The 2013 NBA Draft is an infamous one due to its lack of high-end talent at the time. Even with this unknown, multiple teams made successful swings on international prospects, including the Milwaukee Bucks selecting Greek forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Utah Jazz selecting French big Rudy Gobert. However, not every team was successful in finding their diamond in the rough. Many unknowns remained piled throughout the draft, and it became paramount from the start as teams made some of the worst whiffs of the 2013 NBA Draft.

Five Worst Whiffs in the 2013 NBA Draft
Anthony Bennett (1st overall)

The Cleveland Cavaliers opened the 2013 NBA Draft by making a shocking choice, selecting UNLV forward Anthony Bennett with the No. 1 overall pick. The selection was a surprise to many scouts and other teams. Even with his limited draft hype, Bennett still produced. In Bennett’s single collegiate season for the Rebels, he displayed great three-level scoring potential, averaging 16.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game on incredible efficiency.

However, Bennett’s three-level scoring potential quickly faded as he became the worst whiff in 2013 and one of the biggest busts in NBA draft history. Bennett never showed any flashes during his rookie season, averaging 4.2 points per game on sub-40% from the field and sub-30% from beyond the arc. This marked the second No. 1 overall pick in the past three drafts for Cleveland as they began taking swings during the post-LeBron era.

This particular swing on Bennett didn’t work as he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves after his rookie season in a deal centered around All-NBA forward Kevin Love and 2014 No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins.

Cody Zeller (4th overall)

The Charlotte Bobcats selected Indiana center Cody Zeller with the No. 4 overall pick. The Bobcats were looking to bounce back with yet another lottery selection after their whiff on Michael Kidd-Gilchrist the previous draft. Zeller looked to be a safe prospect who could fortify the future of their center position. During his sophomore season at Indiana, he earned consensus second-team All-American honors, averaging 16.5 points, eight rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game.

However, Zeller’s skill set never translated into a franchise-level talent, marking another top-five whiff for Charlotte. He couldn’t develop an outside shot while his defense never popped as a prospect to begin with, giving him no true advantage as a shot-blocker. Even though his NBA career was disappointing for a top-five pick, Zeller remained with Charlotte for eight seasons where he maximized his talents as a rotational big, averaging 8.7 points and six rebounds per game.

Alex Len (5th overall)

With the following pick, the Phoenix Suns selected another big man prospect in Maryland center Alex Len. In his sophomore season for the Terripans, Len earned a place on the ACC All-Defense team while averaging 11.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. Len had a smaller sample size than most top-five selections. However, the Suns took a swing on a potential defensive anchor.

Mar 13, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Alex Len (27) reaches for the ball against Milwaukee Bucks center Jericho Sims (00) in the second quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

However, through five seasons with Phoenix, he never became a consistent starting contributor while failing to reach his collegiate numbers. After the 2017-18 season, Len signed a two-year deal with the Atlanta Hawks, ending his Suns tenure. In his first season with Atlanta, he finally made an prominent impact as he averaged 11.1 points per game, marking his first double-digit point season of his career.

This wouldn’t indicate a new home for Len though as he has bounced around six organizations throughout his 12-year NBA career, serving the majority of that time as a valuable depth center.

Ben McLemore (7th overall)

The run on whiffs in the top-10 continued as the Sacramento Kings selected Kansas wing Ben McLemore with the No. 7 overall pick. In his freshman season, he showcased his microwave scoring ability, averaging 15.9 points on incredible high-volume efficiency. With his impressive freshman campaign, McLemore became a consensus second-team All-American and 2013 All-Big 12 member. The Kings were right back in the top-10, and once again hoped for better results than in years past.

However, it took time for McLemore’s three-level scoring ability to develop at the next level. By the time it did, Sacramento was already looking elsewhere. The Kings allowed his contract to expire, and he moved on, playing for five teams in his career.

Throughout his career, McLemore was a solid one-dimensional role player, averaging nine points per game on his career and accumulating three 10-plus point per game seasons. However, in his opportunities, McLemore was never able to display his go-to scoring potential from his time with the Jayhawks.

Shabazz Muhammad (14th overall)

To end the lottery, the Minnesota Timberwolves were on the clock, selecting UCLA wing Shabazz Muhammad. Like the Kings, the Timberwolves hadn’t drafted well in the previous years, and like the Kings, it continued with this selection. In his freshman season, Muhammad earned 2013 All-Pac 12 Rookie of the Year, averaging 17.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Similarly to McLemore, as a freshman, Muhammad produced for the Bruins as an effective three-level scorer.

Unlike McLemore though, Muhammad wasn’t a typical freshman as before the 2013 NBA Draft, it was reported he was actually 21 years of age. This didn’t impact his draft stock and made Minnesota even more confident he could make an impact early.

This impact came during his second season with the Timberwolves where Muhammad’s NBA-readiness was on full display. His efficiency vastly improved from his rookie season as he averaged 13.5 points on solid three-point shooting (39.2%). However, this production never remained consistent in Minnesota as he suffered  various injury setbacks. By Muhammad’s fifth season, he wasn’t showing any improvement and was out of the league shortly after a half season in Milwaukee.

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