The 2025 NBA draft is quickly approaching. It will kick off on Wednesday, June 25 at 8 p.m. ET. Entering the draft, Cooper Flagg is widely expected to be the first pick. There is then a lot of speculation that Dylan Harper and VJ Edgecombe will quickly be taken off the board after that.
However, there have been many projected top picks who have slid down the draft throughout the history of the NBA. Here is a look at seven of the most surprising NBA draft slides that are still hard to believe to this day.
7 of the Most Surprising NBA Draft Slides in History
#1 Paul Pierce
Hall of Famer Paul Pierce had one of the most notable draft slides in NBA history. He was projected to be a top three pick but fell to No. 10 before the Boston Celtics selected him. The slide proved to be a mistake as Pierce went on to be a 10-time All-star and NBA Finals MVP in 2008. In a Reddit thread asking about the biggest draft slides ever on Thursday, Pierce was named in all three of the top comments.
Which were the most shocking draft slides ever?
byu/RVarki inNBATalk
#2 OG Anunoby
Sometimes injuries are the reason a player can fall in the NBA draft, and that was the case with OG Anunoby in the 2017 NBA draft. Originally projected to be a lottery pick, he fell to the Toronto Raptors with the 23rd pick because teams were worried about his ACL injuries.
#3 Dejounte Murray
Dejounte Murray was another player who was projected to be a lottery pick but it did not play out like that for him on draft night. Instead, he was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the 29th pick in the 2016 NBA draft.
#4 Rashard Lewis
Rashard Lewis entered the NBA draft in 1998 with his hometown team, the Houston Rockets, holding three picks in the first round. It was surprising to see him fall past them and out of the first round.
#5 Michael Porter Jr.
Michael Porter Jr. was one of the most exciting prospects entering the 2018 NBA draft. There were rumors he could go first overall. However, he fell to the Denver Nuggets with the 14th pick because of health concerns.
#6 Deyonta Davis
After a strong season at Michigan State, Deyonta Davis entered the NBA draft and was expected to be a lottery pick. However, he had a long slide on draft day, not getting selected until the Boston Celtics picked him up with the 31st pick in the 2016 draft.
#7 Robert Williams
Robert Williams is another player who was projected to be a lottery pick heading into draft night in 2018. However, he narrowly escaped falling to the second round, eventually getting selected by the Boston Celtics with the 27th pick.
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