What happened to the top 5 players taken in the 2007 NBA draft?
The 2007 NBA draft had it all. Future superstars, role players, sleeper second-round picks, and of course, its fair share of busts. While most NBA careers span about 4-and-a-half years, this class showed it was a draft for the ages as four out of the first five players who were drafted are still on an NBA roster 17 years later.
1st pick: Greg Oden
As the top pick of the draft, expectations were high on Oden after a dominant freshman season at Ohio State. However, his career would be marred by injuries from the start. After missing his entire first season to get microfracture surgery on his right knee, Oden showed up the next season out of shape. He’d eventually miss three consecutive seasons to get surgery on his knees. Over his six-year tenure with the Blazers, Oden only played in 82 games. He’d get one last shot to save his career when he signed with the Heat, but he was never the same. Oden’s NBA career eventually flamed out in 2014 and will be more notoriously known as the man picked ahead of Kevin Durant.
2nd pick: Kevin Durant
This name needs no introductions. 17 years later, Durant is still one of the top players in the league. While he’s experienced his fair share of controversy for joining multiple super teams, one thing you can’t deny is that he remains one of the most unstoppable offensive forces in the game. Since his time with the Supersonics/ Thunder, Durant has played for three more teams. As of 2024, Durant plays for the Phoenix Suns.
3rd pick: Al Horford
Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
Another player still making an impact from this draft class is the reliable Al Horford. Similar to his college days, once Horford transitioned to the pros, he showed he was a true winner. After missing the playoffs for eight consecutive seasons, the Hawks would eventually become an 8th seed in Horford’s first season. To nobody’s surprise, in Horford’s nine seasons with the Hawks, the team also never failed to make the playoffs. Since his time in Atlanta, Horford has played for three different teams and just won his first championship with the Boston Celtics in 2024.
4th pick: Mike Conley Jr.
The Memphis Grizzlies knew exactly what they were getting when they took Conley at No. 4. As a team that desperately needed a leader and playmaker after the departure of Pau Gasol, Conley showed he was the solution. He was the first piece to the puzzle in their rebuild and ushered in one of the most exciting eras (grit n grind) in its franchise’s history. One of the most impressive stats he’ll ever have is that he’s yet to pick up a technical foul. The only time it nearly happened was during a game against the Sacramento Kings in 2014… But the league rescinded it a day later.
5th pick: Jeff Green
By the 5th season of Green’s career, his playing days were in jeopardy after he had to get open-heart surgery in 2012. But after a year of recovery, Green never missed a beat. He’d play 81 games a season later and is still one of the more reliable role players in the game. While Green had more of a “journeyman” type career, his patience did pay off, winning his first NBA title during the 16th season of his career with the Denver Nuggets.
The post What happened to the top 5 players taken in the 2007 NBA draft? appeared first on ClutchPoints.
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