Staged on Wednesday, 30 June 1999 inside Washington’s MCI Center (now Capital One Arena), the 1999 draft tipped off the post-Jordan era with a lockout-shortened season backdrop, a 58-pick, two-round format and a European sleeper who would become its greatest player.
Significance & Setting
- First draft of the new millennium cycle – and the first ever held in the nation’s capital.
- Lockout hang-over – the 1998-99 season had ended only 17 days earlier (25 June Finals), forcing rookies straight into a condensed off-season and 50-game 1999-2000 schedule.
- No sure-fire superstar – media labelled it “role-player heavy”, yet nine future All-Stars and three Sixth-Man of the Year winners were selected. It was often unfairly grouped with the worst NBA draft class conversations, despite its incredible depth.
- Duke record – first time four players from one school went in the first round: Brand, Langdon, Maggette, Avery.
First-Round Snapshot (top 20)
| Pick | Team | Player | Pos. | School/Club | Career Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago Bulls | Elton Brand | PF/C | Duke | Co-Rookie of the Year (2000), 2× All-Star, 20-10 anchor for Clippers & Sixers; 19 000 pts / 9 000 reb club . |
| 2 | Vancouver Grizzlies | Steve Francis | PG | Maryland | Co-ROY 2000, 3× All-Star, 18 ppg / 6 apg peak; trade demand from Vancouver became template for rookie leverage . |
| 3 | Charlotte Hornets | Baron Davis | PG | UCLA | 2× All-Star, 2007 “We Believe” leader; career 16.1 ppg, 7.2 apg, playoff triple-double machine . |
| 4 | L.A. Clippers | Lamar Odom | SF/PF | Rhode Island | 2011 Sixth-Man of Year, 2× champion with Lakers; prototype point-forward who averaged 15-9-5 over 16 seasons . |
| 5 | Toronto Raptors→Pacers | Jonathan Bender | PF | HS (Miss.) | Traded same night for Antonio Davis; flashes of 7-foot wing skill but chronic knee issues ended career early. |
| 6 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Wally Szczerbiak | SF | Miami (OH) | 2002 All-Star, 40.6 % career 3PT; perfect floor-spacer alongside Kevin Garnett. |
| 7 | Washington Wizards | Richard Hamilton | SG | UConn | 3× All-Star, 2004 Finals MVP runner-up, champion 2004; NBA’s mask icon and mid-range marathon runner . |
| 8 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Andre Miller | PG | Utah | 16 000 pts / 8 000 ast club; 2010 league leader in assists, renowned iron-man (only missed 3 games 2002-2014). |
| 9 | Phoenix Suns | Shawn Marion | SF/PF | UNLV | 4× All-Star, 2011 champion; 15-9-2-2-1 career averages, unique release and small-ball 4 pioneer . |
| 10 | Atlanta Hawks | Jason Terry | SG/PG | Arizona | 2009 Sixth-Man of Year, 2011 champion; 2 282 career threes (4th when he retired) . |
| 13 | Seattle→Orlando | Corey Maggette | SF | Duke | Free-throw machine – led NBA in FT made 2003-04; averaged 20+ ppg three times despite shaky jumper . |
| 16 | Chicago Bulls | Ron Artest (Metta World Peace) | SF | St. John’s | 2004 All-Star, 2004 DPOY, 2010 champion; defensive tone-setter and cultural lightning-rod . |
| 24 | Utah Jazz | Andrei Kirilenko | SF/PF | Russia | 2004 All-Star, 5× All-Defence; 5×5 game icon (points-rebounds-assists-steals-blocks). |
Second-Round & International Steals
- Manu Ginóbili (57, Spurs) – Hall-of-Fame 2022, 4× champion, 2× All-Star, 2008 Sixth-Man; arguably greatest draft steal ever.
- Jeff Foster (21, Pacers) – 12-year Indy enforcer, elite offensive rebounder (career 3.3 ORB per 36).
- Chris Herren (33, Nuggets) – story chronicled in ESPN 30-for-30; now nationwide motivational speaker on addiction recovery .
Trades & Night-Of Drama
- Jonathan Bender swap – Toronto immediately flipped No. 5 to Indiana for Antonio Davis + fillers, signalling Raptors’ “win-now” message to Vince Carter & Tracy McGrady .
- Steve Francis refusal – Francis publicly balked at Vancouver relocation/travel; he was traded to Houston that December for Michael Dickerson + three picks, setting precedent for rookie leverage.
- Frederic Weis over Artest – New York chose French 7-footer Weis at 15, passing on Queens-native Ron Artest; Weis never played an NBA minute while Artest became DPOY and 2010 champion—a Garden what-if still debated. Weis, one of the tallest NBA players ever drafted, never played an NBA minute while Artest became DPOY and 2010 champion, a Garden what-if still debated . Artest’s later success exemplified elite NBA defense vs position versatility.
Long-Term Outcomes
- Nine All-Stars from one class (tied for most in 1990s alongside the star-studded 1990 NBA draft). Many of this class’s stars remain iconic, much like today’s most popular NBA players.
- Three Sixth-Man winners: Odom, Terry, Ginóbili – only 1999 can claim that trio.
- Global footprint – Kirilenko, Ginóbili and Pablo Prigioni (undrafted but class of ’99) accelerated European pipeline that produced Dirk, Pau, Giannis era.
- Re-draft reality – every major “re-draft” article slots Ginóbili No. 1 and Marion No. 2, proving scouting patience > lottery sizzle.
Legacy & Influence
The 1999 draft never produced a top-75 all-time player at the top, yet it re-engineered roster construction:
- Versatility over positions – Marion, Odom, Kirilenko foreshadowed position-less basketball, challenging the traditional valuation of best NBA centers of all time and other rigid roles.
- Sixth-Man as weapon – Terry & Ginóbili turned bench scoring into championship strategy.
- Rookie leverage blueprint – Francis’ refusal warned small-markets to sell vision, not geography.
- Second-round goldmine – No. 57 Ginóbili remains the gold standard for international stash-and-develop.
Two decades on, the “no-superstar” draft is quietly remembered as the no-waste draft—nine All-Stars, three Sixth-Men, four rings for Manu, one mask for Rip Hamilton. This class proved that championship foundations are built not just with MVP-caliber stars, but with the uniquely versatile talents who redefine how the game is played, much like the legendary floor generals celebrated among the best point guards of all time have done.