Draymond Green was the 35th player drafted in the 2012 NBA Draft, selected by the Warriors out of Michigan State. He’s had a great career and won three championships, which makes you wonder how he lasted so long before being chosen.
34. Jae Crowder
Jae Crowder is on his fifth team, the Memphis Grizzlies. He came to the Memphis Grizzlies in July as part of a package that sent Mike Conley, Jr. to Utah. A solid player who has become a bit of a journeyman.
33. Bernard James
Bernard James started 13 games for the Dallas Mavericks in an NBA career that concluded in 2015.
32. Tomas Satoransky
Tomas Satoransky finally made it to the NBA in 2016-17. He played three seasons with the Washington Wizards and is currently with the Chicago Bulls averaging a bit under 10 points per game, a career-high.
31. Jeffery Taylor
Jeffery Taylor spent time with the Charlotte Hornets before finding a league better to his liking. He is a three-time champion in the Spanish League for Real Madrid. He has something in common with Draymond Green, who is also a three-time champ … in the NBA.
30. Festus Ezeli
Festus Ezell was a reserve on the 2015 champion Golden State Warriors. Definitely the highlight of a short and unremarkable NBA career.
29. Marquis Teague
Marquis Teague is in the G League with the Memphis Hustle. He played for the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets before exiting the NBA in 2014. After a lengthy absence and basketball odyssey, Teague resurfaced with the Memphis Grizzlies for three games in 2017-18.
28. Perry Jones III
Perry Jones III is playing in the Turkish League. His NBA career was spent with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He made 21 starts and played in 143 games.
27. Arnett Moultrie
Arnett Moultrie spent a bit of time with the Philadelphia 76ers. After that brief stay, he has been on a worldwide odyssey, playing for teams all over the globe.
26. Miles Plumlee
Miles Plumlee is playing ball in China. He spent time with five teams in the NBA and averaged 4.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
25. Tony Wroten
Tony Wroten was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies and shipped to the Philadelphia 76ers after one season. He played 110 games for Philly in three seasons before exiting the NBA. Another player with a lot of international experience — Wroten currently plays in Poland.
24. Jared Cunningham
Jared Cunningham was out of the league by 2016 but somehow managed to play with six teams in that short a period of time. He played 84 games and made three starts, all with Cleveland in 2015-16 — a season in which he played for three teams.
23. John Jenkins
John Jenkins is with his fifth team, the New York Knicks. Over the course of his time in the league, the former Vanderbilt star has played in 171 games, starting eight.
22. Fab Melo
Fab Melo was a Brazilian professional basketball player. He played one season for the Boston Celtics before returning to his home country and playing for Liga Sorocabana and Brasília of the Brazilian Novo Basquete Brasil. Melo died from natural causes on Feb. 11, 2017, at the age of 26.
21. Jared Sullinger
Jared Sullinger spent four seasons with the Boston Celtics, averaging 11.1 points and 7.7 rebounds. His last NBA team was the Toronto Raptors, for whom he played in 11 games in 2016-17.
20. Evan Fournier
Evan Fournier spent two seasons with the Denver Nuggets before moving on to the Orlando Magic. He is in the process of a career year, averaging nearly 20 points per game. Fournier has averaged double digits every season he has played in Orlando.
19. Andrew Nicholson
Andrew Nicholson currently plays for the Fujian Sturgeons of the Chinese Basketball Association. He averaged six points and three rebounds while playing for three teams in an NBA career that ended in 2017.
18. Terrence Jones
Terrence Jones Jones played his first four seasons with the Houston Rockets before being dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans and then to the Milwaukee Bucks. He starred last season as the top import in the Philippine Basketball Association.
17. Tyler Zeller
Tyler Zeller was All-Second Team with the Cleveland Cavaliers as a rookie. He has bounced around the league, averaging seven points and 4.4. rebounds per game. Zeller was waived by the Denver Nuggets in October.
