Fansided

The worst NBA Draft picks for every team

By Jonathan Macri

PORTLAND, OR - 1985: Sam Bowie #31 of the Portland Trailblazers warms up prior to a game played circa 1985 at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1985 NBAE (Photo by Brian Drake/NBAE via Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - 1985: Sam Bowie #31 of the Portland Trailblazers warms up prior to a game played circa 1985 at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1985 NBAE (Photo by Brian Drake/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Bill Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Bill Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) /

29. Utah Jazz: Trading Dominique Wilkins

The Utah Jazz have been incredibly well run for a long time now. As a result, they don’t have a blown draft pick that stands out as warranting criticism.

They did have one major draft-related mishap though, one that would definitely be higher up were it not for a) the fact that it came via trade three months after draft night, which isn’t really in the spirit of this list, and b) some other extenuating circumstances:

In 1982, the Jazz were coming off a 25-win season and desperate for talent. At the third spot, following James Worthy and Terry Cummings, the best player available was a kid with some hops from the University of Georgia, Dominique Wilkins.

Unfortunately, Wilkins played the same position as Utah’s 26-year-old three-time All Star, Adrian Dantley, who was one season removed from leading the league in scoring and would go on to do it again once more. As a result, they wanted Wilkins to play power forward.

He was less than thrilled with the idea. Said Wilkins last year, ” I wasn’t playing power forward. I was a small forward. Power forwards in them days was some big, physical and I’m not going to say what else and I didn’t want no part of that.”

Presumably in part because of this hesitancy, the Jazz dealt Wilkins to Atlanta in September for vets John Drew and Freeman Williams. Ironically enough, Wilkins would lead the NBA in scoring one season after Dantley did so for the second time in Utah. The Jazz did get their starting four a year later though, a bruising forward from Louisiana named Karl Malone. That worked out ok.

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