NBA Draft: Top 5 value picks of the last 5 years
Wasting a top-end draft pick on a player that ultimately ends up being an NBA bust can set franchises back, cost executives and coaches their jobs, and incite vitriol among an angry fanbase.
Those disappointments are mocked and remembered for generations.
But on the other, less memorable end of the spectrum are players selected lower in the draft that end up taking the Association by storm, infusing the franchises that select them with an unexpected jolt.
Nabbing a star with a later pick is even more significant in a salary cap world, where star talent on a controlled, rookie scale contract offers some of the most value in the game. And the later the pick, the lesser the cap-hit.
Today we remember the best value picks of the five most recent drafts.
2013 - No. 27: Denver Nuggets select Rudy Gobert (traded to Utah Jazz in exchange for No. 46 pick - Erick Green - and cash)
It's unlikely either the Utah Jazz or Denver Nuggets knew the caliber of talent that would eventually be included in their agreement to swap picks 27 and 43, but two years later, there's no denying Rudy Gobert's place among the most promising big men in the league.
Gobert's minutes just about tripled from his rookie season to his sophomore campaign in 2014-15, with the 22-year-old French center limiting opponents to a league-low 40.4-percent shooting at the rim, blocking a league-high seven percent of opposing 2-point shots, and posting a top-seven rebound rate of 20.7 percent.
Gobert's mobility also makes him more than adaptable enough to thrive in today's NBA, giving Utah a legitimate franchise center to move forward with. That's not usually available by the time the 27th pick is on the clock.
2012 - No. 35: Golden State Warriors select Draymond Green
True story, the Golden State Warriors originally acquired this pick, along with Troy Murphy, by trading Brandan Wright and Dan Gadzuric to the Nets.
When they made the selection in 2012, the Warriors were coming off of a 23-43 season and had made the playoffs once in the previous 18 years.
Within three years, that 35th pick would evolve into one the most versatile defensive players alive, a runner-up for both Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player, and an integral component of a 67-win, championship juggernaut.
Sure, the Warriors will likely be paying Draymond Green maximum dollars by the time next season tips off, but by virtue of his second-round status, Green earned less than $2.7 million over his first three seasons combined.
That's value.
2011 - No. 60: Sacramento Kings select Isaiah Thomas
The last pick of the 2011 NBA Draft begins a trio of 2011 selections to round out our top-five value picks of the last five years.
The 60th pick in a two-round format - Mr. Irrelevant, as its sometimes dubbed - is often a longshot to even ever suit up in an NBA game, let alone become a serviceable NBA rotation player.
Of the last five No. 60 selections, two - Janis Timma and Dwayne Collins - have yet to break into the Association, while two others - Cory Jefferson and Robert Sacre - have combined for 883 points in 2,957 minutes.
Isaiah Thomas, the 2015 Sixth Man of the Year runner-up, has scored 4,415 points in 8,000 minutes played over his first four seasons, posting a true shooting percentage of 57.5 and a player efficiency rating of 19.1.
2011 - No. 30: Chicago Bulls select Jimmy Butler
Of the 60 players drafted in 2011, Jimmy Butler ranks second in career win shares, second in win shares per 48 minutes, and 10th in career PER.
In 2014-15, while making little more than $2 million in the final year of his rookie-scale contract, Butler averaged 20 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.8 steals while logging a league-high 38.7 minutes per game, earning his second consecutive All-Defensive Team selection and the Most Improved Player award.
The value in Butler's first four seasons is even more incredible when you consider that the Chicago Bulls selected him after winning a league-best 62 games and advancing to the 2011 Eastern Conference Final.
2011 - No. 15: Indiana Pacers select Kawhi Leonard (traded to San Antonio Spurs in exchange for George Hill)
Perhaps stretching a list about value picks to include a top-15 selection is a bit much, but it shouldn't be. The San Antonio Spurs got an All-Star caliber talent, a future Finals MVP, and future Defensive Player of the Year - who may well have been a top-10 overall player this season - with a pick outside of the lottery.
Kawhi Leonard's also the only member of the 2011 draft class to produce more career win shares - and win shares per-48 - than the aforementioned Butler, and he's made less than $8.4 million over the course of his four-year rookie scale deal.
If that's not value, what in God's name is?