[1] Drafts are usually permitted under antitrust or restraint of trade laws because they are included in collective bargaining agreements between leagues and labor unions representing players.
These agreements generally stipulate that after a certain number of seasons, a player whose contract has expired becomes a free agent and can sign with any team.
This was in response to the increasing transfer fees and player salaries at the time, which in combination with declining attendances, threatened to derail the league.
Instead of automatically granting the top pick to the worst team from the year before, the NBA holds a draft lottery to determine who chooses first.
This was made evident in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, where marquee prospects Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel were both seen as NHL-ready and likely to be stars; much speculation surrounded the struggling Buffalo Sabres, who allegedly tanked to secure the rights to at least the second overall pick (a charge that, although the Sabres' fans openly encouraged it, the team officially denied).
[15] On August 22, 2024, the NWSL announced the elimination of its draft and discovery systems as part of its renegotiated collective bargaining agreement with the National Women's Soccer League Players Association.
For the remaining top four picks, a selection process similar to the NBA Draft Lottery is conducted for the four teams that did not qualify for the playoffs.
Cricket's Indian Premier League instead holds a yearly auction before the start of each season in which teams bid on players, subject to a salary cap and restrictions on roster size.
Despite being described as being equal in talent to Manning prior to the draft, Leaf only managed to play two seasons with the Chargers and start 18 games (winning only four) for them before being released in 2000.
Mandarich later managed to become a serviceable offensive lineman for the Indianapolis Colts after being released by the Packers in 1992, but ultimately never lived up to his draft position.
Other frequently cited examples include: In the NBA, one of the most well-known example of a draft bust is LaRue Martin, who was selected first overall in the 1972 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers: the Trail Blazers passed on Hall of Famers Bob McAdoo, Paul Westphal, and Julius Erving[37] to select Martin.
The Rangers passed on future Hall of Famers Robin Yount, Dave Winfield, and Eddie Murray to take Clyde.
Matt Bush (2004), another 1st overall pick, dealt with legal troubles culminating in incarceration and waited nearly 12 years to make the major leagues, eventually doing so as a middle relief pitcher in 2016.
[40] A player like outfielder Josh Hamilton (1999) can also be considered a draft bust before unexpectedly turning his career around, winning the 2010 AL MVP Award.
[46][47][48] Gumbleton and Thorp were selected with the second and sixth picks respectively in the 2006 AFL draft; their clubs, Essendon and Hawthorn, passed on future All-Australian players Travis Boak, Joel Selwood, Ben Reid, James Frawley, Jack Riewoldt, Shane Edwards, Todd Goldstein, Bachar Houli and Robbie Gray to draft them.
Although his major league career started off slowly in 2004, Bautista, after being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2008, experienced a breakthrough season in 2010.
One of the most notable examples is Tom Brady, who was drafted late in the sixth round (at 199th overall pick) of the 2000 NFL draft by the then-mediocre New England Patriots only as a fourth-string backup quarterback, but went on to have a two-decade career winning seven Super Bowls (six with the Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), five Super Bowl MVPs, and three NFL MVPs, setting the all-time records for wins, passing yards, completions, and touchdowns in the process.
Similarly, two-time Super Bowl champion Roger Staubach was a tenth-round pick in both the AFL and NFL drafts, largely due to having a four-year commitment to serve in the U.S. Navy.
Antonio Brown was drafted 195th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010 but was an All-Pro receiver from 2013 to 2018, before being traded to the Oakland Raiders in 2019 (later getting released by them and the New England Patriots over accusations of sexual assault).
Manu Ginóbili, a key contributor to four San Antonio Spurs championships in the 21st century and the centerpiece of Argentina's national team in 2004, was the next-to-last pick (57th) in the 1999 NBA draft.
Draymond Green, who was selected as the 35th pick in the 2012 NBA draft, was a key contributor to the Golden State Warriors winning four championships.
DeAndre Jordan, who was selected as the 35th pick in the 2008 NBA draft, became an All-Star in 2017 and led the league in rebounding two years in a row (2014, 2015).
Malcolm Brogdon, who was the 36th pick in the 2016 NBA draft, won the Rookie of the Year award in 2017 and became a member of the exclusive 50–40–90 club in 2019.
Jalen Brunson, who was selected as the 33rd pick in the 2018 NBA draft, went on to have a breakout year in 2024, making his first All-Star and All-NBA team and led the Knicks to 2nd place in the Eastern Conference.
A similar Stanley Cup legacy was achieved by the Tampa Bay Lightning, drafting Alex Killorn (77th in 2007), Nikita Kucherov (58th in 2011), Ondřej Palát (208th in 2011), Cédric Paquette (101st in 2012), Brayden Point (79th in 2014), Anthony Cirelli (72nd in 2015), Mathieu Joseph (120th in 2015) and Ross Colton (118th in 2016), all of whom contributed to back-to-back Stanley Cups wins by the Lightning in 2020 and 2021.
Jamie Benn was drafted by the Dallas Stars in the 5th round, 129th overall in 2007, became the franchise's sixth captain in 2013, and won the Art Ross Trophy in 2015.
Mark Stone was drafted in the 6th round, 178th overall by the Ottawa Senators, and has been nominated for the Frank J. Selke Trophy (awarded to the league's best defensive forward) as a member and now captain of the Vegas Golden Knights.
Kaprizov remained in his native Russia to play in the Kontinental Hockey League for four seasons to develop his skills before making his NHL debut in 2021 where he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year.
Swan became a premiership player with Collingwood, a three-time Copeland Trophy winner, the 2011 Brownlow Medalist and a five-time All-Australian.
The phrase pokes fun at the typically poor chances such a player has of ultimately making an impact in the league, although several went on to productive or notable NFL careers, such as Ryan Succop and Brock Purdy.