26 players who never suited up for the teams that drafted them

John Elway, Bill Russell, Eli Manning, Dominique Wilkins are among the players never to suit up for the teams that drafted them.

Bill Russell

Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images

Boston had the No. 3 selection in 1956, but wanted Bill Russell. St. Louis, at No. 2, took Russell, and then traded him to Boston for Ed McCauley and Cliff Hagan for Russell. McCauley went on to have a Hall of Fame career. Russell, though, won 11 championships, five MVP awards and was a 12-time All-star.

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