2006 NBA Draft

The 2006 NBA Draft produced a deep group of players whose best careers were spread throughout both rounds. Andrea Bargnani became the first European player selected first overall without previously playing college basketball in the United States, while LaMarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy, Rajon Rondo, Kyle Lowry and Paul Millsap became NBA All-Stars.

The class also included Rudy Gay, JJ Redick, Thabo Sefolosha, Ronnie Brewer, P.J. Tucker, Daniel Gibson and several other players who enjoyed lengthy NBA careers. Paul Millsap, selected 47th by Utah, became one of the most successful second-round selections of his era.

Teams listed below are the teams credited with making each original draft selection. Several picks were traded on draft night.

Andrea Bargnani: Toronto selected Bargnani first overall, making the Italian forward the first European player who had not played college basketball in the United States to become the No. 1 overall selection. He spent his first seven NBA seasons with the Raptors.

LaMarcus Aldridge: Chicago selected Aldridge second overall before trading his rights to Portland in a draft-night deal for Tyrus Thomas, who had been selected fourth by the Trail Blazers. Aldridge developed into a multiple-time All-Star and became one of the most productive players from the 2006 class.

Brandon Roy: Minnesota selected Roy sixth overall and traded his rights to Portland. Roy won the 2006-07 Rookie of the Year Award and became a three-time All-Star before knee problems prematurely shortened his career.

Rajon Rondo: Phoenix selected Rondo 21st overall before his rights were traded to Boston. Rondo became the starting point guard for Boston's 2008 championship team, earned multiple All-Star selections and later won another NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kyle Lowry: Memphis selected Lowry 24th overall out of Villanova. He developed into an NBA All-Star and became a key member of Toronto's 2019 championship team.

Paul Millsap: Utah found one of the draft's biggest values with the 47th overall selection. Millsap became a multiple-time All-Star and ultimately accumulated more career win shares than every player in the class except LaMarcus Aldridge and Kyle Lowry.

New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets: The Hornets were still displaced from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. The historical New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets name is therefore used for their 2006 draft selections.

International class: The draft included a substantial international group led by Andrea Bargnani and also featured Thabo Sefolosha, Mouhamed Sene, Sergio Rodríguez, Kosta Perović, Lior Eliyahu, Yotam Halperin, Edin Bavčić, Loukas Mavrokefalidis and Damir Markota.