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There’s still a debate about the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Will the Washington Wizards select AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson, or maybe Cameron Boozer? The weeks since the NBA Draft lottery haven’t settled much, with rumors and speculation seizing control as NBA executives and agents try to shape the narrative to their benefit.
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There’s a long legacy of Hall of Famers produced from the No. 1 spot atop the draft order, with players like Elgin Baylor (1958), Oscar Robertson (1960), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1969), Magic Johnson (1979), Shaquille O’Neal (1992) and Tim Duncan (1997) among those who thrived under the spotlight.
Recent history shows the right No. 1 pick can change the direction of a franchise. The wrong one can set a team back for years. Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 pick in 2025 and the reigning NBA rookie of the year, was a relative slam dunk compared to the decision facing the Wizards front office this time around.
Here’s a ranking of every No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft since 2000:
1 / 26
NBA draft No. 1 picks since 1990: From Derrick Coleman to Cooper Flagg
2025: Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
(Brad Penner, Imagn Images)
1 / 26
NBA draft No. 1 picks since 1990: From Derrick Coleman to Cooper Flagg
2025: Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
(Brad Penner, Imagn Images)
2 / 26
NBA draft No. 1 picks since 1990: From Derrick Coleman to Cooper Flagg
2024: Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks
(Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports)
3 / 26
NBA draft No. 1 picks since 1990: From Derrick Coleman to Cooper Flagg
2023: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
(Wendell Cruz, USA TODAY Sports)
4 / 26
NBA draft No. 1 picks since 1990: From Derrick Coleman to Cooper Flagg
2022: Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
(Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports)
5 / 26
NBA draft No. 1 picks since 1990: From Derrick Coleman to Cooper Flagg
2021: Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
(Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports)
6 / 26
NBA draft No. 1 picks since 1990: From Derrick Coleman to Cooper Flagg
2020: Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
(Stephen Lew, USA TODAY Sports)
7 / 26
NBA draft No. 1 picks since 1990: From Derrick Coleman to Cooper Flagg
2019: Zion Williamson, New Orleans…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/no-1-ranking-every-top-100531101.html
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Publish date : 2026-06-22 10:05:00
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