National Basketball Association

The Numbers: Breaking down the 2021 NBA Draft

Published Jul. 28, 2021 11:01 a.m. ET

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Whether it's odds for teams heading into the lottery or the number of picks a team owns, the NBA Draft always comes down to the numbers.

Here are a few key numbers to keep in mind heading into Thursday night that not only have implications on this draft, but also reflect the past and impact the future:

0: Oklahoma State and USC have never had a No. 1 overall pick. Each program has a chance to get on the board with the Cowboys' Cade Cunningham and the Trojans' Evan Mobley both in discussions to be the first overall pick by the Detroit Pistons.

0: The number of draft picks that the Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves have in this draft.

1: Gonzaga and USC have each had just one player drafted in the top five of an NBA Draft: The Zags' Adam Morrison was selected third overall in 2006, and the Trojans' O.J. Mayo was picked third overall in 2008. Gonzaga's Jalen Suggs and USC's Mobley are both projected to be selected in the top five of this draft.

2: There are two teams that have three first-round picks in the 2021 NBA Draft: the Oklahoma City Thunder (Picks 6, 16, and 18) and the Houston Rockets (Picks 2, 23, and 24).

3: The Pistons have the No. 1 overall pick for the third time in franchise history. The last time was in 1970, when they selected Bob Lanier.

4: The number of No. 1 picks from Duke, the most of any school. Blue Devils freshman forward Jalen Johnson is a projected first-round pick, but is not in the running to be selected first overall.

6: The total number of picks owned by the Thunder in this draft, the most of any team.

9: The total number of All-NBA selections who were No. 1 overall picks from the past 10 drafts. This is more All-NBA selections than picks 2-5 combined (eight) in that same time span. Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis, the first overall pick in the 2012 draft, has been selected to four All-NBA teams.

11: Kentucky has had multiple players taken in the first round in 11 consecutive drafts. It's the only school to accomplish the feat since the NBA Draft moved to two rounds in 1989. Guards Tyrese Maxey and Immanuel Quickley were taken in the first round of the 2020 draft by the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks, respectively.

18: The Thunder not only have a treasure trove of picks in this draft, but also for the foreseeable future. The franchise owns 18 draft picks over the next seven NBA drafts, the most of any team.

41: Nikola Jokic was selected with the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. This season he became the first player drafted in the second round to win NBA MVP in the common draft era, which began in 1966. 

Moses Malone, who won three MVPs, started his career in the ABA and is technically considered an undrafted NBA player.

54: The number of first-round picks from Kentucky, the most of any school.

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National Basketball Association

Los Angeles Lakers

Detroit Pistons

Evan Mobley

Jalen Suggs

Gonzaga Bulldogs

USC Trojans

Oklahoma State Cowboys

Kentucky Wildcats

Duke Blue Devils

Jalen Johnson

Anthony Davis

Houston Rockets