The NBA will hold its 79th draft on Wednesday and Thursday. Thirty first-round picks will be made starting at 7 p.m. CDT Wednesday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NBA teams have drafted 49 players from Alabama high schools and colleges in the first round, and AL.com is counting down to the 2025 draft with a decade-by-decade look at the state’s first-rounders, including the 2020s:

After producing three first-round picks in the NBA Draft for the first time in 2023, Alabama high schools and colleges are expected to be shut out of first round on Wednesday night for the second straight year.

In 2023, Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney from Alabama and Kobe Brown from Lee High School in Huntsville were first-round selections in the NBA Draft. But last year’s draft did not include a prospect with Alabama basketball roots in either round.

Last year’s blanking broke a six-year streak with at least one prospect who played at an Alabama high school or college included in the first round.

Despite that, it’s still been a good half-decade for the state in the first rounds with nine players with Alabama basketball roots in five drafts of the 2020s.

The first-round NBA Draft picks with Alabama basketball roots in the 2020s include:

2020: Isaac Okoro (Auburn), No. 5 by the Cleveland Cavaliers

Okoro led the Cavaliers with 2,173 minutes, and his average of 32.4 minutes of court time per game led all first-year players during the 2020-21 season as he earned a spot on the NBA All-Rookie second team. The 6-foot-5 forward built a defensive reputation as the Cavs grew into a playoff team during his career. In 334 NBA regular-season games, Okoro has averaged 8.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists.

2020: Kira Lewis Jr. (Hazel Green High School, Alabama), No. 13 by the New Orleans Pelicans

The 6-foot-1 guard closed his rookie campaign by playing in the Pelicans’ final 21 games after getting on the court for 33 of New Orleans’ first 51 games in the 2020-21 season. But Lewis lost that momentum in his second campaign, which ended after 24 games because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. In the past three seasons, Lewis played in 53 games, and he spent the 2024-25 campaign in the NBA Gatorade League. In 131 NBA regular-season games, Lewis has averaged 5.2 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

2021: Davion Mitchell (Auburn), No. 9 by the Sacramento Kings

The Kings drafted Mitchell from Baylor, where he played two seasons after spending his freshman campaign at Auburn. In three seasons with the Kings, Mitchell started 32 games. While playing for the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat during the 2024-25 season, Mitchell started 37 games. In 301 regular-season games, the 6-foot-2 guard has averaged 7.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

2021: Josh Primo (Alabama), No. 12 by the San Antonio Spurs

After playing 50 games for San Antonio as a 19-year-old rookie, when he averaged 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists, the 6-foot-6 guard has played in only six NBA games since. Shortly after the 2022-23 season opened, Primo and the Spurs faced civil lawsuits and a criminal investigation that alleged the player had exposed himself to a team employee. The lawsuits were resolved, and the criminal investigation never resulted in charges, but Primo was cut by San Antonio. In 56 NBA games, Primo has averaged 5.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

2022: Jabari Smith Jr. (Auburn), No. 3 by the Houston Rockets

No player has been drafted from Auburn quicker than Smith, who followed Duke’s Paolo Banchero and Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren in the 2022 draft. Chosen after he averaged 16.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game during his only season at Auburn, Smith made the All-Rookie second team for the 2022-23 season and has started all his NBA appearances. In 212 NBA regular-season games, Smith has averaged 13.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists.

2022: Walker Kessler (Auburn), No. 22 by the Memphis Grizzlies

Traded twice before playing an NBA game, Kessler made the All-Rookie team and finished third in the voting for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award for the 2022-23 season. In his three seasons with the Utah Jazz, Kessler has emerged as one of the league’s top shot-blockers. In 196 NBA games, the 7-foot center has averaged 9.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 2.4 blocks.

2023: Brandon Miller (Alabama), No. 2 by the Charlotte Hornets

After he averaged 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game during his only season at Alabama, the 6-foot-9 forward followed Victor Wembanyama into the NBA at the top of the 2023 draft. Miller averaged 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 74 games as a rookie. His 184 3-point baskets rank as the fourth-most for a first-year player in NBA history. Miller made the All-Rookie team and finished third in the voting for the Rookie of the Year Award. His second season was cut short after 27 games by a wrist injury with Miller carrying a 21.0 scoring average.

2023: Noah Clowney (Alabama), No. 21 by the Brooklyn Nets

Drafted after he averaged 9.8 points and 7.9 rebounds in his only season at Alabama, the 6-10 frontcourter played in 34 games for the Long Island Nets in the NBA G League and 23 games for the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA in his first pro season. Injuries kept Clowney from gaining traction in his second campaign, when he played 46 games for Brooklyn. In 69 NBA regular-season games, Clowney has averaged 8.0 points and 3.8 rebounds.

2023: Kobe Brown (Lee High School in Huntsville), No. 30 by the Los Angeles Clippers

Brown played in 28 games for the Ontario Clippers in the NBA G League and 90 games (including six in the playoffs) for the Los Angeles Clippers during his two pro seasons. The 6-foot-7 forward has averaged 2.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in regular-season play for Los Angeles.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.