2004 NBA Draft

The 2004 NBA Draft produced one of the most dominant centers of his generation in Dwight Howard, along with a deep group of longtime NBA players. Howard was selected first overall directly out of high school, while Charlotte used the second selection on Connecticut center Emeka Okafor.

The class also produced Luol Deng, Andre Iguodala, Devin Harris, Jameer Nelson, Al Jefferson, Josh Smith, JR Smith, Kevin Martin, Tony Allen and several other players who enjoyed lengthy NBA careers. Howard, Deng, Harris, Iguodala and Nelson all became NBA All-Stars.

Teams listed below are the teams credited with making each original draft selection. Several picks were traded on draft night. The 2004 draft contained only 59 selections because Minnesota did not have a first-round pick.

Dwight Howard: Orlando selected Howard first overall directly out of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy. He developed into one of the dominant centers of his generation, winning three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year Awards and leading Orlando to the 2009 NBA Finals before later winning an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Charlotte's first draft: The expansion Charlotte Bobcats selected Emeka Okafor second overall, making the Connecticut star the first rookie draft selection in franchise history. Okafor went on to win the 2004-05 NBA Rookie of the Year Award.

Luol Deng: Phoenix selected Deng seventh overall and traded his draft rights to Chicago. Deng became a two-time All-Star with the Bulls and developed into one of the most productive players from the 2004 class.

Andre Iguodala: Philadelphia selected Iguodala ninth overall out of Arizona. He became an All-Star with the 76ers and later played a major role in Golden State's championship teams, winning the 2015 NBA Finals MVP Award.

Jameer Nelson: Denver selected Nelson 20th overall before trading his draft rights to Orlando. Nelson became an All-Star and spent a decade with the Magic, including their run to the 2009 NBA Finals.

High school selections: The 2004 class reflected the NBA's pre-age-limit era. Dwight Howard, Shaun Livingston, Robert Swift, Sebastian Telfair, Al Jefferson, Josh Smith and JR Smith were among the players selected directly from high school.

Late first-round value: Several productive players were found late in the opening round. Boston selected defensive standout Tony Allen at No. 25, while Sacramento selected Kevin Martin at No. 26. San Antonio selected Beno Udrih at No. 28.

Second-round value: Anderson Varejão was selected 30th overall by Orlando, Chris Duhon went 38th to Chicago and Trevor Ariza went 43rd to New York. Ariza enjoyed a long NBA career and became an important member of the Lakers' 2009 championship team.

59 selections: Unlike a normal 60-pick NBA Draft, the 2004 draft contained only 59 selections. Minnesota had forfeited a first-round draft pick as part of the penalties stemming from the Joe Smith salary-cap case.

International class: International selections included Andris Biedriņš, Pavel Podkolzin, Viktor Khryapa, Sergei Monia, Sasha Vujačić, Beno Udrih, Anderson Varejão, Albert Miralles, Viktor Sanikidze, Ha Seung-Jin, Serhiy Lishchuk and Vassilis Spanoulis.