1989 NBA Draft

The 1989 NBA Draft marked a major change in league history. After decades of longer drafts, the NBA permanently reduced the event to two rounds. With 27 franchises participating, the new format produced 54 total selections.

Despite mixed results from several of the highest selections, the draft developed into a deep class. Nine players became NBA All-Stars: B.J. Armstrong, Dana Barros, Mookie Blaylock, Vlade Divac, Sean Elliott, Tim Hardaway, Shawn Kemp, Glen Rice and Clifford Robinson. The class also included Hall of Famers Hardaway, Divac and second-round international selection Dino Rađa.

The 1989 draft was also the first for the expansion Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic. Minnesota used its first selection on UCLA point guard Pooh Richardson at No. 10, while Orlando made Illinois guard Nick Anderson the first draft pick in Magic franchise history at No. 11.

Teams below represent the franchises that held and exercised each selection at the time of the draft. Players whose rights were traded after they were selected remain listed with the team that actually made the selection.

First two-round NBA Draft: The 1989 draft was the first in NBA history conducted with only two rounds. The 1988 draft had contained three rounds, and earlier NBA drafts had been much longer. The two-round structure introduced in 1989 remains the standard format for the NBA Draft.

Pervis Ellison: Sacramento won the draft lottery and selected Louisville center Pervis Ellison with the first overall pick. Ellison later enjoyed his best NBA season with Washington, averaging 20.0 points and 11.2 rebounds while winning the 1991-92 NBA Most Improved Player Award.

Danny Ferry: The Los Angeles Clippers selected Duke star Danny Ferry second overall. Ferry did not want to play for the Clippers and instead spent the 1989-90 season playing for Il Messaggero Roma in Italy. His NBA rights were later traded to Cleveland, where he spent the majority of his NBA career.

Sean Elliott: San Antonio selected Elliott third overall out of Arizona. He became a two-time NBA All-Star and spent most of his career with the Spurs. Elliott was also a member of San Antonio's first NBA championship team in 1999.

Glen Rice: Miami selected Rice fourth overall after he led Michigan to the 1989 NCAA championship. Rice became a three-time NBA All-Star, won the 1997 NBA All-Star Game MVP Award and later won the 2000 NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Nine All-Stars: Nine members of the 1989 draft class eventually appeared in an NBA All-Star Game: B.J. Armstrong, Dana Barros, Mookie Blaylock, Vlade Divac, Sean Elliott, Tim Hardaway, Shawn Kemp, Glen Rice and Clifford Robinson.

Tim Hardaway: Golden State selected Hardaway 14th overall out of UTEP. He became the point guard of the Warriors' famous "Run TMC" trio alongside Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin and earned five NBA All-Star selections during his career.

Hall of Fame: Hardaway was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022. His career included five All-Star selections and five All-NBA selections.

Shawn Kemp: Seattle selected Kemp 17th overall after he had enrolled at Trinity Valley Community College but never played a college game. Kemp developed into one of the league's most spectacular power forwards, earning six consecutive All-Star selections from 1993 through 1998.

Seattle's first round: The SuperSonics made two consecutive selections at Nos. 16 and 17, taking Dana Barros and Shawn Kemp. Both became NBA All-Stars. Barros later enjoyed his best seasons with Philadelphia, while Kemp became a cornerstone of the Seattle teams that reached the 1996 NBA Finals.

B.J. Armstrong: Chicago selected Armstrong 18th overall out of Iowa. He became a key member of the Bulls' first three championship teams and earned an NBA All-Star selection during the 1993-94 season.

Vlade Divac: The Lakers selected Yugoslavian center Vlade Divac 26th overall. Divac immediately joined the NBA and developed into one of the most successful international players of his generation.

International legacy: Divac became an NBA All-Star and later starred for the Sacramento Kings. His career and international accomplishments eventually earned him induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Dino Rađa: Boston selected Croatian star Dino Rađa with the 40th overall pick. Rađa remained in Europe before joining the Celtics in 1993 and averaged 16.7 points and 8.4 rebounds during his four NBA seasons. His international career helped earn him induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Clifford Robinson: Portland found one of the draft's biggest bargains at No. 36. Robinson played 18 NBA seasons, earned an All-Star selection in 1994 and won the 1993 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.

Second-round value: The second round produced several players who enjoyed lengthy NBA careers. Sherman Douglas went No. 28 to Miami, Clifford Robinson No. 36 to Portland, Doug West No. 38 to Minnesota, Dino Rađa No. 40 to Boston, Chucky Brown No. 43 to Cleveland and Haywoode Workman No. 49 to Atlanta.

Sherman Douglas: Miami opened the second round by selecting Syracuse point guard Sherman Douglas at No. 28. Douglas made the NBA All-Rookie First Team and played 12 seasons in the league.

Chucky Brown: Cleveland selected Brown 43rd overall. He went on to play for 12 NBA franchises, tying the league record at the time for the most teams represented by one player during an NBA career.

Haywoode Workman: Atlanta selected Workman with the 49th pick. After his playing career ended, Workman became an NBA referee, making him one of the relatively rare former NBA players to later officiate league games.

Expansion history: Minnesota and Orlando participated in the draft for the first time before beginning play in the 1989-90 season. Minnesota selected Pooh Richardson at No. 10 and Orlando selected Nick Anderson at No. 11, making them the first draft selections in the histories of the two franchises.

Nick Anderson: Anderson became one of Orlando's most important early players. He spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Magic and remained with the franchise through its rise from expansion team to the 1995 NBA Finals.

Draft-night pick movement: Seattle acquired the No. 16 selection from Golden State on draft day and used it on Dana Barros. Chicago had acquired the No. 18 selection from Seattle one day earlier in exchange for Brad Sellers and used the pick on B.J. Armstrong.

Prime-time draft: The 1989 NBA Draft was televised nationally in prime time, another indication of how quickly the draft was developing from a league transaction event into a major part of the NBA calendar.

54 selections: With 27 franchises and the newly adopted two-round format, the draft contained 54 selections. Basketball-Reference records 48 of those 54 players as eventually appearing in the NBA.