# List of North Carolina Tar Heels in the NBA draft

The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, representing the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has had 113 players drafted into the National Basketball Association (NBA) since the league began holding the yearly event in 1947. Each NBA franchise seeks to add new players through an annual draft. The NBA uses a draft lottery to determine the first three picks of the NBA draft; the 14 teams that did not make the playoffs the previous year are eligible to participate. After the first three picks are decided, the rest of the teams pick in reverse order of their win–loss record. 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 2019 NBA draft, a Tar Heel has been chosen first overall two times in the history of the event, James Worthy in 1982 and Brad Daugherty in 1986. Out of the thirty teams that currently make up the NBA, seven have not picked a player from North Carolina. The New York Knicks have selected nine former Tar Heels, which is the most of any current NBA franchise. Fifty-two Tar Heels have been drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft, with Coby White, Cameron Johnson, and Nassir Little being the latest. The most Tar Heels selected in the first round of a single NBA Draft is four, which happened twice, in 2005 and 2012. Sixteen players have been selected to either an ABA or NBA All-Star Game, sixteen have been a member of an NBA or ABA championship winning team, and nine have achieved both. The most Tar Heels selected in a single NBA Draft is five, in 1980. Of all the Tar Heels that have been drafted, five have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

## Key

| G | Guard | F | Forward | C | Center |
| * | Selected to an NBA/ABA All-Star Game | Selected to an NBA/ABA All-Star Game | Selected to an NBA/ABA All-Star Game | Selected to an NBA/ABA All-Star Game | Selected to an NBA/ABA All-Star Game |
| † | Won an NBA/ABA championship | Won an NBA/ABA championship | Won an NBA/ABA championship | Won an NBA/ABA championship | Won an NBA/ABA championship |
| ‡ | Selected to an All-Star Game and won an NBA/ABA championship | Selected to an All-Star Game and won an NBA/ABA championship | Selected to an All-Star Game and won an NBA/ABA championship | Selected to an All-Star Game and won an NBA/ABA championship | Selected to an All-Star Game and won an NBA/ABA championship |

