2009 NBA Draft

The 2009 NBA Draft produced one of the most accomplished groups of guards of its era. Blake Griffin was selected first overall, while James Harden went third to Oklahoma City and Stephen Curry was selected seventh by Golden State. The class also included DeMar DeRozan, Jrue Holiday, Ricky Rubio, Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, Jeff Teague and several other longtime NBA players.

The draft became especially notable for the value found outside the top selections. Curry became a multiple-time NBA MVP and centerpiece of Golden State's championship teams, while Harden also won NBA MVP honors. Jrue Holiday, selected 17th, developed into an All-Star and championship-winning guard.

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

Blake Griffin: The Los Angeles Clippers selected Griffin first overall after his sophomore season at Oklahoma. Griffin became the 2010-11 NBA Rookie of the Year and developed into a multiple-time NBA All-Star.

Stephen Curry: Golden State selected Curry seventh overall out of Davidson. He developed into one of the defining players of his generation, winning multiple NBA MVP awards and championships while becoming the centerpiece of the Warriors' championship era.

James Harden: Oklahoma City selected Harden third overall out of Arizona State. Harden later became an NBA MVP and one of the league's most prolific scorers and playmakers.

Loaded guard class: The 2009 draft produced an exceptional collection of guards. In addition to Curry and Harden, the class included DeMar DeRozan, Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, Ricky Rubio, Ty Lawson, Jeff Teague, Darren Collison and Patrick Mills.

Second-round value: Several productive NBA players were selected in the second round, including DeJuan Blair at No. 37, Patrick Beverley at No. 42, Danny Green at No. 46 and Patrick Mills at No. 55. Green and Mills both became important contributors on NBA championship teams.

International selections: The class included a large group of international prospects, including Ricky Rubio, Víctor Claver, Omri Casspi, Rodrigue Beaubois, Sergio Llull, Jonas Jerebko, Henk Norel, Sergiy Gladyr, Nando de Colo and Emir Preldžić.