The 2011 NBA draft marked the final time theNew Jersey Nets made an NBA draft appearance. After the end of the Nets'2011–12 season, the franchise relocated toBrooklyn,New York and was renamed to the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets made their first draft appearance with the Brooklyn moniker in2012. Four of the first-round picks, including three of the top four picks, Kyrie Irving, Derrick Williams, Tristan Thompson, and Iman Shumpert, would all eventually become teammates on the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 2011 draft is considered one of the most abundant drafts in NBA history; seven players in the draft would play in at least two All-Star games and six were selected to at least one All-NBA Team, including the final pick of the draft,Isaiah Thomas. As of 2025, eight players from this draft remained in the NBA during its2025–26 season: Irving,Jonas Valančiūnas,Bismack Biyombo,Klay Thompson,Kawhi Leonard,Nikola Vučević,Tobias Harris, andJimmy Butler.
As of 2010, the basic eligibility rules for the draft are listed below.
All drafted players must be at least 19 years old during the calendar year of the draft. In terms of dates, players eligible for the 2011 draft must be born on or before December 31, 1992.[18]
Any player who is not an "international player", as defined in the CBA, must be at least one year removed from the graduation of his high school class.[18] The CBA defines "international players" as players who permanently resided outside the U.S. for three years prior to the draft, did not complete high school in the U.S., and have never enrolled at a U.S. college or university.[19]
The basic requirement for automatic eligibility for a U.S. player is the completion of his college eligibility.[20]
Players who meet the CBA definition of "international players" are automatically eligible if their 22nd birthday falls during or before the calendar year of the draft (i.e., born on or before December 31, 1989).[21] U.S. players who were at least one year removed from their high school graduation and have played minor-league basketball with a team outside the NBA are also automatically eligible.
A player who is not automatically eligible must declare his eligibility for the draft by notifying the NBA offices in writing no later than 60 days before the draft.[22][23] For the 2011 draft, this date fell on April 24. Under NCAA rules, players will only have until May 8 to withdraw from the draft and maintain their college eligibility.[24] This year, a total of 69 collegiate players and 20 international players declared as early entry candidates.[25] At the withdrawal deadline, 41 early entry candidates withdrew from the draft (25 from US colleges and institutions),[26] leaving 42 collegiate players and six international players as the early entry candidates for the draft.[27]
A player who has hired anagent will forfeit his remaining college eligibility, regardless of whether he is drafted. Also, while the CBA allows a player to withdraw from the draft twice, the NCAA mandates that a player who has declared twice loses his college eligibility.
The first 14 picks in the draft belong to teams that missed theplayoffs; the order will be determined through a lottery. The lottery will determine the three teams that will obtain the first three picks on the draft. The remaining first-round picks and the second-round picks were assigned to teams in reverse order of their win–loss record in theprevious season. As it is commonplace in the event of identical win–loss records, the NBA performed a random drawing to break the ties on April 15, 2011.[28]
The lottery was held on May 17, 2011, inSecaucus, New Jersey. TheCleveland Cavaliers, who obtained theLos Angeles Clippers' first-round draft pick, won the lottery. The Cavaliers won the lottery with a 22.7% chance to win, combining a 19.9% chance from their own pick and 2.8% chance from the Clippers' pick. However, their winning lottery combination came from the Clippers' pick, which had a significantly lower chance to win. TheMinnesota Timberwolves, who had the worst record and the biggest chance to win the lottery, won the second pick. TheUtah Jazz, who obtained theNew Jersey Nets' first-round draft pick, won the third pick.[29][30]
Below were the chances for each team to get specific picks in the 2011 draft lottery, rounded to three decimal places.[31]
Although Kanter enrolled at Kentucky, he never played because he was declared ineligible by the NCAA due to financial benefits he had received from his previous Turkish club,Fenerbahçe Ülker.
Players who do not meet the criteria for "international" players are automatically eligible if they meet any of the following criteria:[70]
They have completed 4 years of their college eligibility.
