2004 NBA draft


The 2004 NBA draft was held on June 24, 2004, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and was broadcast live on ESPN at 7:00 pm. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players. The NBA announced that 56 college and high school players and 38 international players had filed as early-entry candidates for the 2004 draft. On May 26, the NBA draft lottery was conducted for the teams that did not make the NBA Playoffs in the 2003–04 NBA season. The Orlando Magic, who had a 25 percent chance of obtaining the first selection, won the lottery, while the Los Angeles Clippers and the Chicago Bulls Were second and third respectively. As an expansion team, the Charlotte Bobcats had been assigned the fourth selection in the draft and did not participate in the lottery. The Minnesota Timberwolves forfeited their first-round pick due to salary cap violations.
By the end of the draft, around 40% of the players selected in it were born from countries outside the United States. It would remain the highest influx of international players selected in the modern NBA draft era until the 2016 NBA draft, where almost half of the selected players were born in countries outside the US. In addition, four of the players selected in the draft were Russians, which not only marked the highest number of players born in that region to be taken in one draft, but also was the highest representation of a country in one draft until 2016 when five Frenchmen would be taken in the draft.
After the completion of the regular season, Emeka Okafor, the Bobcats' historical first rookie draft pick back when they were considered an expansion franchise, was named Rookie of the Year, while Ben Gordon earned the Sixth Man Award, becoming the first rookie in NBA history to do so.
Dwight Howard has become an eight-time All-Star and has received seven All-NBA selections, and a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He also had the distinction as the only NBA player straight out of high school to start all 82 games as a rookie. There are also four other players that would be named All-Stars at some point in their careers, and Al Jefferson would be named to an All-NBA team. The draft is also notable for many high schoolers being drafted within a few picks from each other.

Draft selections

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityTeamSchool/club team
11*C/PFUnited StatesOrlando MagicSouthwest Atlanta Christian Academy
12~PF/CUnited StatesCharlotte Bobcats Connecticut
13Ben GordonSGUnited KingdomChicago BullsConnecticut
14PGUnited StatesLos Angeles Clippers Peoria HS
15+PGUnited StatesWashington Wizards Wisconsin
16G/FUnited StatesAtlanta HawksStanford
17*SFUnited Kingdom
Phoenix Suns Duke
18CBrazilToronto RaptorsBYU
19*SFUnited StatesPhiladelphia 76ersArizona
110SFUnited StatesCleveland CavaliersOregon
111CGolden State WarriorsSkonto
112CUnited StatesSeattle SuperSonicsBakersfield HS
113PGUnited StatesPortland Trail BlazersLincoln HS
114PFUnited StatesUtah JazzMinnesota
115xPF/CUnited StatesBoston CelticsPrentiss HS
116SGUnited StatesUtah Jazz Nevada
117SFUnited StatesAtlanta Hawks Oak Hill Academy
118SGUnited StatesNew Orleans HornetsSt. Benedict's Prep
119SFUnited StatesMiami HeatSouth Kent School
120+PGUnited StatesDenver Nuggets Saint Joseph's
121CRussiaUtah Jazz Metis Varese
122SFRussiaNew Jersey Nets CSKA Moscow
123SGRussiaPortland Trail Blazers CSKA Moscow
124PGUnited StatesBoston Celtics Saint Joseph's
125SGUnited StatesBoston Celtics Oklahoma State
126SGUnited StatesSacramento KingsWestern Carolina
127SGLos Angeles LakersSnaidero Udine
128PGSan Antonio SpursBreil Milano
129CUnited StatesIndiana PacersColorado
1–Forfeited PickMinnesota Timberwolves
230CBrazilOrlando Magic FC Barcelona
231CChicago Bulls Iowa State
232CWashington WizardsCaguas
233PGUnited StatesLos Angeles Clippers Xavier
234SFAtlanta HawksSoutheastern Illinois
235F/GUnited StatesSeattle SuperSonics Texas Tech
236PGUnited StatesOrlando Magic Memphis
237PGUnited StatesAtlanta Hawks Texas
238PGUnited StatesChicago Bulls Duke
239#PFSpainToronto Raptors Roseto Basket
240SFUnited StatesBoston CelticsMississippi
241#GUnited StatesSeattle SuperSonicsNorth Carolina Central
242#SFAtlanta Hawks Dijon
243SFUnited StatesNew York KnicksUCLA
244#SGUnited StatesNew Orleans HornetsFlorida State
245SFUnited StatesCharlotte Bobcats Michigan
246CPortland Trail BlazersYonsei University
247PFMiami Heat Cal State Fullerton
248#SGUnited StatesSacramento Kings Morehead State
249#PFMemphis Grizzlies Khimik Yuzhny
250PGDallas Mavericks Maroussi
251#SFNew Jersey NetsFC Barcelona
252#SGSan Antonio Spurs Xavier
253SFMiami Heat Vanderbilt
254#SGUnited StatesDetroit PistonsMissouri
255PGHouston Rockets Manhattan
256#PFLos Angeles LakersProvidence
257#GRussiaSan Antonio SpursSkha Jakutia Yakutsk
258#PGUnited StatesMinnesota TimberwolvesGonzaga
259#GUnited StatesIndiana PacersGeorgia

Notable undrafted players

These players not selected in the draft have played at least one game in the NBA.
PlayerPositionNationalitySchool/club team
CMacedonia AEK Athens 1982
PGUnited StatesSeton Hall
SGUnited StatesCincinnati
C/PFUnited StatesDePaul
C/PFUnited StatesCoastal Christian Academy
SFUnited StatesKentucky
CUnited StatesKent State
SGUnited StatesUSC
SGUnited StatesKentucky
CPaykan Tehran 1985
SFUnited StatesFresno State
CUnited StatesIowa
PFUnited StatesTexas
SFUnited StatesGeorgia