16. Royce White
Royce White has struggled with mental health issues, mainly general anxiety triggered by his highly publicized fear of flying. He has not played a single game in the NBA. However, White did star in Canada for the London Lightning. He currently is a free agent.
15. Maurice Harkless
Maurice Harkless is a role player with the Los Angeles Clippers, his third NBA team. Harkless has averaged about seven points and nearly four rebounds in his career.
14. John Henson
John Henson, still in the NBA, is playing sparingly for the Cleveland Cavaliers after starting his career with the Milwaukee Bucks.
13. Kendall Marshall
Kendall Marshall spent four seasons in the NBA and has played for four teams. He has been out of the league since 2016 and officially retired a year later. Marshall resumed his studies at UNC in 2017–18, and graduated in December 2018. He was named UNC director of recruiting on Oct. 2, 2019.
12. Jeremy Lamb
Jeremy Lamb is on his third team, the Indiana Pacers. He is starting for Indiana and averaging better than 14 points per game. Lamb has averaged 10.4 points and 3.7 rebounds in his career.
11. Meyers Leonard
Meyers Leonard is in his first season with the Miami Heat after being drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers. His career highlight came in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals last season when he recorded a career-high 30 points and 12 rebounds in a 119–117 overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors.
10. Austin Rivers
Austin Rivers has a great shot. He is currently with the Houston Rockets, his fourth team, and has yet to earn any individual accolades. Mostly from offense off the bench, Rivers has averaged more than 10 points per game twice in his career.
9. Andre Drummond
Andre Drummond is a force. He is a two-time All-Star and has led the NBA in rebounding three times. Drummond is averaging almost 18 points and 17 rebounds per game thus far in 2019-20. A great one on a team that hasn’t gone anywhere.
8. Terrence Ross
Terrence Ross was the NBA Slam Dunk champion as a rookie. Good for about 10 points and a couple of rebounds per game. However, the Slam Dunk title feels like the highlight of his career.
7. Harrison Barnes
Harrison Barnes is on his third team after being drafted by the Golden State Warriors out of North Carolina. He was an NBA champ with the Warriors in 2015 and is good for double-digit points per game.
6. Damian Lillard
Oakland-native Damian Lillard has blossomed into a star in Rip City. However, he has no rings, while Draymond Green has three. Lillard was Rookie of the Year in 2013 and is a four-time All-Star. He is averaging 23.6 points, 6.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds in his career.
5. Thomas Robinson
Thomas Robinson would be considered a bust. He spent time with six teams before exiting the NBA in 2017. Most recently, the Kansas product has been with the Maine Red Claws of the G League.
4. Dion Waiters
Dion Waiters spends a lot of time gaining bad headlines and suspensions. He was All-Rookie First Team, the only honor he has earned. When he plays, he is good for about 12 or more points per game.
3. Bradley Beal
Bradley Beal is another player stuck on a team that has not had much success. He was on the All-Rookie Team in 2013 and he is a two-time All-Star while playing for the Washington Wizards. Beal has averaged better than 22 points per game in the last four seasons, including this one.
2. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Michael Kidd-Gilcrhist has been injury-prone and basically ordinary for the Charlotte Hornets. The former Kentucky player’s top season in points per game was 2015-16 when he averaged 12.7 … playing in seven games.
1. Anthony Davis
There is no questioning the greatness of Anthony Davis. However, for all his stats and honors, he is missing a ring. Could happen this year as he has formed a lethal 1-2 punch with LeBron James. However, it remains to be seen if he will earn as much jewelry as Draymond Green has.
35. Draymond Green
So, after all those players were chosen, many who have come and gone in the NBA, the Golden State Warriors selected Draymond Green.
All he has turned out to be is a three-time NBA champion, and a three-time NBA All-Star. In 2017, he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He has averaged nine points, almost seven rebounds and nearly five assists in his career with Golden State. The numbers don’t do justice to a player who has among the biggest presences on the court of anyone during his career. Green is the emotional and motivational “heart and soul” of the Warriors, and is noted for his vocal leadership on the court and in the locker room. One of the great steals of NBA Draft history.