If they graduated from high school in the U.S., but did not enroll in a U.S. college or university, four years have passed since their high school class graduated.
They have signed a contract with a professional basketball team outside of the NBA, anywhere in the world, and have played under that contract.
Players who meet the criteria for "international" players are automatically eligible if they meet any of the following criteria:
They are least 22 years old during the calendar year of the draft. In terms of dates, players born on or before December 31, 1989, are automatically eligible for the 2011 draft.[21]
They have signed a contract with a professional basketball team outside of the NBAwithin the United States, and have played under that contract.[71]
The NBA annually invites 10 to 15 players to sit in the so-called "green room", a special room set aside at the draft site for the invited players plus their families and agents. This season, the following players were invited (listed alphabetically):[72]
c 12 On February 22, 2011, theChicago Bulls acquiredMiami's 2011 first-round draft pick (the 28th pick) from theToronto Raptors in exchange forJames Johnson.[75] Previously, on July 9, 2010, the Raptors re-acquired their 2011 first-round draft pick (the 5th pick) while also acquiring Miami's 2011 first-round draft pick (the 28th pick) and a trade exception from the Miami Heat in exchange forChris Bosh.[76] Previously, on February 14, 2009, the Heat acquiredJermaine O'Neal,Jamario Moon, a 2011 first-round draft pick (the 5th pick) and a2010 second-round draft pick from the Raptors in exchange forShawn Marion,Marcus Banks and cash considerations.[77]
f On July 13, 2010, theMinnesota Timberwolves acquiredKosta Koufos,Memphis's 2011 first-round draft pick and Utah's 2012 conditional first-round draft pick from the Utah Jazz in exchange forAl Jefferson.[81] Previously, on February 18, 2010, the Jazz acquired a 2011 first-round draft pick from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange forRonnie Brewer.[82]
h 12 On December 15, 2010, the New Jersey Nets acquiredSasha Vujačić and a 2011 first-round draft pick from theLos Angeles Lakers, while the Lakers acquiredJoe Smith, Golden State's 2011 and Chicago's 2012 second-round draft picks from the Nets in a three-team trade with the Lakers and the Houston Rockets.[85] Previously, the Nets acquired a 2011 second-round draft pick from the Golden State Warriors as a compensation for delaying the sending of the 2011 conditional first-round draft pick to at least 2012.[86] In the original trade on July 22, 2008, the Nets acquired a 2011 conditional first-round draft pick on July 22, 2008, from the Golden State Warriors in exchange forMarcus Williams.[87]
i On July 12, 2010, the Miami Heat acquired 2011 and2014 second-round draft picks and cash considerations from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange forMichael Beasley.[88]
k On February 16, 2009, the Los Angeles Clippers acquiredAlex Acker and a 2011 second-round draft pick from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for a 2013 conditional second-round draft pick.[90]
l 12 On August 6, 2008, the Houston Rockets acquired the option to swap 2011 second-round draft picks from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange forSteve Novak.[91] The option to swap 2011 second-round draft picks was exercised.
