5 times NBA teams drafted a bust before a star player

Boston Celtics v Los Angeles Lakers
Wesley Johnson

#4 Darko Milicic

Minnesota Timberwolves v Phoenix Suns
Darko Milicic

In one of the best draft classes of all time, the Detroit Pistons passed on Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, and I’d even throw in David West, to pick Darko Milicic with the second pick of the 2003 NBA Draft.

The 2004 NBA Champions had the potential to create a dynasty with one of the other picks of Melo, Bosh or D Wade. They went on to trade for Rasheed Wallace mid-season.

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Darko, on the other hand, was touted to revolutionize the power forward position. He was extra-terrestrial. A big who could shoot threes, block shots, and cover multiple positions leading up to draft day.

He retired in 2013 to pursue a kickboxing career. He reportedly ended up choosing to farm back in Serbia.

Timberwolves Nation! You can check out the latest Minnesota Timberwolves Schedule and dive into the Timberwolves Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Arvind Sriram
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