NBA Teams with the Most No. 1 Overall Draft Picks on One Roster
Throughout NBA history, many championship teams have been built around elite talent, but only a handful of rosters have featured multiple No. 1 overall draft picks at the same time. This list looks at the NBA teams that had the most former first overall selections sharing the same roster.
To qualify, each player must have been selected No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft (territorial selections are excluded), and every player listed must have appeared in at least one regular-season game with the team.
1959–60 Minneapolis Lakers (5 No. 1 Overall Picks)
The record belongs to the 1959–60 Minneapolis Lakers, who featured an incredible five former No. 1 overall draft picks:
- Elgin Baylor
- Hot Rod Hundley
- Chuck Share
- Ray Felix
- Frank Selvy
Although this star-studded roster reached the Western Division Finals, it fell short of an NBA Finals appearance. Remarkably, all five players had been selected first overall within a six-year span. After Chuck Share departed, the Lakers still carried four No. 1 picks on their roster for the next two seasons.
1986–89 Los Angeles Lakers (4 No. 1 Overall Picks)
Perhaps the most famous team on this list, the Showtime Lakers featured four No. 1 overall selections:
- Magic Johnson
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- James Worthy
- Mychal Thompson
Los Angeles reached the NBA Finals in each of their three seasons together, winning championships in 1987 and 1988. Between 1982 and 1991, the Lakers always featured at least three former No. 1 overall picks, with Thompson joining during the 1986–87 season.
1970–71 Milwaukee Bucks (3 No. 1 Overall Picks)
The Milwaukee Bucks captured their first NBA championship with three former No. 1 selections:
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lew Alcindor)
- Oscar Robertson*
- Bob Boozer
Although Oscar Robertson was not a No. 1 overall draft pick, he was the first overall territorial selection in 1960. Since territorial picks are excluded from this list, the Bucks technically featured only two official No. 1 NBA Draft picks. However, they remain one of the most talented teams ever assembled.
1984–86 Houston Rockets (3 No. 1 Overall Picks)
Houston's famous "Twin Towers" teams featured:
- Ralph Sampson
- Hakeem Olajuwon (then Akeem Olajuwon)
- John Lucas
The Rockets reached the 1986 NBA Finals behind the dominant frontcourt of Sampson and Olajuwon before falling to the legendary Boston Celtics.
1963–65 New York Knicks (3 No. 1 Overall Picks)
The Knicks had three former top picks on consecutive rosters, although the third player changed:
- Bob Boozer
- Bill McGill
- Art Heyman (1963–64)
- Jim Barnes (1964–65)
Bill McGill appeared on both Knicks teams before later joining another franchise on this list.
1962–64 Chicago Zephyrs / Baltimore Bullets (3 No. 1 Overall Picks)
The franchise that eventually became today's Washington Wizards featured:
- Walt Bellamy
- Bill McGill
- Si Green
Although Bellamy was one of the league's premier centers, the team struggled to translate its talent into playoff success before relocating to Baltimore.
2017–19 Minnesota Timberwolves (3 No. 1 Overall Picks)
Minnesota briefly assembled three former top selections:
- Derrick Rose
- Andrew Wiggins
- Karl-Anthony Towns
The highlight came when Derrick Rose scored a career-high 50 points during the 2018–19 season. Interestingly, Anthony Bennett never appeared in a game alongside both Wiggins and Towns despite several trades involving former Cavaliers and Timberwolves players.
1997–98 & 2003–04 Philadelphia 76ers (3 No. 1 Overall Picks)
Two different Philadelphia teams featured three former top selections:
- Allen Iverson
- Derrick Coleman
- Joe Smith (1997–98)
- Glenn Robinson (2003–04)
Despite the impressive draft pedigree, neither roster advanced far in the playoffs, and the 2003–04 team missed the postseason altogether.
2019–20 Los Angeles Lakers (3 No. 1 Overall Picks)
The eventual 2020 NBA champions featured:
- LeBron James
- Anthony Davis
- Dwight Howard
The veteran trio helped lead the Lakers to the 2020 NBA Championship inside the NBA Bubble, adding another title to one of the league's most decorated franchises.
2016–17 Cleveland Cavaliers (3 No. 1 Overall Picks)
The Cavaliers briefly featured:
- LeBron James
- Kyrie Irving
- Andrew Bogut
Unfortunately, Bogut suffered a season-ending injury just one minute into his Cavaliers debut. As a result, the trio technically shared the court for only a single minute, making this one of the shortest-lived collections of No. 1 overall picks in NBA history.
2025–26 Washington Wizards (3 No. 1 Overall Picks)
The 2025–26 Washington Wizards joined this exclusive list after assembling three former No. 1 overall draft picks:
- Anthony Davis (2012)
- Deandre Ayton (2018)
- AJ Dybantsa* (2025)
Washington acquired veteran stars Anthony Davis and Deandre Ayton to complement rookie sensation AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The trio gave the Wizards one of the most intriguing collections of top overall selections in league history, combining championship experience, veteran leadership, and one of basketball's brightest young prospects.
Whether this group can translate its talent into sustained playoff success remains to be seen, but the 2026–27 Wizards became one of the few teams in NBA history to feature three former No. 1 overall picks on the same roster.
Honorable Mentions
Several other NBA teams have featured multiple former No. 1 overall picks, but injuries, trades, or short tenures prevented them from matching the record set by the Minneapolis Lakers. As player movement continues to increase through free agency and trades, future superteams could challenge this unique NBA record.
Final Thoughts
While having multiple No. 1 overall draft picks doesn't guarantee championships, it certainly creates memorable rosters. From the five first-overall selections on the 1959–60 Minneapolis Lakers to the championship-winning Showtime Lakers and modern superteams, these teams represent some of the most talent-rich lineups in NBA history.
*Note: Territorial draft picks are excluded from the official rankings, even though players like Oscar Robertson were selected through that system before the modern NBA Draft format.
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