A draft steal is a player who becomes far better than his draft position suggested. Here are nine of the biggest of the last 20 years, ordered by draft year, with the pick that made each one famous. The ranking of “biggest” is always a matter of opinion, but Nikola Jokic tops almost every list.
- DeAndre Jordan (2008, No. 35). CBS Sports names him the best pick of the 2008 class.
- Kawhi Leonard (2011, No. 15). One analysis says he hit the highest peak of his draft class.
- Jimmy Butler (2011, No. 30). A six-time All-Star who barely played as a rookie before becoming a star.
- Isaiah Thomas (2011, No. 60). The final pick of the draft became a clutch scorer and All-Star, with career averages of about 18 points and 5 assists.
- Draymond Green (2012, No. 35). A four-time champion and the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year, whose versatility helped spread small-ball lineups.
- Khris Middleton (2012, No. 39). A second-round pick who became a long-time star for Milwaukee.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (2013, No. 15). A raw prospect from Greece who became a two-time MVP and a 2021 champion.
- Nikola Jokic (2014, No. 41). Picked during a Taco Bell commercial, he became a three-time MVP, the 2023 Finals MVP and a champion. He is widely called the biggest steal in NBA history.
- Jalen Brunson (2018, No. 33). Called the steal of the 2018 draft, he led the Knicks to the 2026 title.
The lesson is that talent evaluation is an imperfect science. Today’s stars still emerge from the second round, as our look at the MVP race shows, with Jokic still among its contenders.
Sources: CBS Sports, FanSided, Bleacher Report, Wikipedia, ClutchPoints.