The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, has had 81 players drafted into the National Basketball Association (NBA) since the league began holding the yearly event in 1947, 74 with Illinois as their final school (and thus their official association) and seven having attended a school after Illinois. To be eligible for the NBA draft, a player in the United States must be at least 19 years old during the calendar year of the draft and must be at least one year removed from the graduation of his high school class.
The drafts held between 1947 and 1949 were held by the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The BAA became the National Basketball Association after absorbing teams from the National Basketball League in the fall of 1949. Official NBA publications include the BAA Drafts as part of the NBA's draft history. From 1967 until the ABA–NBA merger in 1976, the American Basketball Association (ABA) held its own draft.
Through the 2026 NBA draft, a Fighting Illini has been chosen first round of the draft 20 times in the history of the event.
Key
G Guard F Forward C Center
* Selected to an NBA/ABA All-Star Game † Won an NBA/ABA championship ‡ Selected to an All-Star Game and won an NBA/ABA championship (2) Player was selected a second time # Player attended a school after Illinois
Players selected in the BAA and NBA drafts
+ Illinois Fighting Illini players drafted Year League Round Pick Overall Name Position Team Notes 1947 BAA 5 — 47 ‡ G Chicago Stags Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee (1961)NBA Champion (1957) NBA All-Star (1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955) 4 — 38 G, F Chicago Stags — 1948 BAA 2 — 19 G St. Louis Bombers — 2 — 21 # F Minneapolis Lakers — 1949 BAA 3 10 34 * F Chicago Stags NBA All-Star (1951, 1952) 2 — 20 # (2) F St. Louis Bombers —1950 NBA 7 — 83 G Tri-Cities Blackhawks — 2 — 18 † F, C Chicago Stags NBA Champion (1955) 1951 NBA 1 9 9 * G Philadelphia Warriors NBA All-Star (1954) 7 3 62 F Indianapolis Olympians — 1952 NBA 6 — 60 G Minneapolis Lakers — 1953 NBA 3 — 19 G, F Milwaukee Hawks — 3 — 20 G Ft. Wayne Pistons — 1954 NBA 1 6 6 ‡ C, F Syracuse Nationals NBA Champion (1955)NBA All-Star (1956, 1959, 1963)NBA Coach of the Year (1967) 1956 NBA 2 — 12 G Syracuse Nationals — 1957 NBA 1 7 7 F Syracuse Nationals 2 3 11 F Minneapolis Lakers 1958 NBA 5 5 36 * G Philadelphia Warriors NBA All-Star (1963, 1964, 1965), 1966), 1967) 1959 NBA 5 5 35 G Syracuse Nationals — 1961 NBA 8 8 76 C Chicago Packers - 1963 NBA 3 6 23 G St. Louis Hawks — 4 3 29 F San Francisco Warriors - 5 4 39 G Detroit Pistons — 1965 NBA 2 4 12 G Baltimore Bullets 4 4 30 C Baltimore Bullets — 10 2 76 F Baltimore Bullets — 17 1 109 (2) G Baltimore Bullets — 1966 NBA 3 9 29 ‡ G Philadelphia 76ers ABA Champion (1973) ABA All-Star (1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972)All-ABA First Team (1972) 1967 NBA 16 2 154 G Chicago Bulls — 1968 NBA 2 5 19 C Chicago Bulls - 4 13 49 † # F, C Phoenix Suns ABA Champion (1976) 1969 NBA 4 9 52 † # F/C Boston Celtics NBA Champion (1974, 1976) 4 13 56 F Philadelphia 76ers 5 1 58 † (2) # F, C Phoenix Suns ABA Champion (1976) 15 6 194 G Baltimore Bullets — 1970 NBA 1 17 17 G New York Knicks — 1971 NBA 9 16 152 G Milwaukee Bucks — 1973 NBA 1 13 13 F Capital Bullets NBA All-Rookie First Team (1974) 8 11 131 G Golden State Warriors — 10 2 153 F, C Buffalo Braves - 1974 NBA 9 6 150 (2) G Kansas City-Omaha Kings — 1975 NBA 6 1 91 F New Orleans Jazz — 1976 NBA 5 1 69 G Chicago Bulls 10 15 172 G Boston Celtics — 1978 NBA 4 20 86 F San Antonio Spurs - 6 7 117 F Detroit Pistons — 1978 NBA 6 2 117 F Golden State Warriors — 1981 NBA 2 7 29 F Kansas City Kings NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1989) 3 4 50 C Portland Trail Blazers — 3 21 67 F Milwaukee Bucks — 1982 NBA 3 11 57 G New York Knicks - 4 11 80 C New Jersey Nets — 7 5 143 G Kansas City Kings — 8 20 181 F Milwaukee Bucks — 1983 NBA 1 11 11 G Dallas Mavericks NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1987, 1990) 1985 NBA 2 15 39 C Portland Trail Blazers - 1986 NBA 3 10 57 G Sacramento Kings - 3 15 62 F Dallas Mavericks - 4 4 74 F Chicago Bulls — 4 18 88 F Atlanta Hawks — 1987 NBA 1 19 19 F Los Angeles Clippers - 3 8 54 # F Denver Nuggets — 6 11 125 G Chicago Bulls — 1989 NBA 1 11 11 G, F Orlando Magic NBA Eastern Conference Champion (1995) 1 27 27 F Detroit Pistons — 2 18 45 # G Miami Heat — 1990 NBA 1 5 5 G, F Charlotte Hornets NBA All-Rookie First Team (1991) 2 14 41 G Atlanta Hawks — 2 15 42 F Denver Nuggets — 1994 NBA 2 1 28 F Dallas Mavericks — 2002 NBA 1 25 25 G Denver Nuggets — 2 3 31 C, F Memphis Grizzlies — 2003 NBA 1 24 24 F, C Los Angeles Lakers — 2005 NBA 1 3 3 * G Utah Jazz United States Olympic Gold Medalist (2008, 2012)NBA All-Star (2010, 2011, 2012)NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge (2008)All-NBA Second Team(2008, 2010)NBA All-Rookie First Team (2006) 1 24 24 F Houston Rockets NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2006) 2006 NBA 2 11 41 F, C Orlando Magic — 2 16 46 G Utah Jazz — 2012 NBA 1 11 11 C Portland Trail Blazers — 2021 NBA 2 8 38 G Chicago Bulls NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2022) 2023 NBA 1 19 19 # G Golden State Warriors NBA All-Rookie First Team (2024) 2024 NBA 1 27 27 G, F Minnesota Timberwolves — 2025 NBA 1 20 20 G Miami Heat — 1 21 21 F Utah Jazz — 2026 NBA 1 5 5 G Los Angeles Clippers — 1 9 9 # F/C Dallas Mavericks —
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