m On July 8, 2010, the Chicago Bulls acquiredCarlos Boozer and a 2011 second-round draft pick from the Utah Jazz in exchange for a trade exception.[92]
n On July 22, 2010, the Golden State Warriors acquired Phoenix's 2011 second-round draft pick and a trade exception from the Chicago Bulls in exchange forC. J. Watson.[93] Previously, on July 9, 2010, the Bulls acquired a second-round draft pick from the Phoenix Suns in exchange forHakim Warrick.[94]
p On June 26, 2009, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired a 2011 second-round draft pick and cash considerations from theNew York Knicks in exchange for the draft rights toToney Douglas.[96]
r On July 10, 2010, the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired two first-round draft picks, New Orleans' 2012 andOklahoma City's second-round draft picks, the option to swap 2012 first-round draft picks and a trade exception from the Miami Heat in exchange forLeBron James.[98] Previously, on June 24, 2010, the Heat acquired a 2011 second-round pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the draft rights toLatavious Williams.[99]
s On June 26, 2009, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired a 2011 second-round draft pick and cash considerations from theMiami Heat in exchange for the draft rights toPatrick Beverley.[100]
D 123 TheChicago Bulls acquired the draft rights to 23rd pick Nikola Mirotić from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for the draft rights to 28th pickNorris Cole, 43rd pickMalcolm Lee and cash considerations.[107]
G 12 TheMiami Heat acquired the draft rights to 28th pick Norris Cole from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for the draft rights to 31st pickBojan Bogdanović, a 2014 second-round draft pick and cash considerations.[107][111]
H The New Jersey Nets acquired the draft rights to 31st pick Bojan Bogdanović from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for a2013 second-round draft pick and cash considerations.[112]
^Nationality indicates the player's national team or representative nationality. If a player has not competed at the international level, then the nationality indicates the national team which the player is eligible to represent according toFIBA rules.
^Kyrie Irving was born inAustralia to American parents who returned to the U.S. when he was two years old. He has dual U.S. and Australian citizenship, but has represented theUnited States internationally.[3]
^Enes Kanter was born inSwitzerland to Turkish parents. He has representedTurkey internationally in competitions until 2015 in part due to political discourse there.[4] On November 29, 2021, he not only became a legal American citizen, but he also changed his name to Enes Kanter Freedom around that same period of time.[5]
^Although Enes Kanter enrolled at Kentucky, he never played because he was ruled ineligible to play by theNCAA for receiving financial benefits from his previous professional team,Fenerbahçe Ülker, during the 2008–09 season.[6]
^Nikola Vučević was born in Switzerland toYugoslavian parents and raised in Belgium. He holds Montenegrin and Belgian citizenship but representedMontenegro internationally.[7] Vučević became an American citizen in 2024.
^Tanguy Ngombo was born inCongo. He is also a naturalized citizen of Qatar and has representedQatar internationally.[13][14][15]
^Ater Majok was born inSudan and raised in Australia. He is a dual citizen of both countries but representedAustralia internationally.[16] He acquired Lebanese citizenship in 2017 and has since played for theLebanon national basketball team.
^Ádám Hanga played for Albacomp during the 2010–11 season, but was signed byAssignia Manresa (Spain) on May 27, 2011.[17]
^ab"Article X, Section 1(b)(i)".2005 NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement. National Basketball Players Association. Archived fromthe original on February 27, 2008. RetrievedApril 17, 2008.
^"Article X, Section 1(c)".2005 NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement. National Basketball Players Association. Archived fromthe original on June 21, 2009. RetrievedApril 17, 2008.
^"Article X, Section 1(b)(ii)".2005 NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement. National Basketball Players Association. Archived fromthe original on June 21, 2009. RetrievedApril 17, 2008.
^"Article X, Section 1(b)(ii)(F)".2005 NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement. National Basketball Players Association. Archived fromthe original on February 27, 2008. RetrievedApril 17, 2008. (non-international players)
^"Article X, Section 1(b)(ii)(G)(3)".2005 NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement. National Basketball Players Association. Archived fromthe original on February 27, 2008. RetrievedApril 17, 2008. (international players)
^"Heat Acquires Norris Cole".NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. June 24, 2011.Archived from the original on June 27, 2011. RetrievedJune 28, 2011.
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Dāvis Bertāns – F,Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia)[65]
Bismack Biyombo – F,Baloncesto Fuenlabrada (Spain)[66]
Nikola Mirotić – F,Real Madrid (Spain)[67]
Donatas Motiejūnas – F,Benetton Treviso (Italy)[68]
Jan Veselý – F,Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)[69]
Alec Burks,Colorado
Enes Kanter,Kentucky
Tristan Thompson,Texas
