The 2007 NBA Draft was held at Madison Square Garden and featured two prospects that were debated for weeks for who should go number one overall. In the end, the Portland Trail Blazers made their choice, which ultimately haunted them for years to come. The draft class produced two freshmen at the top with one eventually winning four scoring titles and an MVP Award. Among the top-10, the top-4 picks would become All-Stars in this league, while another in the top-10 was named Defensive Player of the Year.
Some of these members remain in the league. Among the top-10 draft picks, four of the five players still play in this league. The other member of the class is Thaddeus Young, who was drafted later on. Others have retired or moved on to other careers, while some members were a major bust. For all of these players, let’s check in with where they are.
This is what the top-10 picks from their 2007 draft class are up to these days.
10. Spencer Hawes (BIG3 Basketball Player)
Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
8.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.4 SPG, 1.0 BPG (10 Seasons)
Hawes was drafted by the Kings and spent three seasons with the team. After that, he joined the 76ers in 2010 and was a full-time starter, playing in all 81 games in a starting role. Hawes played in 29 of the 37 games as a starter the following year. His next three seasons were his best years. He played in 82 games in his third season and then averaged a career-high 31.3 minutes per game in his final season with the 76ers. His best average of 13.5 points and 7.7 rebounds came in 2013-14 with the Cavaliers.
Hawes was last seen playing with the Ball Hogs of the BIG3 Basketball League. Hawes was a co-captain for the team in his first season. He credited Brian Scalabrine for luring him to the team despite Nate Robinson, Captain of Tri-State, trying to recruit him.
9. Joakim Noah (Married Man)
Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
8.8 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 2.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.3 BPG (13 Seasons)
Noah spent the bulk of his career with the Chicago Bulls, where he was a two-time All-Star. He made the All-NBA First Team and won Defensive Player of the Year in 2014. He also made the All-Defensive First Team in 2013 and 2014, as well as a Second-Team appearance in 2011. Noah joined the Knicks in free agency. in 2016 but his contract turned into a bust with the team. He then bounced between the Grizzlies and Clippers before retiring in 2020.
After leaving the league, he was inducted into the Chicago Bulls Ring of Honor. Noah has been active on social media but he has been enjoying traveling the world. He was recently married to Brazilian Victoria’s Secret model Lais Ribeiro this past summer in her native country of Brazil.
8. Brandan Wright (Community Figure)
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
7.0 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.0 BPG (10 Seasons)
Wright’s stock rose when he was named the ACC Tournament MVP in 2007 at North Carolina. He enjoyed an average NBA career with the Warriors, Nets, Mavericks, Celtics, Suns, Grizzlies, and Rockets. Wright eventually left the league in 2018. His best season of 9.1 points and 4.2 rebounds came with the Mavericks during the 2013-14 season.
Wright is a Nashville native. He enjoyed a successful basketball career at Brentwood Academy, helping his team win four consecutive state championships, as well as three Mr. Tennessee Basketball titles. Wright runs basketball camps in the area and was even a celebrity dentist for a day.
7. Corey Brewer (NBA Coach)
Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
8.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG (13 Seasons)
Brewer spent his first four seasons in the league with the Timberwolves. During the 2010-11 season, he was traded to the Mavericks and played in 13 regular season games. The Mavericks won the NBA championship. Brewer averaged 1.5 points per game in six appearances. Brewer would play for the Nuggets, Timberwolves, Rockets, Lakers, Thunder, 76ers, and Kings before leaving in 2020.
When Brewer retired, he was briefly named the player development coach for the New Orleans Pelicans. He has held that position since leaving the league. He will enter another season with the team for the 2022-23 year. Next summer, it was also announced that he will participate in the BIG3 League.
6. Yi Jianlian (Guangdong Southern Tigers)
Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
7.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.7 BPG (5 Seasons)
The Milwaukee Bucks thought they had gained an international star. Yi played for the Chinese Basketball Association from 2002 to 2007. During that time, he helped the Guangdong Southern Tigers win three straight championships from 2004 to 2006. That also included All-Star appearances from 2004 to 2007, as well as one Finals MVP in 2006. However, he did not rise to NBA stardom. He enjoyed a successful season with the Nets during the 2009-10 season, averaging 12.0 points and 7.2 rebounds. Ultimately he left the league in 2011-12.
Yi returned to the Guangdong Southern Tigers and will be playing for the team again this season. Since returning to the CBA, Yi won three more championships in 2013, 2019, and 2020. He won Finals MVP in 2013 and 2019. He was the league’s MVP five times, including four straight years from 2013 to 2016, including 2020. He has added All-Star appearances from 2013 to 2020, as well as won two Slam Dunk leader awards in 20156 and 2016.