## Players selected in the NBA draft

North Carolina Tar Heels selected in the NBA draft :
| Year | Round | Pick | Overall | Name | Position | Team | Notes |
| 1957 | 1 | 6 | 6 | Lennie Rosenbluth | F | Philadelphia Warriors | — |
| 1958 | 1 | 4 | 4 | Pete Brennan | F | New York Knicks | — |
| 1958 | 2 | 4 | 12 | Joe Quigg | F, C | New York Knicks | — |
| 1958 | 4 | 6 | 29 | Tommy Kearns | G | Syracuse Nationals | — |
| 1960 | 1 | 5 | 5 | Lee Shaffer* | F | Syracuse Nationals | NBA All-Star (1963) |
| 1960 | 6 | 6 | 46 | York Larese | G | St. Louis Hawks | — |
| 1960 | 7 | 4 | 52 | Doug Moe$^‡$ | G, F | Detroit Pistons | ABA All-Star (1968, 1969, 1970) ABA Champion (1969) |
| 1961 | 2 | 11 | 20 | York Larese | G | Chicago Packers | — |
| 1961 | 2 | 13 | 22 | Doug Moe$^‡$ | G, F | Chicago Packers | ABA All-Star (1968, 1969, 1970) ABA Champion (1969) |
| 1961 | 11 | 7 | 97 | Dick Kepley | F | St. Louis Hawks | — |
| 1962 | 6 | 7 | 50 | Jim Hudock | F | Philadelphia Warriors | — |
| 1962 | 10 | 6 | 84 | Ken McComb | C | Philadelphia Warriors | — |
| 1962 | 11 | 5 | 89 | Donnie Walsh | G | Philadelphia Warriors | — |
| 1963 | 7 | 2 | 55 | Larry Brown$^‡$ | G | Baltimore Bullets | ABA All-Star (1968, 1969, 1970) ABA Champion (1969) ABA All-Star Game MVP (1968) Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee (2002) |
| 1965 | 1 | 4 | 4 | Billy Cunningham$^‡$ | F, C | Philadelphia 76ers | NBA All-Star (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972) ABA All-Star (1973) NBA Champion (1967) ABA MVP (1973) All-NBA First Team (1969, 1970, 1971) All-NBA Second Team (1972) Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee (1986) |
| 1966 | 13 | 1 | 101 | Bob Bennett | C | New York Knicks | — |
| 1967 | 4 | 8 | 39 | Bob Lewis | G | San Francisco Warriors | — |
| 1967 | 11 | 4 | 117 | Mark Mirken | F | New York Knicks | — |
| 1968 | 5 | 12 | 62 | Larry Miller | G, F | Philadelphia 76ers | — |
| 1969 | 2 | 11 | 26 | Bill Bunting | F, C | New York Knicks | — |
| 1969 | 6 | 12 | 83 | Dick Grubar$^†$ | G | Los Angeles Lakers | ABA Champion (1970) |
| 1969 | 11 | 4 | 145 | Rusty Clark | C | Detroit Pistons | — |
| 1970 | 7 | 4 | 106 | Charles Scott$^‡$ | G | Boston Celtics | NBA All-Star (1973, 1974, 1975) ABA All-Star (1971, 1972) NBA Champion (1976) ABA Rookie of the Year (1971) |
| 1971 | 5 | 13 | 81 | Lee Dedmon | C | Los Angeles Lakers | — |
| 1972 | 1 | 2 | 2 | Robert McAdoo$^‡$ | F, C | Buffalo Braves | NBA All-Star (1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978) NBA Champion (1982, 1985) NBA MVP (1975) NBA Rookie of the Year (1973) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1973) All-NBA First Team (1974) All-NBA Second Team (1975) Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee (2000) |
| 1972 | 2 | 14 | 27 | Dennis Wuycik | F | Boston Celtics | — |
| 1972 | 3 | 13 | 43 | Bill Chamberlain | F | Golden State Warriors | — |
| 1972 | 7 | 14 | 111 | Steve Previs | G | Boston Celtics | — |
| 1973 | 4 | 14 | 66 | George Karl | G | New York Knicks | — |
| 1973 | 18 | 1 | 207 | Donn Johnson | F | Buffalo Braves | — |
| 1974 | 1 | 5 | 5 | Bobby Jones$^‡$ | F | Houston Rockets | ABA All-Star (1976) NBA All-Star (1977, 1978, 1981, 1982) NBA Champion (1983) NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1983) |
| 1974 | 3 | 7 | 43 | Darrell Elston | G | Atlanta Hawks | — |
| 1974 | 10 | 14 | 174 | John O'Donnell | F | New York Knicks | — |
| 1975 | 5 | 8 | 80 | Donald Washington | F | New York Knicks | — |
| 1975 | 5 | 13 | 85 | Ed Stahl | F, C | Kansas City-Omaha Kings | — |
| 1976 | 1 | 13 | 13 | Mitch Kupchak$^†$ | F, C | Washington Bullets | NBA Champion (1978, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1977) |
| 1977 | 1 | 5 | 5 | Walter Davis* | G, F | Phoenix Suns | NBA All-Star (1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1987) NBA Rookie of the Year (1978) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1978) All-NBA Second Team (1978, 1979) |
| 1977 | 1 | 9 | 9 | Tommy LaGarde$^†$ | F, C | Denver Nuggets | NBA Champion (1979) |
| 1977 | 3 | 9 | 53 | John Kuester | G | Kansas City Kings | — |
| 1977 | 6 | 15 | 125 | Bruce Buckley | F | San Antonio Spurs | — |
| 1978 | 1 | 2 | 2 | Phil Ford | G | Kansas City Kings | NBA Rookie of the Year (1979) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1979) All-NBA Second Team (1979) |
| 1978 | 4 | 4 | 70 | Geff Crompton | C | Kansas City Kings | — |
| 1978 | 8 | 12 | 164 | Tom Zaliagris | G, F | Milwaukee Bucks | — |
| 1979 | 1 | 13 | 13 | Dudley Bradley | G, F | Indiana Pacers | — |
| 1980 | 1 | 6 | 6 | Mike O'Koren | F | New Jersey Nets | — |
| 1980 | 3 | 3 | 49 | John Virgil | G | Golden State Warriors | — |
| 1980 | 3 | 15 | 61 | Rich Yonakor | F | San Antonio Spurs | — |
| 1980 | 4 | 17 | 86 | Jeff Wolf | F | Milwaukee Bucks | — |
| 1980 | 7 | 2 | 140 | Dave Colescott | G | Utah Jazz | — |
| 1981 | 1 | 4 | 4 | Al Wood | G, F | Atlanta Hawks | — |
| 1981 | 5 | 1 | 93 | Pete Budko | F | Dallas Mavericks | — |
| 1981 | 6 | 8 | 123 | Mike Pepper | G | San Diego Clippers | — |
| 1982 | 1 | 1 | 1 | James Worthy$^‡$ | F | Los Angeles Lakers | NBA All-Star (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992) NBA Champion (1985, 1987, 1988) NBA Finals MVP (1988) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1983) All-NBA Third Team (1990, 1991) Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee (2003) |
| 1982 | 3 | 13 | 59 | Jimmy Black | G | New Jersey Nets | — |
| 1982 | 6 | 16 | 131 | Chris Brust | F, C | Denver Nuggets | — |
| 1982 | 7 | 15 | 153 | Jeb Barlow | F | Denver Nuggets | — |
| 1983 | 5 | 14 | 107 | Jimmy Braddock | G | Denver Nuggets | — |
