1979 NBA draft

The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season.

[7] Magic Johnson from NCAA champion Michigan State University, one of the "hardship" players, was selected first overall by the Los Angeles Lakers.

In "The Book of Basketball", Bill Simmons noted that then-Lakers head coach Jerry West had actually wanted to trade down from the #1 pick and use it to get Moncrief along with more players and picks, but Jerry Buss vetoed West's plans because Buss wanted Magic to be the new face of the team he was just finishing his full purchase of.

[16] Bill Laimbeer, the 65th pick, won two NBA championships with the Detroit Pistons in 1989 and 1990 and was selected to four All-Star Games.

[18] Mark Eaton, who had only completed one year of college basketball, was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 107th pick.

During his eleven-year career with the Jazz, he won two Defensive Player of the Year Awards and was selected to five consecutive All-Defensive Team and one All-Star Game.

[21][22] In the fourth round, the Boston Celtics selected Nick Galis from Seton Hall University with the 68th pick.

He never played in the NBA and spent all of his professional career in Greece, where he helped the country emerge as an international basketball power.