List of Texas Tech Red Raiders in the NBA draft


The Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team, representing Texas Tech University, has had 23 players drafted into the National Basketball Association since the league began holding drafts in 1947. Tony Battie, taken fifth overall in the 1997 draft, was Texas Tech's only player drafted in the first round until Zhaire Smith was selected 16th overall in the 2018 draft. The Seattle SuperSonics have drafted 3 Red Raiders, more than any other NBA franchise.
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. From 1967 until the ABA–NBA merger in 1976, the American Basketball Association held its own draft.

Drafts

National Basketball Association

YearRoundPickOverallPlayerPositionNBA teamNotes
1947———New York Knicks—
1953———Baltimore Bullets—
1956———Rochester Royals—
1956———St. Louis Hawks—
19598457Minneapolis Lakers—
19623420Detroit Pistons—
197173105Portland Trail Blazers—
1972155192Chicago Bulls—
1975611101Houston Rockets—
19764657New York Knicks—
19783852Kansas City Kings—
19793650New York Knicks—
19801013212Seattle SuperSonics—
198221942Houston Rockets—
1982518110Seattle SuperSonics—
198541686Dallas Mavericks—
1985621137Milwaukee Bucks—
198642393Boston Celtics—
199521948Minnesota Timberwolves—
199621241Sacramento Kings—
1997155Denver Nuggets—
199822049Atlanta Hawks—
20042635Seattle SuperSonics—
201811616Phoenix Suns—
2019166Phoenix Suns—
202021242Sacramento Kings—