Titles Won on Draft Night

People watch drafts, particularly the NBA Draft, because of the promise that the players your team drafts tonight could lead your team to a title. Thinking about the NFL for a second, the Chiefs don't win Super Bowl LIV without drafting Patrick Mahomes. But while the Tampa Bay Bucs obviously had players they drafted on their LV winning roster, what pushed them over the top was TB12, not a player they drafted.

NBA

Golden State Warriors 

Titles: 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022

Won on Draft Nights in 2009 (Curry), 2011 (Klay) 2012 (Green)

Milwaukee Bucks

Title: 2021

Won on Draft Night in 2013 (Giannis)

The 2020 Lakers, 2019 Raptors, 2016 Cavs, 2012-2013 Heat titles were all driven by free agency decisions. 

The only other title in the last ten years won on draft nights is...

San Antonio Spurs

Title: 2014

Won on Draft Nights in 1997 (Duncan), 1999 (Ginobli), 2001 (Parker) and 2011 (Kawhi)

In general, even if your team drafts superstars that will lead you to titles, expect to wait around 8 years. And the chances of that happening look pretty slim.

A quick scan of the Super Bowl Champions and you see that sometimes you draft a QB that delivers a championship (Brady, Wilson, Mahomes) and sometimes you get one in free agency (Manning for Broncos, Brady for Bucs). Again, it takes a while. The idea that your team can draft well and turn around and win a title is basically a myth.