The 1986 NBA draft was held on June 17, 1986.
Overview and aftermath
This draft holds the record for the most players chosen who later debuted in the NBA, with 66.
Drug and health issues involving drafted players
Various drug-related problems plagued players in the 1986 NBA draft. Most notable was the death of the #2 overall pick, Len Bias. The highly touted forward died from an overdose of cocaine overdose
less than two days after being selected by the defending champion Boston Celtics. Other problems involving drugs hampered the careers of centers Chris Washburn, Roy Tarpley, and William Bedford.
Successful second-round players
While a number of first-round selections were unable to make an impact in the league, the 1986 draft featured a number of talented second-round selections who made an impact on the league. Dennis Rodman became one of the leading defenders and rebounders in NBA history and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Mark Price, Kevin Duckworth, and Jeff Hornacek were all multiple NBA All-Stars. Johnny Newman, Nate McMillan, and David Wingate had long, productive careers as role players.
International draftees
This draft contained two exceptional international players, both of whom had abbreviated NBA careers for unusual reasons. Third-round selection Dražen Petrović was coming off an All-Star caliber fourth season in 1991 when he was killed in an automobile accident. He has since been elected to both the Naismith Hall of Fame and the FIBA Hall of Fame. Arvydas Sabonis, a resident of the Soviet Union and one of the greatest centers in basketball history, was not permitted to play in the United States during his prime because of Cold War antagonisms. He was already a two-time Olympic medal winner — a gold in 1988 with the USSR, and a bronze in 1992 with Lithuania - before finally being allowed to join the NBA in 1995, four years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. By that time he had lost much of his mobility to a string of knee and Achilles tendon injuries. Still, he finished second in both the Sixth Man Award and Rookie of the Year voting. After the 1995–96 season, he won a second Olympic bronze medal with Lithuania. He played seven seasons with Portland before returning to Lithuania to finish his career. Sabonis entered the FIBA Hall in 2010 and the Naismith Hall in 2011.
Other draftee contributions to the game
This draft is also known for the number of players who made important contributions to the sport of basketball beyond playing. For example, Nate McMillan followed a highly successful run on the court with the Seattle SuperSonics by becoming head coach, and then spent seven seasons as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. Scott Skiles coached the Milwaukee Bucks, then became the first coach to lead the Chicago Bulls to the playoffs in the post-Michael Jordan era.
Larry Krystkowiak became the head coach of the Bucks, then became head coach at the University of Utah in 2011. John Salley won four championship rings with three different NBA teams (Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers) before becoming one of the hosts of The Best Damn Sports Show Period on Fox Sports Network. Mark Price served as an assistant coach at Georgia Tech, a shooting consultant with Memphis (one season) and Atlanta (two seasons), a shooting coach for Golden State (one season), and in December 2011 was named Player Development Coach for the Orlando Magic.
Jeff Hornacek would also be a full-time assistant head coach for the Utah Jazz for two seasons before accepting a job as the head coach for the Phoenix Suns in the 2013–14 NBA season. He moved on to became the head coach for the New York Knicks from 2016 to 2018. Pete Myers, selected in the sixth round as the 120th overall pick, was an assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls from 2001 to 2010 and Golden State Warriors starting in 2011. Jim Les, the 70th overall pick, was an assistant coach for the WNBA's Sacramento Monarchs from 1999 to 2001, then was head coach at Bradley University from 2002 to 2011 and UC Davis since 2011.
Jay Bilas, who was selected in the fifth round as the 108th overall pick but never played in the NBA, is an ESPN college basketball analyst.