5. Jeff Green (Denver Nuggets)
Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
12.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.5 BPG (14 Seasons)
Green has been a reliable player in the league for many years. Green made the All-Rookie Team in 2008. While he has not received any other NBA awards, he has been a consistent role player for many years. After playing four seasons with the Thunder, which included three seasons of scoring 15.0 points per game, he joined the Celtics for four seasons. During the 2014-15 season, he averaged a career-high 17.6 points per game before being traded to the Grizzlies.
After spending time with the Grizzlies, he joined the Clippers midseason in 2015-16. He spent a year with the Magic and then played in the NBA Finals in 2018 with the Cavaliers. Green joined the Wizards, Jazz, Rockets, and Nets, and now plays for the Nuggets. Last year, he averaged 10.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in 24.7 minutes per game.
4. Mike Conley Jr. (Utah Jazz)
14.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 5.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.2 BPG (15 Seasons)
Conley has enjoyed a successful career in the NBA. After getting drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies, he ultimately became the team’s all-time leading scorer from 2007 to 2019. Conley is also the team’s leader in assists and steals. His career with the team included leading the team to the Conference Finals for the first time in team history in 2013. That same season he was named All-Defensive Second Team. He was named NBA Teammate of the Year in 2019.
In the 2019 offseason, Conley was traded to the Jazz. He has spent the last three seasons with the team. He averaged 14.4 points per game in his first season. During the 2020-21 season, the Jazz were the No. 1 seed in the West. Conley made his first All-Star appearance of his career that season. Last year, Conley played his most games with the team, making 72 appearances and averaging 13.7 points and 5.3 assists. As the Jazz fire sale went on this offseason, Conley could be the next to go.
3. Al Horford (Boston Celtics)
Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
13.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.2 BPG (15 Seasons)
When it comes to consistency, Horford has been exactly that. Horford was teammates with Noah and Brewer as part of the 2006 and 2007 NCAA title teams at Florida. Horford was taken with the highest pick by the Atlanta Hawks. Horford played for the Hawks from 2017 to 2016. During that time, he made four All-Star appearances, including an All-NBA Third Team nod.
After leaving the Hawks in 2016, he joined the Celtics up to 2019. He just missed the NBA Finals multiple seasons and made one All-Star appearance in 2018, as well as an All-Defensive Second Team selection. Horford would join the 76ers in 2019 on a large contract, but that situation did not work out with a crowded frontcourt. He was traded to the Thunder where he played one season. The Celtics then brought back Horford in 2021 and he was a major piece of the team making the NBA Finals in 2022.
2. Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets)
Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
27.2 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.1 BPG (14 Seasons)
Leading up to draft day, the debate featured Durant as a player for the selection of the No. 1 overall pick but there were questions about his strength at the combine. Instead, Durant fell to the Seattle SuperSonics. Durant made the transition from Seattle to Oklahoma City a lot easier because he was a budding star. By 2010, he made his first All-Star appearance and won a scoring title. Durant would win the scoring title each season between 2012 to 2014 as well, including the MVP Award in 2014.
Durant played for the Thunder from 2007 to 206. He would infamously leave the Thunder in 2016 to join the 73-win Warriors. He played in the NBA Finals in each of his three seasons and won the title in 2017 and 2018 where he was the Finals MVP. Durant left the Warriors to join the Nets in 2019. The Nets are going to rely on the 12-time All-Star and 10-time All-NBA selection to lead the team to the NBA Finals this season.
1. Greg Oden (Director Of Basketball Operations At Butler University)
Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
8.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 0.5 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.3 BPG (3 Seasons)
The story of Greg Oden is well chronicled. Oden received microfracture surgery on his ailing right knee and that caused him to miss what would have been his rookie season. He returned for the 2008-09 year and came in 40 pounds overweight. Oden missed time due to a chipped kneecap. The following season, his season ended due to microfracture surgery on his left knee. One year later, Oden suffered a setback and missed all of the 2011-12 season. It was later announced that he received arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.
Oden signed with the Heat on August 7, 2013, and made a start for the team on February 23. He was a part of the team’s 2014 Finals squad and played three games in the playoffs where he averaged 2.3 minutes per game. Oden spent a brief stint with the Jiangsu Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association for the 2015-16 season, averaging 13.0 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. Oden’s playing days ended after 2018 when he played for the Scarlet & Gray in The Basketball Tournament. He has since graduated from Ohio State with a bachelor’s degree in the sports industry. He was hired by his former coach Thad Matta at Butler as the director of basketball operations.
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