Getting drafted into the NBA is an accomplishment that most basketball players dream of. For those who are fortunate enough to get drafted into the lottery, as one of the top 14 picks is both a blessing and a curse. If you are selected that high in the draft, then you will receive a bigger payday than most, but you also have even bigger expectations. Yet NBA teams know that not every player can be a future All Star, but they never think the guy that they drafted will be a bust. So what happens to all the top picks whose names we haven’t heard lately? The truth is that some of them end up playing in the G league. Which is not supposed to happen, when you were once supposed to be the future of a franchise. So here are all the former lottery picks who are currently hooping in the NBA’s very own Gatorade league, and the road they traveled to get there.

Denzel Valentine - 2016 Pick 14

Starting from the bottom of the lottery and working our way up Denzel Valentine now plays for the Maine Celtics, but in 2016 he was the 14th pick of the draft by the Chicago Bulls. He was the Associated Press college basketball player of the year at Michigan State, but once he got to Chicago he struggled to stay on the court, partially due to his play, and also due to injuries. He played 4 seasons for the Bulls but never started for even half an NBA season. He never averaged more than 10 points per game. After playing a few games here and there as a bench warmer for 3 teams he spent most of his 2023 season in the G League.

Jerome Robinson - 2018 Pick 13

Jerome Robinson was the 13th pick in the 2018 draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. He was the first lottery pick ever to be drafted out of Boston College where he was first team all ACC conference. He never started more than 6 games in an NBA season and averaged less than 5 points per game. So it is not surprising that he was already out of the NBA after being traded to the Washington Wizards in 2021. Recently in 2023 he played for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G league.

Elfrid Payton - 2014 Pick 10

Elfrid Payton is the first player on this list to be drafted in the top 10, as the 10th overall pick from Lousiana Lafayette by the 76ers in 2014. He was traded on draft night to the Orlando Magic where he played for 4 seasons before getting traded to the Suns. From there he bounced around to the Pelicans to the Knicks, and back to the Suns, before landing in 2023 in the G league. His career averages of 10 points per game and nearly 6 assists are solid but once you start getting thrown around in trades, your days in the NBA are numbered. But in 2023 he is hoping to get another shot while playing for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

Trey Burke - 2013 Pick 9

Trey Burke was the National College Player of the Year at Michigan before getting drafted 9th overall in 2013 by the Utah Jazz. After 3 seasons with the Jazz he was traded to the Wizards where he became an NBA journeyman. He played for 4 teams in total but was on the Dallas Mavericks twice. He has been in and out of the G league more than once. He actually averaged nearly 13 points in the league three times and is still waiting on another call up after playing for the Stockton Kings in 2023.

Emmanuel Mudiay - 2015 Pick 7

Emmanuel Mudiay was one of the most electrifying high school prospects, who skipped college to play in China. When he came back he was the 7th pick of the draft by the Denver Nuggets in 2015. Between the ages of 19 and 25 he played for 4 NBA teams, having his best season perhaps with the New York Knicks. He started half the season, and scored almost 15 points per game, but the Knicks lost a lot and he went overseas before coming back briefly to play in the league. Recently in 2023 he played for the Iowa Wolves, and as young as he still is, there is a good chance he gets one more shot in the NBA.

Willie Cauley Stein - 2015 Pick 6

Near the top of the draft is Willie Cauley-Stein who was the 6th pick out of Kentucky for the Sacramento Kings. He played 4 seasons with them before ending up on the Warriors, Mavericks, and 76ers. He averaged close to a double double in his final season in Sacramento and he might be a victim of the NBA’s shift away from traditional big men. That said, he played for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in 2023.

Jarrett Culver - 2019 Pick 6

Last but not least is Jarrett Culver who was the 6th pick in the NBA Draft as recently as 2019. After dominating the Big 12 at Texas Tech he started his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he never played much in his 4 years in the NBA where he was traded twice to the Grizzlies and Hawks. His career average was 6 points per game. In 2023 he plays for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers where he is actually scoring 18 points per game, and reminding people why he was drafted so high in the first place.

The Bottom Line

The NBA Draft is always hit or miss, but nobody expects to miss on a lottery pick. When you are drafted that highly you are supposed to make it in the Association, but the G league will always be there for anyone who doesn’t. Although we may have forgotten about these players, there are many more who took their place, because when one player heads down to the G, normally somebody else is moving up. They’ve already been given a shot once in the draft, but for all these players lets hope that they get another chance to have their names called once again.

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