Draft selections
{|class=wikitable
|-
| PG || Point guard
| SG || Shooting guard
| SF || Small forward
| PF || Power forward
| C || Center
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable sortable"
! width="1%"| Round
! width="1%"| Pick
! width="20%"| Player
! width="1%"| Position
! width="20%"| Nationality
! width="35%"| NBA Team
! width="25%"| School/Club team
|-
| 1
| 1
| bgcolor="#FBCEB1"|*
| C
|
| Cleveland Cavaliers <small>(from L.A. Clippers via Philadelphia)</small>
| North Carolina
|-
| 1
| 2
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| SF
|
| Boston Celtics <small>(from Seattle)</small>
| Maryland
|-
| 1
| 3
|
| C
|
| Golden State Warriors
| NC State
|-
| 1
| 4
| bgcolor="CCCCFF"| ~
| SF
|
| Indiana Pacers
| Auburn
|-
| 1
| 5
|
| SF
|
| New York Knicks
| Kentucky
|-
| 1
| 6
|
| C
|
| Phoenix Suns
| Memphis State
|-
| 1
| 7
|
| C
|
| Dallas Mavericks <small>(from Cleveland)</small>
| Michigan
|-
| 1
| 8
|
| SG
|
| Cleveland Cavaliers <nowiki>*</nowiki>
| Miami (OH)
|-
| 1
| 9
|
| C
|
| Chicago Bulls
| Ohio State
|-
| 1
| 10
|
| PG
|
| San Antonio Spurs
| Duke
|-
| 1
| 11
|
| PF
|
| Detroit Pistons <small>(from Sacramento)</small>
| Georgia Tech
|-
| 1
| 12
| <!--NOT Hot Rod, who went to Tulane.-->
| PF
|
| Washington Bullets
| LSU
|-
| 1
| 13
|
| PG
|
| New Jersey Nets
| Syracuse
|-
| 1
| 14
|
| SF/PF
|
| Portland Trail Blazers
| St. John's
|-
| 1
| 15
|
| SG/SF
|
| Utah Jazz
| Virginia Tech
|-
| 1
| 16
|
| SF
|
| Denver Nuggets <small>(from Dallas)</small>
| Saint Joseph's
|-
| 1
| 17
|
| SF
|
| Sacramento Kings <small>(from Detroit)</small>
| Villanova
|-
| 1
| 18
|
| PF
|
| Denver Nuggets
| Duke
|-
| 1
| 19
|
| SF
|
| Atlanta Hawks
| Louisville
|-
| 1
| 20
|
| SF
|
| Houston Rockets
| Alabama
|-
| 1
| 21
|
| SF
|
| Washington Bullets <small>(from Philadelphia)</small>
| UNLV
|-
| 1
| 22
|
| PG
|
| Milwaukee Bucks
| Michigan State
|-
| 1
| 23
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| PF
|
| Los Angeles Lakers
| Notre Dame
|-
| 1
| 24
| bgcolor="#FFFF99"| ^
| C
|
| Portland Trail Blazers <small>(from Boston via L.A. Clippers)</small>
| Zalgiris
|-
| 2
| 25
| bgcolor="#FBCEB1"| *
| PG
|
| Dallas Mavericks, traded on draft day to the Cleveland Cavaliers
| Georgia Tech
|-
| 2
| 26
|
| C
|
| Indiana Pacers
| Kansas
|-
| 2
| 27
| bgcolor="#FFFF99"| ^
| PF
|
| Detroit Pistons
| Southeastern Oklahoma State
|-
| 2
| 28
|
| PF
|
| Chicago Bulls
| Montana
|-
| 2
| 29
|
| SF
|
| Cleveland Cavaliers
| Richmond
|-
| 2
| 30
|
| PG
|
| Seattle SuperSonics
| NC State
|-
| 2
| 31
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| SF
|
| Phoenix Suns
| Georgia
|-
| 2
| 32
|
| PF
|
| Atlanta Hawks
| Simac Milano <small>(Italy)</small>
|-
| 2
| 33
| bgcolor="#FFCC00"| <sup>+</sup>
| C
|
| San Antonio Spurs
| Eastern Illinois
|-
| 2
| 34
|
| PF
|
| Sacramento Kings
| UC Irvine
|-
| 2
| 35
|
| SG
|
| Dallas Mavericks
| Louisville
|-
| 2
| 36
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| PG
|
| Washington Bullets
| UAB
|-
| 2
| 37
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| C
|
| Portland Trail Blazers
| NC State
|-
| 2
| 38
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| C
|
| Seattle SuperSonics
| DePaul
|-
| 2
| 39
|
| SF
|
| Phoenix Suns
| Syracuse
|-
| 2
| 40
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| C
|
| Atlanta Hawks
| Virtus Bologna
|-
| 2
| 41
|
| SG
|
| Denver Nuggets
| Jacksonville
|-
| 2
| 42
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| SF
|
| Atlanta Hawks
| Kansas
|-
| 2
| 43
|
| C
|
| Houston Rockets
| UTEP
|-
| 2
| 44
|
| SG
|
| Philadelphia 76ers
| Georgetown
|-
| 2
| 45
|
| PG
|
| Milwaukee Bucks
| Loyola Marymount
|-
| 2
| 46
| bgcolor="#FFCC00"| <sup>+</sup>
| SG
|
| Phoenix Suns
| Iowa State
|-
| 2
| 47
|
| PG
|
| New York Knicks
| Georgetown
|-
| 3
| 48
|
| SF
|
| San Antonio Spurs
| Loyola Marymount
|-
| 3
| 49
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Portland Trail Blazers
| UTEP
|-
| 3
| 50
|
| PG
|
| Cleveland Cavaliers
| Cal State Fullerton
|-
| 3
| 51
|
| PF/SF
|
| Golden State Warriors
| Bradley
|-
| 3
| 52
|
| PG
|
| Chicago Bulls
| George Mason
|-
| 3
| 53
|
| PF
|
| Seattle SuperSonics
| UC Irvine
|-
| 3
| 54
|
| SG
|
| Los Angeles Clippers
| Pepperdine
|-
| 3
| 55
|
| PF
|
| Phoenix Suns
| Old Dominion
|-
| 3
| 56
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Philadelphia 76ers
| Virginia Tech
|-
| 3
| 57
|
| SG
|
| Sacramento Kings
| Illinois
|-
| 3
| 58
|
| PG
|
| Washington Bullets
| Duke
|-
| 3
| 59
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| PF
|
| Golden State Warriors
| Syracuse
|-
| 3
| 60
| bgcolor="#FFFF99"| ^
|SG
|
| Portland Trail Blazers
| Cibona (Yugoslavia)
|-
| 3
| 61