| 1984 | 1 | 3 | 3 | Michael Jordan$^‡$ | G | Chicago Bulls | NBA All-Star (1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003) NBA All-Star Game MVP (1988, 1993, 1998) NBA Champion (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998) NBA Finals MVP (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998) NBA MVP (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998) NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1988) NBA Rookie of the Year (1985) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1985) All-NBA First Team (1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998) All-NBA Second Team (1985) Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee (2009) |
| 1984 | 1 | 4 | 4 | Sam Perkins | F | Dallas Mavericks | NBA All-Rookie First Team (1985) |
| 1984 | 6 | 3 | 118 | Matt Doherty | F | Cleveland Cavaliers | — |
| 1984 | 9 | 10 | 194 | Cecil Exum | F | Denver Nuggets | — |
| 1985 | 7 | 8 | 147 | Buzz Peterson | G | Cleveland Cavaliers | — |
| 1986 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Brad Daugherty* | C | Cleveland Cavaliers | NBA All-Star (1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1987) All-NBA Third Team (1992) |
| 1986 | 4 | 3 | 73 | Warren Martin | C | Cleveland Cavaliers | — |
| 1986 | 4 | 11 | 81 | Steve Hale | G | New Jersey Nets | — |
| 1987 | 1 | 6 | 6 | Kenny Smith$^†$ | G | Sacramento Kings | NBA Champion (1994, 1995) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1988) |
| 1987 | 1 | 13 | 13 | Joe Wolf | F, C | Los Angeles Clippers | — |
| 1987 | 4 | 19 | 88 | Dave Popson | F, C | Detroit Pistons | — |
| 1987 | 7 | 18 | 156 | Curtis Hunter | F | Denver Nuggets | — |
| 1989 | 1 | 5 | 5 | J.R. Reid | F | Charlotte Hornets | NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1990) |
| 1991 | 1 | 24 | 24 | Rick Fox$^†$ | F | Boston Celtics | NBA Champion (2000, 2001, 2002) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1992) |
| 1991 | 1 | 27 | 27 | Pete Chilcutt$^†$ | F | Sacramento Kings | NBA Champion (1995) |
| 1992 | 1 | 20 | 20 | Hubert Davis | G | New York Knicks | — |
| 1993 | 1 | 12 | 12 | George Lynch | F | Los Angeles Lakers | — |
| 1994 | 1 | 9 | 9 | Eric Montross | C | Boston Celtics | NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1995) |
| 1995 | 1 | 3 | 3 | Jerry Stackhouse* | G, F | Philadelphia 76ers | NBA All-Star (2000, 2001) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1996) |
| 1995 | 1 | 4 | 4 | Rasheed Wallace$^‡$ | F, C | Washington Bullets | NBA All-Star (2000, 2001, 2006, 2008) NBA Champion (2004) NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1996) |
| 1996 | 2 | 8 | 37 | Jeff McInnis | G | Denver Nuggets | — |
| 1997 | 2 | 1 | 29 | Serge Zwikker | C | Houston Rockets | — |
| 1998 | 1 | 4 | 4 | Antawn Jamison* | F | Toronto Raptors | NBA All-Star (2005, 2008) NBA Sixth Man of the Year (2004) NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1999) |
| 1998 | 1 | 5 | 5 | Vince Carter* | G, F | Golden State Warriors | NBA All-Star (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007) NBA Rookie of the Year (1999) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1999) All-NBA Second Team (2000) All-NBA Third Team (2001) |
| 1998 | 2 | 5 | 34 | Shammond Williams | G | Chicago Bulls | — |
| 2001 | 1 | 20 | 20 | Brendan Haywood$^†$ | C | Cleveland Cavaliers | NBA Champion (2011) |
| 2001 | 1 | 21 | 21 | Joseph Forte | G | Boston Celtics | — |
| 2005 | 1 | 2 | 2 | Marvin Williams | F | Atlanta Hawks | NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2006) |
| 2005 | 1 | 5 | 5 | Raymond Felton | G | Charlotte Bobcats | NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2006) |
| 2005 | 1 | 13 | 13 | Sean May | F | Charlotte Bobcats | — |
| 2005 | 1 | 14 | 14 | Rashad McCants | G | Minnesota Timberwolves | — |
| 2006 | 2 | 9 | 39 | David Noel | F | Milwaukee Bucks | — |
| 2007 | 1 | 8 | 8 | Brandan Wright | F, C | Charlotte Bobcats | — |
| 2007 | 2 | 14 | 44 | Reyshawn Terry | F | Orlando Magic | — |
| 2009 | 1 | 13 | 13 | Tyler Hansbrough | F, C | Indiana Pacers | — |
| 2009 | 1 | 18 | 18 | Ty Lawson | G | Minnesota Timberwolves | — |
| 2009 | 1 | 28 | 28 | Wayne Ellington | G | Minnesota Timberwolves | — |
| 2009 | 2 | 16 | 46 | Danny Green$^†$ | G, F | Cleveland Cavaliers | NBA Champion (2014, 2019 & 2020 ) |
| 2010 | 1 | 13 | 13 | Ed Davis | F | Toronto Raptors | — |
| 2012 | 1 | 7 | 7 | Harrison Barnes$^†$ | F | Golden State Warriors | NBA Champion (2015) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2013) |
| 2012 | 1 | 13 | 13 | Kendall Marshall | G | Phoenix Suns | — |
| 2012 | 1 | 14 | 14 | John Henson | F | Milwaukee Bucks | — |
| 2012 | 1 | 17 | 17 | Tyler Zeller | F, C | Dallas Mavericks | NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2013) |
| 2013 | 1 | 25 | 25 | Reggie Bullock | G, F | Los Angeles Clippers | — |
| 2014 | 1 | 26 | 26 | P. J. Hairston | G | Miami Heat | — |
| 2015 | 2 | 28 | 58 | J. P. Tokoto | G | Philadelphia 76ers | — |
| 2016 | 1 | 25 | 25 | Brice Johnson | F | Los Angeles Clippers | — |
| 2016 | 2 | 25 | 55 | Marcus Paige | G | Brooklyn Nets | — |
| 2017 | 1 | 15 | 15 | Justin Jackson | F | Sacramento Kings | — |
| 2017 | 1 | 28 | 28 | Tony Bradley | C | Utah Jazz | — |
| 2019 | 1 | 7 | 7 | Coby White | G | Chicago Bulls | NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2020) |
| 2019 | 1 | 11 | 11 | Cameron Johnson | F | Minnesota Timberwolves | — |
| 2019 | 1 | 25 | 25 | Nassir Little | F | Portland Trail Blazers | — |
| 2020 | 1 | 15 | 15 | Cole Anthony | G | Orlando Magic | — |
| 2021 | 1 | 29 | 29 | Day'Ron Sharpe | C | Phoenix Suns | — |

