9 Of The Most Surprising NBA Draft Slides In Recent Memory

The 2025 NBA Draft is set to kick off on Wednesday, June 25th in New York at the Barclays Center. Most believe to know who the top pick will be, as well as the player to follow at No. 2. After that, things get interesting.

Cooper Flagg is largely considered the favorite to go No. 1 overall. Reports say that the Dallas Mavericks have no interest in any other player. Flagg should be the first name called.

At No. 2, Rutgers guard Dylan Harper is expected to be taken by the San Antonio Spurs. His college teammate, Ace Bailey, is believed to be the next-best available prospect, but many predict he’ll become the next notable NBA Draft slide.

In Bailey’s case, those concerns have arisen due to the pre-draft workout and interview process. For others, injury risks and other red flags have led to slips. Below are 9 of the most surprising NBA Draft slides in recent history.

Paul Pierce (1998)

Paul Pierce was a sure-fire Top 3 pick in the 1998 NBA Draft according to most media experts. Following a star-studded career at Kansas, the guard believed he’d go No. 2 to Vancouver.

Instead, he fell to No. 10 where he was selected by the Boston Celtics. It was a move that ultimately worked out as he became a Hall of Famer and NBA Champion.

Rashard Lewis (1998)

Rashard Lewis was also a member of that 1998 NBA Draft and widely considered a lottery pick. Lewis was from Houston. The Rockets had three first-round picks. It was believed to be a perfect match.

The Rockets passed on Lewis in that first round, however, leading to a slide to the early second round. The forward was picked by the Seattle SuperSonics and played 16 years in the NBA. He won a ring with Miami in ’13.

Gilbert Arenas (2001)

Gilbert Arenas was considered a potential lottery pick after spending two seasons at Arizona and playing for a national championship. His pre-draft workouts led to a slip.

Reports said he showed up unprepared and out of shape. He ultimately slid from the Top 10 to the second round. Arenas became a 3x All-Star with the Washington Wizards.

Perry Jones (2012)

Perry Jones was believed to be a lottery pick. He was rated as a Top 10 prospect following a college career at Baylor. Injury concerns ultimately led to a slide.

Teams red-flagged a knee problem, which resulted in a tumble to No. 28 overall. He played three seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder before being out of the NBA.

Deyonta Davis (2016)

Deyonta Davis played his college ball at Michigan State where he developed into a Top 10 talent. He was viewed as a lottery pick with massive upside. Instead, he fell to the end of the first round at No. 31.

NBA teams might’ve been right to be weary of the hype. Davis played just three seasons in the league, averaging 4.2 points per night with six starts.

DeJounte Murray (2016)

In that same 2016 NBA Draft class, Dejounte Murray was expected to be a lottery pick but fell to the San Antonio Spurs at No. 29. In this instance, it seems those teams that passed got it wrong.

Murray’s averaged more than 20 points per game in three of his last four seasons. He’s been named an All-Star and All-Defense Team selection.

OG Anunoby (2017)

OG Anunoby, like many others on this list, was anticipated to be a lottery pick after a college career at Indiana. Instead, he fell to No. 23 with the Toronto Raptors.

He’s made teams regret not taking him earlier in the 2017 NBA Draft. Anunoby was named Second-Team All-Defense after leading the league in steals in ’23. He’s also averaged double figure scoring totals each of the last seven years.

Michael Porter Jr. (2018)

Michael Porter Jr’s slide in the 2018 NBA Draft came down to injury concerns. Once considered a No. 1 overall pick, he slid 13 spots to No. 14. Porter suffered a back injury just two games into his college career at Missouri.

He’s rebounded quite nicely after being picked by the Denver Nuggets. Porter’s averaged 16.2 points per game across a six-year career, winning an NBA title in ’23.

Bol Bol (2019)

Bol Bol was a bit all over in terms of NBA projections, but there was enough first round hype to land an invite to the “green room” on draft night. There were times throughout the pre-draft process when he was considered a Top 5 pick.

The 7-foot-2 center, and son of NBA big man Manute Bol, slid all the way to No. 44 overall with injury concerns being an issue. Bol’s averaged 6.2 points and 3.5 rebounds across six pro seasons.