Cooper Flagg heard his name called first in the 2025 NBA Draft, marking the first time in 40 years that a New England area top prospect has been selected with the No. 1 overall pick.
The Newport, Maine, native will receive the torch long held by Patrick Ewing, who was born in Jamaica but moved to Cambridge, Mass., as a young teenager. Ewing was a star at Cambridge Rindge & Latin before attending Georgetown and going No. 1 overall to the New York Knicks in the 1985 draft. He lived up to the hype, becoming an 11-time NBA All-Star and Hall of Fame member.
That was also the first year the NBA implemented a draft lottery. In the 40 years since, dozens of New Englanders have reached the NBA. But only a select few have been lottery picks, representing some of the best prospects to ever come out of this region.
Here's a look back at every lottery pick from New England between Ewing and Flagg. We are only listing those who are native or spent significant time growing up in the region; players who only attended high school (Donovan Mitchell is one of many examples) are not listed. For simplicity's sake, though the lottery has changed format multiple times, we're considering a "lottery pick" by today's standards: a player chosen in the first 14 picks of the draft.
Charles Smith, 1988 (No. 3 overall)
Drafted by: Los Angeles Clippers (via trade)
Hometown: Bridgeport, Conn.
Smith was a star at Harding High in Bridgeport, winning two state championships before scoring more than 2,000 career points at Pitt. The 6-foot-10 power forward was traded from the 76ers on draft night and made the 1988-89 All-Rookie first team with the Clippers. Smith eclipsed 20 points per game twice in L.A., and when he was dealt to the Knicks in 1992, remained with New York for the team's NBA Finals run in 1994. Smith played nine years in the NBA, ending his career with the Spurs.
Rumeal Robinson, 1990 (No. 10 overall)
Drafted by: Atlanta Hawks
Hometown: Cambridge, Mass.
Robinson, much like Ewing, was born in Jamaica but came to the United States at age 10. The 6-foot-2 guard led Cambridge to a 1986 state title, and as a college athlete at Michigan, hit the game-sealing free throws in the 1989 national championship game. Robinson played six years in the NBA for six different franchises, averaging 7.6 points per game.
Poor financial decisions during his playing career led Robinson to bankruptcy by 1998. He was then involved in a series of bank fraud and related criminal activity during the 2000s, ultimate sentenced to prison in 2010. Robinson was released in 2016.
Vin Baker, 1993 (No. 8 overall)
Drafted by: Milwaukee Bucks
Hometown: Old Saybrook, Conn.
Baker, a 6-foot-11 center, was born in Florida but grew up in Old Saybrook and played at Old Saybrook High. He is Hartford's all-time league college scorer with 2,238 points. Baker's pro career peaked early, with him making four All-Star teams and two All-NBA teams in his first five seasons. playing for the Bucks and Seattle SuperSonics. Baker briefly played on the Celtics for two seasons as part of his 13-year run in the NBA. He's now an assistant coach on the Bucks.
Marcus Camby, 1996 (No. 2 overall)
Drafted by: Toronto Raptors
Hometown: Hartford, Conn.
Camby is best-known for his college stardom (and bribery scandal) at UMass, where he won Naismith Player of the Year and helped the Minutemen to the Final Four. But he was also the Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year as a dominant 6-foot-11 center in high school at Conard and Hartford Public High.
As a pro, Camby suited up for six NBA teams across 17 seasons. He won Defensive Player of the Year with the Nuggets in 2006-07 and led the league in blocks four times. Camby averaged 2.4 blocks per game during his career and made four All-Defensive teams.
Courtney Alexander, 2000 (No. 13 overall)
Drafted by: Orlando Magic
Hometown: Bridgeport, Conn.
Alexander grew up in Bridgeport and briefly played at Masuk High before transferring to Jordan in North Carolina. He led the nation in scoring with 24.8 points per game at Fresno State in 1999-2000. Alexander's pro career lasted just three seasons, despite him making the 2000-01 All-Rookie second team, and an Achilles tear in 2003 contributed to the short run.
Andre Drummond, 2012 (No. 9 overall)
Drafted by: Detroit Pistons
Hometown: Middletown, Conn.
Drummond moved to Connecticut from New York in elementary school and starred at both Capital Prep and St. Thomas More in high school. He was ranked by ESPN as the top recruit in the 2011 high school class and spent one year at UConn before declaring for the NBA Draft.
