The best NBA Draft pick of all time at every slot

NEW YORK - JUNE 26: LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses with his jersey during the 2003/2004 NBA Draft Portrait at Paramount Theatre Madison Square Garden on June 26, 2003 in New York, New York. 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 2003 NBAE (Photo by: Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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Jan 31, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) waits to be introduced before a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

The NBA Draft is a massive game of chance but there is value to be found everywhere if you get lucky. Here are the best players ever selected at each spot.

While we all track teams tanking during the year and hold our breath as ping pong balls decide the order in which the 14 teams that did not make the playoffs will choose the next crop of rookies.

We decided to take a look at every pick from slots No. 1 through No. 30 and try to decide who was the best player to ever be taken at that position. There were some picks that were easier choices than the others and there were some where the debate went back and forth for what felt like an eternity.

An interesting pattern developed over the course of the research undertaken to create this story. A lot of the players chosen as the best pick in their position were often involved in draft-day deals — the history of the NBA could be entirely different if some of these picks ended up staying with the original teams that chose them.

The entire NBA draft process is a crapshoot, as much as we pour into the stats and analyze these prospects. It is impossible to be entirely certain over which players will and will not have a lasting impact at the NBA level.

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