|
| C
|
| Utah Jazz
| Minnesota
|-
| 3
| 62
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Dallas Mavericks
| Illinois
|-
| 3
| 63
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| C
|
| Utah Jazz
| Rocky Mountain
|-
| 3
| 64
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Denver Nuggets
| LSU
|-
| 3
| 65
|
| C
|
| Atlanta Hawks
| Nebraska
|-
| 3
| 66
|
| SG
|
| Houston Rockets
| Oklahoma
|-
| 3
| 67
|
| SG
|
| Philadelphia 76ers
| St. John's
|-
| 3
| 68
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Milwaukee Bucks
| Memphis
|-
| 3
| 69
|
| PG
|
| Los Angeles Lakers
| Memphis State
|-
| 3
| 70
|
| PG
|
| Atlanta Hawks
| Bradley
|-
| 4
| 71
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| New York Knicks
| Kansas
|-
| 4
| 72
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Indiana Pacers
| LSU
|-
| 4
| 73
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| C
|
| Cleveland Cavaliers
| North Carolina
|-
| 4
| 74
|
| PF
|
| Chicago Bulls
| Illinois
|-
| 4
| 75
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Golden State Warriors
| Missouri
|-
| 4
| 76
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Seattle SuperSonics
| Georgetown
|-
| 4
| 77
|
| SG
|
| Phoenix Suns
| Pepperdine
|-
| 4
| 78
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Los Angeles Clippers
| Texas
|-
| 4
| 79
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| San Antonio Spurs
| Baylor
|-
| 4
| 80
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Sacramento Kings
| Houston
|-
| 4
| 81
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| New Jersey Nets
| North Carolina
|-
| 4
| 82
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Washington Bullets
| St. Bonaventure
|-
| 4
| 83
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Portland Trail Blazers
| Florida State
|-
| 4
| 84
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Utah Jazz
| DePaul
|-
| 4
| 85
|
| PG
|
| Dallas Mavericks
| Arkansas–Little Rock
|-
| 4
| 86
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Detroit Pistons
| Mississippi State
|-
| 4
| 87
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Denver Nuggets
| San Diego State
|-
| 4
| 88
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Atlanta Hawks
| Illinois
|-
| 4
| 89
|
| SG
|
| Houston Rockets
| UC Santa Barbara
|-
| 4
| 90
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Philadelphia 76ers
| East Tennessee State
|-
| 4
| 91
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Sacramento Kings
| Virginia Tech
|-
| 4
| 92
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Los Angeles Lakers
| West Virginia
|-
| 4
| 93
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Boston Celtics
| Texas Tech
|-
| 5
| 94
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| New York Knicks
| UAB
|-
| 5
| 95
|
| SF
|
| Indiana Pacers
| Michigan
|-
| 5
| 96
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Cleveland Cavaliers
| Gardner–Webb
|-
| 5
| 97
|
| SG
|
| Golden State Warriors
| Cleveland State
|-
| 5
| 98
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| C
|
| Chicago Bulls
| Texas A&M
|-
| 5
| 99
|
| PG
|
| Seattle SuperSonics
| Boston College
|-
| 5
| 100
|
| PF
|
| Los Angeles Clippers
| San Diego State
|-
| 5
| 101
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| C
|
| Phoenix Suns
| Carson–Newman
|-
| 5
| 102
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| San Antonio Spurs
| UConn
|-
| 5
| 103
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Sacramento Kings
| Washington State
|-
| 5
| 104
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Washington Bullets
| Washington
|-
| 5
| 105
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| New Jersey Nets
| UAB
|-
| 5
| 106
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Portland Trail Blazers
| Oregon
|-
| 5
| 107
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Utah Jazz
| Cal State Fullerton
|-
| 5
| 108
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| C
|
| Dallas Mavericks
| Duke
|-
| 5
| 109
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| C
|
| Detroit Pistons
| Old Dominion
|-
| 5
| 110
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Denver Nuggets
| Eastern Illinois
|-
| 5
| 111
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Atlanta Hawks
| VCU
|-
| 5
| 112
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Houston Rockets
| Iowa
|-
| 5
| 113
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Philadelphia 76ers
| DePaul
|-
| 5
| 114
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Milwaukee Bucks
| Southwestern University
|-
| 5
| 115
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Los Angeles Lakers
| Kentucky
