6 Sacramento Kings Draftees Who Had Better Careers Elsewhere

#5. Pervis Ellison

Is Pervis Ellison the least-talked about draft bust of all time? He was selected with the first overall pick in 1989, the last time the Kings had the top spot. Ellison played in just 34 games his rookie season due to injury, which prompted teammate Danny Ainge to give him the nickname “Out Of Service Pervis”.

It was a far cry from the “Never Nervous Pervis” monicker that was given to him in college when he was winning a national championship and a Final Four MOP award.

Ellison averaged 8 points and 5.8 rebounds on a true shooting percentage of .475 in his first year, and the Kings cut their losses quickly. Two days before the one year anniversary of Sacramento drafting him, he was traded to the Washington Bullets.

It took a couple of years, and lasted even less, but Ellison came on strong for Washington. After averaging just 10 points in his first season with the Bullets, his averages shot up to 20 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. He was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 1992.

Ellison enjoyed one more solid season before dropping down to 7.3 points per game and declining every seasons from then on. He had an assortment of knee problems, and he broke a toe while moving furniture that kept him out of games for nearly two years.

Ellison never burned the Kings by becoming a star, but he was vastly improved over his time in Sacramento, albeit only for a few years.