The 2008 NBA Draft produced an impressive collection of NBA talent
led by Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love. The class also
included Brook Lopez, Serge Ibaka, DeAndre Jordan, Goran Dragić,
Roy Hibbert, Eric Gordon, Nicolas Batum and several other players
who enjoyed long NBA careers.
The draft was particularly strong at point guard and center. Rose
became the youngest MVP in NBA history, Westbrook later won an MVP
award of his own, and Love developed into an All-Star and NBA
champion. Several productive players were also found deep in the
second round.
Teams listed below are the teams credited with making each original
draft selection. Several picks were traded on draft night.
2008 NBA Draft - First Round
| Pick |
Team |
Player |
Pos. |
| 1 | Chicago Bulls | Derrick Rose | PG |
| 2 | Miami Heat | Michael Beasley | PF |
| 3 | Minnesota Timberwolves | O.J. Mayo | SG |
| 4 | Seattle SuperSonics | Russell Westbrook | PG |
| 5 | Memphis Grizzlies | Kevin Love | PF |
| 6 | New York Knicks | Danilo Gallinari | SF |
| 7 | Los Angeles Clippers | Eric Gordon | SG |
| 8 | Milwaukee Bucks | Joe Alexander | SF |
| 9 | Charlotte Bobcats | D.J. Augustin | PG |
| 10 | New Jersey Nets | Brook Lopez | C |
| 11 | Indiana Pacers | Jerryd Bayless | PG |
| 12 | Sacramento Kings | Jason Thompson | PF |
| 13 | Portland Trail Blazers | Brandon Rush | SG |
| 14 | Golden State Warriors | Anthony Randolph | PF |
| 15 | Phoenix Suns | Robin Lopez | C |
| 16 | Philadelphia 76ers | Marreese Speights | PF |
| 17 | Toronto Raptors | Roy Hibbert | C |
| 18 | Washington Wizards | JaVale McGee | C |
| 19 | Cleveland Cavaliers | J.J. Hickson | PF |
| 20 | Charlotte Bobcats | Alexis Ajinça | C |
| 21 | New Jersey Nets | Ryan Anderson | PF |
| 22 | Orlando Magic | Courtney Lee | SG |
| 23 | Utah Jazz | Kosta Koufos | C |
| 24 | Seattle SuperSonics | Serge Ibaka | PF |
| 25 | Houston Rockets | Nicolas Batum | SF |
| 26 | San Antonio Spurs | George Hill | PG |
| 27 | New Orleans Hornets | Darrell Arthur | PF |
| 28 | Memphis Grizzlies | Donte Greene | SF |
| 29 | Detroit Pistons | D.J. White | PF |
| 30 | Boston Celtics | J.R. Giddens | SG |
2008 NBA Draft - Second Round
| Pick |
Team |
Player |
Pos. |
| 31 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Nikola Peković | C |
| 32 | Seattle SuperSonics | Walter Sharpe | PF |
| 33 | Portland Trail Blazers | Joey Dorsey | PF |
| 34 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Mario Chalmers | PG |
| 35 | Los Angeles Clippers | DeAndre Jordan | C |
| 36 | Portland Trail Blazers | Ömer Aşık | C |
| 37 | Milwaukee Bucks | Luc Mbah a Moute | SF |
| 38 | Charlotte Bobcats | Kyle Weaver | SG |
| 39 | Chicago Bulls | Sonny Weems | SG |
| 40 | New Jersey Nets | Chris Douglas-Roberts | SG |
| 41 | Indiana Pacers | Nathan Jawai | C |
| 42 | Sacramento Kings | Sean Singletary | PG |
| 43 | Sacramento Kings | Patrick Ewing Jr. | SF |
| 44 | Utah Jazz | Ante Tomić | C |
| 45 | San Antonio Spurs | Goran Dragić | PG |
| 46 | Seattle SuperSonics | Trent Plaisted | PF |
| 47 | Washington Wizards | Bill Walker | SF |
| 48 | Phoenix Suns | Malik Hairston | SG |
| 49 | Golden State Warriors | Richard Hendrix | PF |
| 50 | Seattle SuperSonics | DeVon Hardin | C |
| 51 | Dallas Mavericks | Shan Foster | SG |
| 52 | Miami Heat | Darnell Jackson | PF |
| 53 | Utah Jazz | Tadija Dragićević | PF |
| 54 | Houston Rockets | Maarty Leunen | PF |
| 55 | Portland Trail Blazers | Mike Taylor | PG |
| 56 | Seattle SuperSonics | Sasha Kaun | C |
| 57 | San Antonio Spurs | James Gist | PF |
| 58 | Los Angeles Lakers | Joe Crawford | SG |
| 59 | Detroit Pistons | Deron Washington | SF |
| 60 | Boston Celtics | Semih Erden | C |
2008 NBA Draft Notes
Derrick Rose: Chicago selected hometown star Derrick
Rose first overall after his freshman season at Memphis. Rose won
Rookie of the Year and became the youngest player in NBA history to
win the league's Most Valuable Player Award.
Russell Westbrook: Seattle selected Westbrook fourth
overall out of UCLA. The selection came shortly before the
SuperSonics franchise relocated to Oklahoma City. Westbrook became
an NBA MVP and one of the most productive guards of his generation.
Kevin Love: Memphis selected Love fifth overall,
while Minnesota selected O.J. Mayo third. Their draft rights were
exchanged as part of a major draft-night trade. Love went on to
become a multiple-time All-Star and an NBA champion.
Seattle's final draft: The 2008 draft was the final
draft conducted under the Seattle SuperSonics name before the
franchise relocated to Oklahoma City. Seattle selected Russell
Westbrook fourth and Serge Ibaka 24th, two players who became major
pieces of the Thunder's early success.
Second-round value: The second round produced several
longtime NBA players. DeAndre Jordan was selected 35th, Ömer Aşık
36th, Luc Mbah a Moute 37th, Goran Dragić 45th and Mario Chalmers
34th. Jordan and Dragić eventually became NBA All-Stars, while
Chalmers became a two-time NBA champion with Miami.
International talent: The draft featured a large
international group that included Danilo Gallinari, Serge Ibaka,
Nicolas Batum, Nikola Peković, Ömer Aşık, Goran Dragić, Ante Tomić,
Semih Erden and several other international prospects.