|-
| 5
| 116
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| C
|
| Boston Celtics
| Dayton
|-
| 6
| 117
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| New York Knicks
| Michigan
|-
| 6
| 118
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Indiana Pacers
| Louisville
|-
| 6
| 119
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Cleveland Cavaliers
| New Mexico State
|-
| 6
| 120
|
| G/SF
|
| Chicago Bulls
| Arkansas–Little Rock
|-
| 6
| 121
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| C
|
| Golden State Warriors
| Alabama
|-
| 6
| 122
|
| PF
|
| Seattle SuperSonics
| South Florida
|-
| 6
| 123
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Phoenix Suns
| Holy Cross
|-
| 6
| 124
|
| PF
|
| Los Angeles Clippers
| Notre Dame
|-
| 6
| 125
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| San Antonio Spurs
| SMU
|-
| 6
| 126
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Sacramento Kings
| UNLV
|-
| 6
| 127
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| New Jersey Nets
| George Washington
|-
| 6
| 128
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Washington Bullets
| Sam Houston
|-
| 6
| 129
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Portland Trail Blazers
| Montana State
|-
| 6
| 130
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| C
|
| Utah Jazz
| Villanova
|-
| 6
| 131
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| C
|
| Dallas Mavericks
| Lamar
|-
| 6
| 132
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Detroit Pistons
| Utah State
|-
| 6
| 133
|
| SF
|
| Denver Nuggets
| Pepperdine
|-
| 6
| 134
|
| C
|
| Atlanta Hawks
| Budivelnik Kiev
|-
| 6
| 135
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Houston Rockets
| Dyke
|-
| 6
| 136
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Philadelphia 76ers
| Seton Hall
|-
| 6
| 137
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Milwaukee Bucks
| Lipscomb
|-
| 6
| 138
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| C
|
| Los Angeles Lakers
| Marquette
|-
| 6
| 139
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Boston Celtics
| Detroit Mercy
|-
| 7
| 140
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| New York Knicks
| South Carolina
|-
| 7
| 141
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Indiana Pacers
| Oregon State
|-
| 7
| 142
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| C
|
| Cleveland Cavaliers
| Georgetown
|-
| 7
| 143
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Golden State Warriors
| Santa Clara
|-
| 7
| 144
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| C
|
| Chicago Bulls
| Michigan
|-
| 7
| 145
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Seattle SuperSonics
| Clemson
|-
| 7
| 146
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Los Angeles Clippers
| New Mexico
|-
| 7
| 147
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Phoenix Suns
| Dayton
|-
| 7
| 148
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| San Antonio Spurs
| Pan American
|-
| 7
| 149
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Sacramento Kings
| Southeast Missouri State
|-
| 7
| 150
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Washington Bullets
| Notre Dame
|-
| 7
| 151
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| New Jersey Nets
| Notre Dame
|-
| 7
| 152
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Portland Trail Blazers
| Linfield
|-
| 7
| 153
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Utah Jazz
| Hartford
|-
| 7
| 154
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Dallas Mavericks
| Middle Tennessee
|-
| 7
| 155
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Detroit Pistons
| Michigan State
|-
| 7
| 156
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Denver Nuggets
| McNeese State
|-
| 7
| 157
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| C
|
| Atlanta Hawks
| CSKA Moscow
|-
| 7
| 158
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Houston Rockets
| Wisconsin
|-
| 7
| 159
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| F
|
| Philadelphia 76ers
| Ball State
|-
| 7
| 160
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Milwaukee Bucks
| Missouri
|-
| 7
| 161
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| G
|
| Los Angeles Lakers
| Mississippi Valley State
|-
| 7
| 162
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
| C
|
| Boston Celtics
| Boston University
|-
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> compensation for draft choices traded away by Ted Stepien
Notable undrafted players
These players who declared or were automatically eligible for the 1986 draft were not selected but played in the NBA.
