1998 NBA draft


The 1998 NBA draft took place on June 24, 1998, at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This draft helped turn around three struggling franchises: the Dallas Mavericks, the Sacramento Kings, and the Toronto Raptors.
The Mavericks, despite having a talented nucleus of Jason Kidd, Jamal Mashburn and Jimmy Jackson in the mid-1990s, had not had a winning season since 1989-90, which was also the last time they made the playoffs. By the end of the 1997 season, all three players were traded and it was time to rebuild. With the sixth selection in 1998, they drafted Robert Traylor and quickly traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks for Dirk Nowitzki and Pat Garrity. They then traded Garrity in a package to the Phoenix Suns for Steve Nash. With Nash and Nowitzki, the Mavericks quickly went from a lottery team in the late 1990s to a perennial playoff contender throughout the 2000s. Nowitzki went on to win the 2011 NBA Finals with Dallas without Nash, but with Kidd.
Meanwhile, the Raptors were a recent expansion team that had failed to win more than 30 games in its first three seasons. With the fourth pick they selected Antawn Jamison, whom they quickly dealt to the Golden State Warriors for Vince Carter.
First overall pick Michael Olowokandi from mid-major University of the Pacific is regarded by Sports Illustrated as one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history. As of February 2019, he is the last top selection to come out of a university that is considered mid-major.
Five players from the 1998 draft class have played in the NBA All-Star Game at least once in their careers: Nowitzki, Carter, Jamison, Paul Pierce and Rashard Lewis. All of them have reached the 20,000 points plateau during their careers except for Lewis.
Carter retired in 2020, making him the last active player drafted in the 1990s to retire. He’s also one of only seven players to play at least 20 seasons in the NBA as well as being the only player to play in 4 decades. Nowitzki retired in April 2019 and remained with the Mavericks for his entire career, making him the only person to ever play 21 seasons with one team.
Seven members of the 1998 draft class are currently in Ice Cube's BIG3 Basketball League: #2 pick Mike Bibby and #21 pick Ricky Davis, #11 pick Bonzi Wells, #25 pick Al Harrington, #32 pick Rashard Lewis, #41 pick Cuttino Mobley, and Mike James, who went undrafted. Jason Williams played in the league's first season with the Ghost Ballers, but suffered an injury and would be out for the rest of the season.

Draft selections

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityNBA teamSchool/Club team
11C
Los Angeles ClippersPacific
12PGUnited StatesVancouver GrizzliesArizona
13C/FUnited StatesDenver NuggetsKansas
14+FUnited StatesToronto Raptors North Carolina
15*~G/FUnited StatesGolden State Warriors North Carolina
16F/CUnited StatesDallas Mavericks Michigan
17PGUnited StatesSacramento KingsFlorida
18SGUnited StatesPhiladelphia 76ersSaint Louis
19*PFGermanyMilwaukee Bucks DJK Würzburg
110*G/FUnited StatesBoston CelticsKansas
111G/FUnited StatesDetroit PistonsBall State
112CUnited StatesOrlando MagicUtah
113F/CUnited StatesOrlando Magic UNLV
114SGUnited StatesHouston RocketsArizona
115F/GUnited StatesOrlando Magic Georgia Tech
116PGUnited StatesHouston Rockets Valparaiso
117CMinnesota TimberwolvesKinder Bologna
118PFHouston Rockets Efes Pilsen
119PFUnited StatesMilwaukee Bucks Notre Dame
120SFUnited StatesAtlanta HawksDuke
121G/FUnited StatesCharlotte HornetsIowa
122F/CUnited StatesLos Angeles Clippers Baylor
123PGUnited StatesDenver Nuggets Nebraska
124SGSan Antonio Spurs St. John's
125FUnited StatesIndiana PacersSt. Patrick's High School
126SGUnited StatesLos Angeles LakersMinnesota
127C GeorgiaSeattle SuperSonicsOlimpija Ljubljana
128SGUnited StatesChicago BullsOregon State
129C/FUnited StatesUtah Jazz Kentucky
230SFUnited StatesDallas Mavericks Mississippi
231SFUnited StatesLos Angeles Lakers Cincinnati
232+PFUnited StatesSeattle SuperSonics Alief Elsik HS
233F/CUnited StatesSeattle SuperSonics UCLA
234PGUnited StatesChicago Bulls North Carolina
235CDallas MavericksSplit
236CUnited StatesSacramento KingsFlorida A&M
237CUnited StatesPhiladelphia 76ersToledo
238PFUnited StatesNew York Knicks Charlotte
239PGUnited StatesMilwaukee BucksFresno State
240SFUnited StatesDetroit PistonsHargrave Military Academy
241SGUnited StatesHouston RocketsRhode Island
242SGUnited StatesOrlando MagicArizona
243F/CUnited StatesWashington WizardsGeorgetown
244PFNew ZealandNew York KnicksCalifornia
245SGUnited StatesLos Angeles Lakers UCLA
246SFUnited StatesMinnesota TimberwolvesIndiana
247PGUnited StatesToronto RaptorsRhode Island
248CUnited StatesCleveland CavaliersSouth Carolina
249SGUnited StatesAtlanta HawksTexas Tech
250#CCharlotte HornetsLong Beach State
251PGUnited StatesMiami HeatOklahoma
252SGUnited StatesSan Antonio SpursEastern Michigan
253SGUnited StatesDallas Mavericks Clemson
254SFUnited StatesDenver Nuggets Fresno State
255SFUnited StatesDenver Nuggets Iowa
256SFUnited StatesVancouver Grizzlies UCLA
257PFUnited StatesUtah JazzXavier
258PFUnited StatesChicago BullsMichigan

Notable undrafted players

These players were not selected in the 1998 NBA Draft but have played at least one game in the NBA.
PlayerPositionNationalitySchool/Club team
PGUnited StatesEastern Michigan
SGUnited StatesPepperdine
PGUnited StatesHawaii
PF/CUnited StatesPrinceton
PGUnited StatesDuquesne
PGMaryland
SGUnited StatesLIU Brooklyn
SFUnited StatesUCF
SGUnited StatesSouthern Miss
PFBudivelnyk Kiev
+CUnited StatesPurdue
SFUnited StatesUNLV
CSaint Vincent