Golden State Warriors: 15 Biggest Draft Busts in Team History

You would think that with the Golden State Warriors having so many high draft picks, busts would be so few and far between, but it's almost the exact opposite.

For the most part, just saying the phrase "Golden State Warrior draft pick" implies that bust would be the next word to roll off the tongue.

From ludicrous trades, massive underachievers and drug addicts, here are the 15 biggest draft busts in Golden State Warriors history.

I know he was just a second-round pick, but remember this guy never played one game in the NBA. Plus, he was the first pick in the second round of the 2002 draft, so he was almost a first rounder.

Logan had a stellar career at Cincinnati and was even a first team All-American. Because he was 5'10" and not a true point guard, he slid into the second round, and the Warriors refused to offer him a guaranteed contract. Logan, on the other hand, refused to sign anything except a guaranteed contract. He never appeared in an NBA game.

While Logan never having played a game certainly isn't the biggest tragedy in Warriors draft history, at the very least it would have given the Warriors experience in dealing with players who weren't true point guards but who had to play that position anyway.

You know, just in case that situation would come up later.

Drafted 26th overall by the Indiana Pacers, Cummings was immediately traded to the Warriors for Jeff Foster.

Cummings lasted just three seasons in the NBA. Foster, not a dynamic player by any means, has been a serviceable center in this league, going on his 12th season in the NBA now.

'Center' being the key word here.

Drafted 16th overall in 2002 by the Philidelphia 76ers, the Warriors acquired his rights on draft night for future picks.

Welsch averaged just one point per game for the Warriors in one season before being traded away.

He did average nine points a game for the Boston Celtics one year, but that should just remind everyone of how bad the Celtics used to be. He lasted just four seasons and finished his NBA career with 1,519 points, 603 rebounds and a one-way ticket back to Europe.

The last time the Warriors were lucky enough to land a top-three pick, they selected Mike Dunleavy Jr. in the 2002 draft with the third overall selection.

Dunleavy never averaged more than 13 points as a Warrior, but then general manager Chris Mullin decided that he was worth a five-year, $44-million contract extension that he is sadly still under.

Dunleavy was drafted to maybe become the next Rick Barry, but never came close to achieving that goal.

Drafted ninth overall in 2005 out of Arizona State, Diogu is currently on his seventh team at the age of 27.

At ASU he was a big force in the middle that was tough to stop, but in the NBA, he was just another big man in the post.

What really hurts is that center Andrew Bynum was taken just one pick after him.

If you're a former first-round pick of the last 15 years and this is the best available picture of you, then you are a bust.

Drafted 16th overall in the 1994 draft, Rozier struggled with mental problems (and sadly that is still the case) and only lasted four seasons in the NBA, compiling 827 points and 897 rebounds.

Drafted 14th overall in the 1987 draft, Frank played just two seasons for the Warriors and five seasons overall.

He then went to go play in Europe and was famously quoted saying: "The worst thing about Europe is that you can't go out in the middle of the night and get a Slurpee."

Well Tellis, you can get all the Slurpees you want now.

After hearing that, I'm surprised he lasted five NBA seasons.

Taken ninth overall in the 2006 draft out of powerhouse Bradley University, Bryant played just 40 games with the Warriors over two seasons.

In his last year at Bradley, he averaged 13.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.9 blocks.

The number that sticks out to me the most is the eight rebounds a game. How could a player who was going to be selected in the lottery, at seven-feet tall, only average eight rebounds a game in the Missouri Valley Conference?

Not sure what the Warriors saw in him other than his height, as I don't think anyone really thought this guy would be a good NBA player. The Warriors, in their franchise-long search for a center, were probably just excited to get a seven-foot center who could walk upright, which is about all he could ever do.

Drafted third overall by the Sacramento Kings in 1991, Billy Owens was traded to the Warriors for Mitch Richmond because Owens refused to sign with the Kings and forced a trade.

That in itself should have warned everybody that this might deal not work out. If a player requests to be traded to the Warriors, it should raise about 20 red flags.

He wasn't a bad player by any means, but the fact that he was the one who broke up Run TMC and had such an average NBA career is what stings the most.

Drafted eighth overall in the 1997 draft, Adonal Foyle was a bust from Day 1.

One of his draft-night highlight clips was of him missing a layup. I remember laughing when I first saw that, and later crying when I realized that was a predominant sign of what was to come. When NBATV replays the old drafts as this year's draft approaches, look for that clip when they replay the '97 draft. It's quite amusing.

Foyle has never averaged more than five points or seven rebounds in any one season, but then general manager Chris Mullin struck his first big deal by signing Foyle to a six-year, $36-million deal to stay with the Warriors. Funny, at that time I would have paid him that much to stay as far away from the team as possible.

This is one a good example (or it's a bad one) of how a bad draft pick can get even worse. Foyle finished his career with four point and four rebound per-game averages.

I'll admit, I had never heard of this guy before I started this article, and I can only assume that this is what he looks like.

Drafted sixth overall in 1983 draft, you'd think even the most casual fan would have heard of you, but here we are.

Taken ahead of Dale Ellis, Jeff Malone, Derek Harper, Doc Rivers and Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler, he lasted just one year in the NBA, and for three sentences here.

Joe Smith was taken No. 1 overall in the 1995 NBA Draft.

Drafting first overall, the Warriors finally got some luck. However, it was in a year when Smith was the consensus No. 1 pick, proving that even when the Warriors get lucky, they are unlucky.

Yes, the Warriors got the first overall pick, and yet Smith holds the active record for most different teams played for.

Which begs the question: "Why is he still an active player?"

Todd Fuller was drafted 11th overall in the 1997 draft ahead of Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Peja Stojakovic, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Jermaine O'Neal. Although it's debatable that Kobe would have agreed to play for the Warriors, there were many other good players the Warriors could have selected.

Fuller was yet another ill-fated attempt to try and bring a center to the Bay. He averaged four points and three rebounds in his five NBA seasons.

So while Kobe is going for his sixth NBA championship, Fuller is currently the sponsor of high school mathematics competitions in North Carolina.

A poster child for NBA draft busts, Chris Washburn was selected third overall in the 1986 draft, a.k.a. the cocaine draft.

Before being drafted, he was caught stealing a stereo in college and was noted for having a bad work ethic. Trade theft for a massive drug problem, and you have your NBA version of Washburn.

Washburn played just 72 games, scored a whopping 222 points and received a lifetime ban for failing a third drug test in 1989.

I don't think he was the type of guy who put up much of a fight either after receiving that ban. 

I have him No. 1 just because of what the Warriors gave up to get him. Drafted No. 1 overall in 1980, all he cost the Warriors was Robert Parish and the No. 3 pick in that draft, which turned out to be Kevin McHale.

I refrained from saying that the Warriors gave up Parish and McHale, because that would have meant the Warriors would have drafted McHale on their own. By reading the first 14 slides, you'd have to think they would have passed on McHale anyway.

So while the Celtics formed the greatest front line in NBA history, the Warriors were stuck with a guy who had the nickname Joe Barely Cares, and one of the biggest draft embarrassments of all-time.