## Players selected in the BAA and ABA drafts

North Carolina Tar Heels selected in the BAA and ABA Drafts :
| Year | League | Round | Pick | Overall | Name | Position | Team | Notes |
| 1948 | BAA | — | — | — | Norman Kohler | G | Indianapolis Olympians | — |
| 1948 | BAA | — | — | — | Bob Paxton | F, C | Indianapolis Olympians | — |
| 1948 | BAA | — | — | — | Hook Dillon | F | Chicago Stags | — |
| 1967 | ABA | — | — | — | Bob Lewis | G | Anaheim Amigos | — |
| 1968 | ABA | — | — | — | Larry Miller | G, F | Los Angeles Stars | — |
| 1969 | ABA | — | — | — | Dick Gruber$^†$ | G | Indiana Pacers | ABA Champion (1970) |
| 1969 | ABA | — | — | — | Bill Bunting | F, C | Miami Floridians | — |
| 1969 | ABA | — | — | — | Rusty Clark | C | Los Angeles Stars | — |
| 1970 | ABA | — | — | — | Charles Scott$^‡$ | G | Virginia Squires | NBA All-Star (1973, 1974, 1975) ABA All-Star (1971, 1972) NBA Champion (1976) ABA Rookie of the Year (1971) |
| 1971 | ABA | — | — | — | Lee Dedmon | C | Utah Stars | — |
| 1972 | ABA | — | — | — | Dennis Wuycik | F | Carolina Cougars | — |
| 1972 | ABA | — | — | — | Bill Chamberlain | F | Carolina Cougars | — |
| 1972 | ABA | — | — | — | Steve Previs | G | Carolina Cougars | — |
| 1973 | ABA | — | — | — | Bobby Jones$^‡$ | F | Carolina Cougars | ABA All-Star (1976) NBA All-Star (1977, 1978, 1981, 1982) NBA Champion (1983) NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1983) |
| 1973 | ABA | — | — | — | George Karl | G | Memphis Tams | — |
| 1974 | ABA | 4 | 1 | 31 | Darrell Elston | G | Carolina Cougars | — |