Drummond spent his first seven-plus seasons in Detroit, earning a reputation as one of the league's best rebounders. The 6-foot-11 center led the NBA in rebounds per game four times, including a monstrous 16.0 boards in 2017-18. The Pistons traded Drummond to the Cavaliers in 2020 and he has bounced around the league since. Drummond averaged 18.8 minutes per game on the 76ers last season and has a player option with Philadelphia for the upcoming year.
Nerlens Noel, 2013 (No. 6 overall)
Drafted by: New Orleans Hornets
Hometown: Malden, Mass.
Noel continued a string of elite New England big men in the early 2010s. The 6-foot-10 center played at Everett and then transferred to Tilton, earning ESPN's No. 1 ranking in the 2012 class. He was another one-and-done at Kentucky, setting the school's single-game blocks record with 12, but tore his ACL in Feb. 2013. That affected his draft stock, though he still went early. The mid-rebrand-New Orleans Hornets traded Noel weeks after the draft to the Philadelphia 76ers.
After sitting out a year, Noel returned in 2014-15 to finish third in Rookie of the Year voting. He then followed a journeyman career with stints on the Mavericks, Thunder, Knicks, Pistons and Nets. Noel has not played since the 2022-23 season.
Michael Carter-Williams, 2013 (No. 11 overall)
Drafted by: Philadelphia 76ers
Hometown: Hamilton, Mass.
Carter-Williams played at Hamilton-Wenham and St. Andrew's in high school and had committed to Syracuse by the end of sophomore year. He scarcely played as a college freshman, but a breakout sophomore season helped the 6-foot-5 point guard guide the Orange to the Elite Eight after upsetting top-seeded Indiana in the NCAA Tournament.
Despite being the 11th pick on a bad 76ers team, Carter-Williams broke out and won Rookie of the Year in 2013-14, averaging 16.7 points, 6.3 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. Philadelphia traded Carter-Williams during the 2014-15 season to the Milwaukee Bucks. Injuries hampered Carter-Williams later in his career as he bounced to the Bulls, Hornets, Rockets and Magic. He last played in the NBA in 2022-23 and is now retired.
Noah Vonleh, 2014 (No. 9 overall)
Drafted by: Charlotte Hornets
Hometown: Haverhill, Mass.
Vonleh marked the third straight year a New England big man went in the top 10 picks of the NBA Draft. The 6-foot-10 forward was a five-star recruit coming out of high school, where he played at Haverhill and New Hampton. Vonleh went one-and-done at Indiana before being drafted by the Hornets. His pro career never completely took off, as Vonleh competed for eight different teams in eight seasons. That included his final run in the NBA to date as a Celtic in 2022-23. Vonleh last played professionally for the Shanghai Sharks in China.
Kris Dunn, 2016 (No. 5 overall)
Drafted by: Minnesota Timberwolves
Hometown: New London, Conn.
Dunn was a superstar on the Connecticut high school scene, scoring 2,000 points and helping New London win a state championship while cementing himself as a top-25 recruit in the country. He then fought through early college injuries to win Big East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year while at Providence before declaring for the draft following four years with the Friars.
After initially struggling with the Timberwolves as a rookie, Dunn's NBA translation faced question marks. He played for the Bulls, Hawks, Trail Blazers and Jazz in ensuing seasons while dealing with more injuries and struggling to make a consistent impact. But Dunn found a groove late with Utah and his defense helped him stick with the Clippers last season. He started a career-high 58 games on the Western Conference playoff team and is under contract for two more years.
Donovan Clingan, 2024 (No. 7 overall)
Drafted by: Portland Trail Blazers
Hometown: Bristol, Conn.
Clingan's career is still on the rise, but the 7-foot-2 behemoth has already made a tremendous impact in his home state. He dominated at Bristol Central, winning state championships and earning Gatorade Player of the Year acclaim. Then at UConn, Clingan played on two national championship teams, starting at center for the 2023-24 squad. He made the All-Rookie second team this past season after averaging 6.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.
Five more notable non-lottery draft picks from New England:Â Dana Barros (No. 16 overall, 1989); Bill Curley (No. 22 overall, 1990); Scott Burrell (No. 20 overall, 1993); Travis Best (No. 25 overall, 1995); Michael Bradley (No. 17 overall, 2001)