{| class="wikitable sortable sortable"
! width="20%"| Player
! width="1%"| Position
! width="20%"| Nationality
! width="25%"| School/Club team
|-
|
|SG
|<br>
|George Mason <small>(Sr.)</small>
|-
|
|SF
|
|Northern Arizona <small>(Sr.)</small>
|-
|
|SG
|
|Utah <small>(Sr.)</small>
|-
|
|C
|
|KK Zadar <small>(Croatia)</small>
|}
Early entrants
College underclassmen
For the fourth year in a row and the eighth time in nine years, no college underclassman would withdraw their entry into the NBA draft. However, it would be the first time in NBA history that a player that qualified for the status of a "college underclassman" would be playing professional basketball overseas, as Cedric Henderson (who had previously played for the University of Georgia for a year before travelling to Italy to play for the Simac Olimpia Milano) would qualify as an official entry there, expanding the list of official players there from eight to nine. Excluding him, however, the following college basketball players successfully applied for early draft entrance.
- William Bedford – C, Memphis (junior)
- Walter Berry – F, St. John's (junior)
- Michael Graham – F, Georgetown (freshman)
- Jerald Hyatt – G, Lincoln Memorial (junior)
- Andre Morgan – G, Hawaii (junior)
- Chris Washburn – F/C, NC State (sophomore)
- Dwayne Washington – Syracuse (junior)
- John Williams – F, LSU (sophomore)
Other eligible players
This year marked the first official year that a player that would not be considered a typical, proper "college underclassman" would qualify for entry in an NBA draft as an underclassman of sorts.
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:left; font-size:95%"
! Player !! !!class=unsortable| Note !!class=unsortable| Ref.
|-
!scope="row"| Cedric Henderson
| Olimpia Milano (Italy) || Left Georgia in 1985; playing professionally since the 1985–86 season ||align=center|
|}
Invited attendees
The 1986 NBA draft is considered to be the ninth NBA draft to have utilized what's properly considered the "green room" experience for NBA prospects. The NBA's green room is a staging area where anticipated draftees often sit with their families and representatives, waiting for their names to be called on draft night. Often being positioned either in front of or to the side of the podium (in this case, being positioned in the Madison Square Garden's Felt Forum for the fifth year in a row), once a player heard his name, he would walk to the podium to shake hands and take promotional photos with the NBA commissioner. From there, the players often conducted interviews with various media outlets while backstage. However, once the NBA draft started to air nationally on TV starting with the 1980 NBA draft, the green room evolved from players waiting to hear their name called and then shaking hands with these select players who were often called to the hotel to take promotional pictures with the NBA commissioner a day or two after the draft concluded to having players in real-time waiting to hear their names called up and then shaking hands with David Stern, the NBA's commissioner at the time. The NBA compiled its list of green room invites through collective voting by the NBA's team presidents and general managers alike, which in this year's case belonged to only what they believed were the top 11 prospects at the time. However, while the NBA avoided having a play wait in the green room beyond the first round for a fifth straight year in a row, one of the players invited in Len Bias would tragically lose his life two days after this draft concluded due to a drug overdose. Nevertheless, the following players were invited to attend this year's draft festivities live and in person.