Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Pos. | Nationality | Team | School/club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Aguirre, MarkMark Aguirre+ | G/F | United States | Dallas Mavericks | DePaul |
| 1 | 2 | Thomas, IsiahIsiah Thomas^ | G | United States | Detroit Pistons | Indiana |
| 1 | 3 | Williams, BuckBuck Williams* | F/C | United States | New Jersey Nets | Maryland |
| 1 | 4 | Wood, AlAl Wood | G/F | United States | Atlanta Hawks | North Carolina |
| 1 | 5 | Vranes, DannyDanny Vranes | F | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | Utah |
| 1 | 6 | Woolridge, OrlandoOrlando Woolridge | F | United States | Chicago Bulls | Notre Dame |
| 1 | 7 | Johnson, SteveSteve Johnson+ | F/C | United States | Kansas City Kings | Oregon State |
| 1 | 8 | Chambers, TomTom Chambers* | F/C | United States | San Diego Clippers | Utah |
| 1 | 9 | Blackman, RolandoRolando Blackman+ | G | Panama United States1 |
Dallas Mavericks | Kansas State |
| 1 | 10 | King, AlbertAlbert King | G/F | United States | New Jersey Nets | Maryland |
| 1 | 11 | Johnson, FrankFrank Johnson | G | United States | Washington Bullets | Wake Forest |
| 1 | 12 | Tripucka, KellyKelly Tripucka+ | G/F | United States | Detroit Pistons | Notre Dame |
| 1 | 13 | Schayes, DannyDanny Schayes | F/C | United States | Utah Jazz | Syracuse |
| 1 | 14 | Williams, HerbHerb Williams | F/C | United States | Indiana Pacers | Ohio State |
| 1 | 15 | Lamp, JeffJeff Lamp | G/F | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Virginia |
| 1 | 16 | Valentine, DarnellDarnell Valentine | G | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Kansas |
| 1 | 17 | Loder, KevinKevin Loder | G/F | United States | Kansas City Kings | Alabama State |
| 1 | 18 | Tolbert, RayRay Tolbert | F | United States | New Jersey Nets | Indiana |
| 1 | 19 | McGee, MikeMike McGee | G/F | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | Michigan |
| 1 | 20 | Nance, LarryLarry Nance+ | F/C | United States | Phoenix Suns | Clemson |
| 1 | 21 | Lister, AltonAlton Lister | F/C | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Arizona State |
| 1 | 22 | Edwards, FranklinFranklin Edwards | G | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Cleveland State |
| 1 | 23 | Bradley, CharlesCharles Bradley | G | United States | Boston Celtics | Wyoming |
| 2 | 24 | Vincent, JayJay Vincent | F | United States | Dallas Mavericks | Michigan State |
| 2 | 25 | Jackson, TracyTracy Jackson | G/F | United States | Boston Celtics | Notre Dame |
| 2 | 26 | Jackson, BrianBrian Jackson# | F | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Utah State |
| 2 | 27 | Wood, HowardHoward Wood | F | United States | Utah Jazz | Tennessee |
| 2 | 28 | Banks, GeneGene Banks | G/F | United States | San Antonio Spurs | Duke |
| 2 | 29 | Johnson, EddieEddie Johnson | G/F | United States | Kansas City Kings | Illinois |
| 2 | 30 | Rains, EdEd Rains | F | United States | San Antonio Spurs | South Alabama |
| 2 | 31 | Ainge, DannyDanny Ainge+ | G/F | United States | Boston Celtics | Brigham Young |
| 2 | 32 | Olliver, MikeMike Olliver# | G | United States | Chicago Bulls | Lamar |
| 2 | 33 | Williams, SamSam Williams | F | United States | Golden State Warriors | Arizona State |
| 2 | 34 | Green, KenKen Green | F | United States | Denver Nuggets | Pan American |
| 2 | 35 | Davis, CharlesCharles Davis | F | United States | Washington Bullets | Vanderbilt |
| 2 | 36 | Blume, RayRay Blume | G | United States | Indiana Pacers | Oregon State |
| 2 | 37 | Leslie, AlAl Leslie# | G | United States | Indiana Pacers | Bucknell |
| 2 | 38 | Bradshaw, ClydeClyde Bradshaw# | G | United States | Atlanta Hawks | DePaul |
| 2 | 39 | Knuckles, HarveyHarvey Knuckles# | F | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | Toledo |
| 2 | 40 | Cook, GregGreg Cook# | F | United States | New York Knicks | LSU |
| 2 | 41 | Gregory, ClaudeClaude Gregory | F | United States | Washington Bullets | Wisconsin |
| 2 | 42 | Rolle, ElvisElvis Rolle# | F/C | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | Florida State |
| 2 | 43 | Turner, ElstonElston Turner | G/F | United States | Dallas Mavericks | Mississippi |
| 2 | 44 | Lingenfelter, SteveSteve Lingenfelter | F | United States | Washington Bullets | South Dakota State |
| 2 | 45 | Turner, EdEd Turner# | F | United States | Houston Rockets | Texas A&I |
| 2 | 46 | Smith, VernonVernon Smith# | F | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Texas A&M |
Read more about this topic: 1981 NBA Draft
Famous quotes containing the word draft:
“Why not draft executive and management brains to prepare and produce the equipment the $21-a-month draftee must use and forget this dollar-a-year tommyrot? Would we send an army into the field under a dollar-a-year General who had to be home Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays?”
—Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–1973)
“If violence is wrong in America, violence is wrong abroad. If it is wrong to be violent defending black women and black children and black babies and black men, then it is wrong for America to draft us, and make us violent abroad in defense of her. And if it is right for America to draft us, and teach us how to be violent in defense of her, then it is right for you and me to do whatever is necessary to defend our own people right here in this country.”
—Malcolm X (1925–1965)
“News is the first rough draft of history.”
—Philip L. Graham (1915–1963)