The NBA draft is held annually after the completion of the playoffs. The draft order is determined both by a lottery system (including teams which did not make the NBA playoffs) and regular season won/loss record.
| Year | Winner | For |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Zaccharie Risacher (France) | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2023 | Victor Wembanyama (France) | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2022 | Paolo Banchero (Duke) | Orlando Magic |
| 2021 | Cade Cunningham (Oklahoma State) | Detroit Pistons |
| 2020 | Anthony Edwards (Georgia) | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2019 | Zion Williamson (Duke) | New Orleans Pelicans |
| 2018 | Deandre Ayton (Arizona) | Phoenix Suns |
| 2017 | Markelle Fultz (Washington) | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2016 | Ben Simmons (LSU) | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2015 | Karl-Anthony Towns (Kentucky) | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2014 | Andrew Wiggins (Kansas) | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2013 | Anthony Bennett (UNLV) | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2012 | Anthony Davis (Kentucky) | New Orleans Hornets |
| 2011 | Kyrie Irving (Duke) | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2010 | John Wall (Kentucky) | Washington Wizards |
| 2009 | Blake Griffin (Oklahoma) | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2008 | Derrick Rose (Memphis) | Chicago Bulls |
| 2007 | Greg Oden (Ohio State) | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2006 | Andrea Bargnani (Italy) | Toronto Raptors |
| 2005 | Andrew Bogut (Utah) | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2004 | Dwight Howard (SW Atlanta Christian Academy) | Orlando Magic |
| 2003 | LeBron James (St Vincent-St Mary HS) | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2002 | Yao Ming (China) | Houston Rockets |
| 2001 | Kwame Brown (Glynn Academy) | Washington Wizards |
| 2000 | Kenyon Martin (Cincinnati) | New Jersey Nets |
| 1999 | Elton Brand (Duke) | Chicago Bulls |
| 1998 | Michael Olowokandi (Pacific) | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 1997 | Tim Duncan (Wake Forest) | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1996 | Allen Iverson (Georgetown) | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1995 | Joe Smith (Maryland) | Golden State Warriors |
| 1994 | Glenn Robinson (Purdue) | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1993 | Chris Webber (Michigan) | Orlando Magic |
| 1992 | Shaquille O'Neal (LSU) | Orlando Magic |
| 1991 | Larry Johnson (UNLV) | Charlotte Hornets |
| 1990 | Derrick Coleman (Syracuse) | New Jersey Nets |
| 1989 | Pervis Ellison (Louisville) | Sacramento Kings |
| 1988 | Danny Manning (Kansas) | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 1987 | David Robinson (Navy) | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1986 | Brad Daugherty (North Carolina) | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1985 | Patrick Ewing (Georgetown) | New York Knicks |
| 1984 | Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston) | Houston Rockets |
| 1983 | Ralph Sampson (Virginia) | Houston Rockets |
| 1982 | James Worthy (North Carolina) | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1981 | Mark Aguirre (DePaul) | Dallas Mavericks |
| 1980 | Joe Barry Carroll (Purdue) | Golden State Warriors |
| 1979 | Magic Johnson (Michigan St) | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1978 | Mychal Thompson (Minnesota) | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1977 | Kent Benson (Indiana) | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1976 | John Lucas (Maryland) | Houston Rockets |
| 1975 | David Thompson (NC State) | Atlanta Hawks |
| 1974 | Bill Walton (UCLA) | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1973 | Doug Collins (Illinois State) | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1972 | LaRue Martin (Loyola Illinois) | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1971 | Austin Carr (Notre Dame) | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1970 | Bob Lanier (St Bonaventure) | Detroit Pistons |
| 1969 | Lew Alcindor (UCLA) | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1968 | Elvin Hayes (Houston) | San Diego Rockets |
| 1967 | Jimmy Walker (Providence) | Detroit Pistons |
| 1966 | Cazzie Russell (Michigan) | New York Knicks |
| 1965 | Fred Hetzel (Davidson) | San Francisco Warriors |
| 1964 | Jim Barnes (Texas Western) | New York Knicks |
| 1963 | Art Heyman (Duke) | New York Knicks |
| 1962 | Bill McGill (Utah) | Chicago Zephyrs |
| 1961 | Walt Bellamy (Indiana) | Chicago Packers |
| 1960 | Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati) | Cincinnati Royals |
| 1959 | Bob Boozer (Kansas State) | Cincinnati Royals |
| 1958 | Elgin Baylor (Seattle) | Minneapolis Lakers |
| 1957 | Rod Hundley (West Virginia) | Cincinnati Royals |