Washington Wizards: Five worst draft picks in team history
By Ben Palmer
1. Kwame Brown (2001) – Drafted No. 1 overall
If you’re a Wizards fan, you knew that Kwame Brown was going to be number one on this list before you even clicked on it.
Known as one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history, Kwame Brown was selected as the number one overall pick by the Washington Wizards in the 2001 NBA draft.
Brown was a victim of hype. He was a decent NBA player, but he wasn’t a first-overall pick player, and he never lived up to that. He was the first high school player to be selected number one overall, but his lack of maturity really hurt during his time in Washington.
He showed slight improvement during his first three years as a Wizard, culminating in his best season in the 2003-04 year, averaging 10.9 points per game, and 7.4 rebounds per game.
However, he continued having attitude problems, feuding with his teammates and coach Eddie Jordan. He also rejected a five-year, $30M contract from Washington, choosing to test the free agent market instead. He was ultimately traded to the Los Angeles Lakers with Laron Profit for Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins.
Brown ultimately carved out a 14-year career in the NBA, but was never a star, spending much of his career as a bench player.
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He never came even remotely close to living up to the hype of a number-one overall pick, and that’s why he’s the biggest draft bust of all time for the Washington Wizards.
Players drafted later: Tyson Chandler (2nd), Pau Gasol (3rd), Joe Johnson (10th), Zach Randolph (19th), Gerald Wallace (25th), Tony Parker (28th)