The NBA draft is a complicated process. It can be hard to know what’s going on when you’re not an insider. With that in mind, we’ve decided to look back at the last four years of drafts and identify what we think are ten of the best-undrafted players from this period. Here are best undrafted nba players you need to know.
– Kyle Anderson (2014)
– Jordan Clarkson (2013) -Andre Drummond (2012) -Taj Gibson(2010)
-Robin Lopez(2008) -Thaddeus Young (2007) -Raymond Felton (2005) -Manu Ginobili (1999) -Vince Carter (1998) -Jason Richardson (2001)
As you can see, this list contains many players who have already had pretty decent careers. There are also a few players who still have plenty of time to make their mark as NBA stars. If we’re honest, it’s pretty surprising that NBA teams didn’t pick up guys like Anderson and Clarkson. Both seem like natural athletes with the kind of skills that would be in high demand on any team in the league. However, the point is that many outstanding players go undrafted every year, and you can never tell which ones will turn out to be the best. You have to sit back and wait for history to unfold…
Example
As an example, take Jason Richardson (pictured). He was picked by Golden State in 2001 but failed to make the team. He bounced around on various rosters for a few years, and when he finally landed with the Magic in 2004, he became a star. After only two seasons in Orlando, Richardson was averaging over 20 points per game, and he would sign an eight-year contract with Phoenix worth 70 million dollars later that year.
In other words, you never know what’s going to happen in sports. It’s a very unpredictable business where there are no guarantees for anybody. Still, it’s always fun to look back and see how some of the best players from yesterday went practically unnoticed when they were coming out of high school and college. With that in mind, here are the top ten best-undrafted players in NBA history…
#10 – Raymond Felton (drafted 5th round, 2005)
-Felton has been a solid point guard for many years now. He had his most productive season when the Knicks picked up and helped them win their first championship since 1973.
#9 – Andre Drummond (drafted 1st round, 2012)
-Drummond is an all-star caliber center who has been a massive part of the league’s best defense for the last few seasons. He was picked 9th overall in 2012 but could have quickly gone first or second if he didn’t skip college and instead went to a significant D-1 program.
#8 – Robin Lopez (drafted 2nd round, 2008)
-Lopez has been good for the past few seasons, and he has turned into one of the better centers in the league. He is not an elite player by any stretch, but his ability to block shots and rebound makes him one of the most consistent big men in the association.
#7 – Andre Iguodala (undrafted, 2004)
-Iggy was taken with the 9th pick in the 2004 draft, but he didn’t sign with Philadelphia until three years later. With that being said, Iguodala has been one of the best players in the NBA for the past decade. He has played with several great teams, including the 2013 championship Golden State Warriors and the 2014 NBA sports Finals runner-up San Antonio Spurs.
#6 – Kyle Anderson (drafted 1st round, 2014)
-Anderson was taken 30th overall by the Spurs, but he took a few years to start his career. He was traded to the Pelicans for a while, and then he went to Memphis before joining the Spurs last season. This year, Anderson is averaging 5.7 points per game in just under 20 minutes per game (he’s also gaining 3.1 assists and grabbing seven rebounds).
#5 – Manu Ginobili (undrafted, 1999)
-Ginobili is still one of the more clutch players in the league, and he has consistently been an excellent scorer that can take over any game. He scores 13.3 points per game, grabs 4.2 rebounds, and hands out three assists for a San Antonio Spurs squad currently tied for first place with Golden State and Houston in the Western Conference.
#4 – Chris Kaman (drafted 1st round, 2003)
-Kaman has bounced around a bit, but he is still one of the better centers in the league (14.2 points on 62% shooting this season). He’s up there in age, but he still plays well enough to get by.
#3 – Michael Redd (undrafted, 2000)
-Redd was one of the best scorers in the NBA for a few seasons, but he tore his ACL and later had several other injuries to his knees that caused him to miss most of those prime years. Nevertheless, Redd is still ranked 30th all-time in NBA career three-point percentage, and his best season came in 2004 when he averaged 24.9 points per game for the Milwaukee Bucks.
#2 – Paul Millsap (drafted 2nd round, 2006)
-Millsap is having one of his best seasons to date this year, and he’s doing it with Denver. He’s averaging 18.2 points and nearly nine rebounds per game (which is the best of his 13-year career), yet he’s only shooting 45% from the field. With that being said, Millsap has been consistent for a long time now, and he will probably finish in the top five this season among best undrafted nba players power forwards.
#1 – Tony Parker (drafted 1st round, 2001)
-Parker is the only player on this list that has been on an NBA championship team. He played with Tim Duncan for his first four seasons, and he was a massive part of that Spurs squad that won it all in 2007. Parker is still playing at a very high level even though he’s 34 years old. He is averaging 17.8 points and 4.9 assists per game. With that being said, Parker has been one of the best point guards in the NBA for the past decade, and he will continue to be a relevant player until he retires (which may not happen for another 5-10 seasons).
Summary
There are numerous ways to evaluate the best undrafted nba players. One way is by looking at their accolades, such as MVP awards, All-Star appearances, and championships won. Another method of evaluating a player’s greatness is based on how they’ve done against other greats – for example, if one were to compare Michael Jordan with LeBron James or Kobe Bryant with Stephen Curry.
