era have been drafted sixth or higher but played in three NBA seasons or less: 1) Len Bias, who died, 2) Jay Williams, whose career was ended by a motorcycle accident, 3) Chris Washburn, who was suspended for life for substance abuse violations, and 4) Jonny Flynn, who like Vesely, has no excuse. Though his time in the NBA makes him a bust, Vesely did develop into a superstar in Turkey, earning EuroLeague MVP in 2019 while leading Fenerbahce to the title. Furthermore in fairness to the Wizards, 2011 turned out to be a weird draft, with Derrick Williams, Jimmer Fredette, and Bismack Biyombo joining Vesely as top 10 busts, while later first round picks Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, Tobias Harris, and Nikola Vucevic developed into All-Stars.

4) Nikoloz Tskitishvili, Georgia (#5 pick of Nuggets in 2002)

Though Darko Milicic is the name most synonymous with international draftee bust amongst NBA fans, it was Tskitishvili who truly set the bar as an unheeded warning. Though the Georgian born seven-footer had been witnessed in live game action by few NBA scouts, due to him receiving limited playing time with his Italian club, he was still shooting up draft boards in 2002 based on pure potential. His awe-inspiring workouts led many to label him as a more athletic Dirk Nowitzki, including then Italian league coach Mike D’Antoni, who reportedly convinced his friend, new Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe, to take Tskitishvili with the fifth pick. But not only was the rookie center bad, he was historically bad, somehow shooting just 29.3% from the field despite being listed as 7’0″. Though his shooting would improve some (all the way up to 35.6% in ’05-’06), Tskitishvili’s opportunities quickly decreased as the Nuggets quickly realized he was in way over his head. Later stints with the Timberwolves, Suns, Trail Blazers, and Clippers also amounted to next to nothing and the Georgian’s career was finished at age 22. He’s since played professionally in nine different countries, going from Spain to Italy to Greece to Iran to Lebanon to Japan to Bahrain to China to finally his native country again, before retiring in 2019.

3) Dragan Bender, Bosnia and Herzegovina (#4 pick of Suns in 2016)

Front offices were overeager to find the next Kristaps Porzingis in the 2016 NBA Draft and it shows. We’ve already covered Guerschon Yabusele, Thon Maker, and Georgios Papagiannis from that class on this list and haven’t even mentioned the thus far subpar careers of Spain’s Juan Hernangomez and Croatia’s Ante Zizic. But the biggest bust from that class thus far is Bender, a fourth overall pick that was out of the league after just four disappointing seasons. At 7’1″ with ball handling skills and a long range jumper, Bender was certainly an enticing prospect. But it became quickly apparent to Phoenix that they had a dud instead of the next “Unicorn.” Looking constantly tentative on offense and just plain lost on defense, Bender struggled to gain playing time and ultimately averaged just 5.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game for his career. He looked solid after the Warriors signed him during the ’19-’20 season but when COVID-19 shut things down, Bender left the U.S. to play in Israel.

2) Andrea Bargnani, Italy (#1 pick of Raptors in 2006)

Even at the time, the 2006 draft class was considered a tricky one to evaluate and potentially weak top-to-bottom. That bore out true, as only LaMarcus Aldridge and Kyle Lowry developed into legitimate star players, give or take how you feel about Brandon Roy’s brief career. It was especially a disaster amongst the international prospects and that started at the top with Bargnani. Granted, if you just looked at his stats, you’d be surprised to see his name so high on this list. Bargnani did average as many as 21.4 points per game in ’10-’11 and put up at least solid numbers throughout his NBA career. But in addition to taking into account that he was the #1 pick, we also have to consider his horrendous defense. It wasn’t completely Bargnani’s fault but the Raptors were also pretty bad throughout his time there, making the playoffs just twice and losing in the first round each time. When they finally jettisoned their top pick in a 2013 trade to the Knicks, the franchise immediately made a turnaround, rebuilding around Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan.

1) Darko Milicic, Serbia (#2 pick of Pistons in 2003)

Who else could it be? Milicic is arguably the quintessential draft bust. That might seem like a strange qualifier for a player whose NBA career lasted a decade but the Serbian was set up to be a monumental failure with anything short of superstardom. This is based not just on his draft position, #2 overall, but the names taken off the board after him: Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade. Those are three franchise-changing Hall of Fame players, while Darko lasted less than three seasons with the Pistons team that drafted him (at least he earned a championship ring for his trouble) and finished with career averages of 6.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly went wrong for Milicic but the landing spot in Detroit was obviously a big factor as coach Larry Brown wasn’t going to dole out minutes to such a young, immature player on a title contender. Whatever the case, Milicic, who officially retired in 2014, will likely forever be the ultimate cautionary tale of evaluating and cultivating international talent.

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