While lottery picks are often thought to be sure-fire superstars, the NBA’s best players can get into the league in a number of ways. Let’s examine the five best undrafted players in the NBA today.
Although the worst NBA teams annually fight to secure the No. 1 pick in the draft, superstars taken in that top spot such as Kevin Durant and Zion Williamson are rarities.
There are only 14 lottery spots and 60 total draft picks each year, so some talents inevitably get overlooked and have to vie for roster spots in the Summer League, team tryouts, or G League stints.
Just because a player doesn’t shake hands with Commissioner Adam Silver or Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum on draft night doesn’t disqualify him from being able to make an impact in the league.
The five best undrafted NBA players
Before dissecting the five best undrafted players, honorable mentions among the brightest undrafted talents include Luguentz Dort (Oklahoma City Thunder), Gabe Vincent (Los Angeles Lakers), Max Strus (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Caleb Martin (Miami Heat). Having said that, here are the five best undrafted players in the NBA now.
5. Dorian Finney-Smith
A case could be made for Brooklyn Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith being the best three-and-d role player in the NBA. The 6-7 wing thrives as a catch-and-shoot specialist that can also slash in the lane on occasion.
Finney-Smith is currently cashing in 36.8 percent of his threes and he’s active on the boards with 4.7 rebounds in only 27 minutes of action.
Watching Finney-Smith gives a clearer picture of just how effective he is on both ends. The 30-year-old disrupts passing lanes and contests shots with discipline. On offense, he finds open spots on the floor and helps the Nets expand their spacing.
After going undrafted in 2016, Finney-Smith became a major part of the Dallas Mavericks’ run to the 2022 Western Conference Finals and is having a similar impact on the Nets this year.
4. Alex Caruso
After generating mass appeal for his unexpected hops and toughness on both ends of the floor, Alex Caruso elevated his game last season.
The Chicago Bulls point guard earned All-Defensive First Team honors in 2022-23 and has looked like the same all-world stopper this time around. His offensive game has also improved leaps and bounds.
Having slid over to the shooting guard position this year next to Most Improved Player of the Year frontrunner Coby White, Caruso’s 9.8 points per game are magnified by a career-high 47.3 percent clip from the floor and an impressive 38.9 percent marker from deep. The 2016 undrafted playmaker handles his business on both sides of the floor.
3. Christian Wood
Christian Wood has had an up and down ride throughout his last two seasons. The 2015 undrafted talent bad his best showing was when he was featured as the Dallas Mavericks’ sixth man during the 2022-23 campaign.
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The 6-8 power forward flexed his offensive muscle, averaging 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game on 51.5 percent shooting from the field.
Although he hasn’t reached that production this year, don’t confuse his current output for him being a poor player. Wood just so happens to back up 2024 All-Star Anthony Davis at the four slot.
The 28-year-old can play out of the post, face-up in the midrange and space the floor. The only knock on Wood’s game has been his defense. Otherwise, his offensive skillset is fringe-All-Star caliber when he’s on his game.
2. Austin Reeves
The Los Angeles Lakers found a diamond in the rough when they picked up Austin Reeves off of the scrap heap in 2021.
The 24-year-old guard/forward ascended as a vital contributor alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. He also finished in the top 10 in Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year award voting last year.
The Oklahoma product upped his averages to 15.6 points, 5.5 assists and four rebounds this year. Doing that next to a high-usage rate superstar in James and a deep lineup around him is a testament to how special Reeves is as a tertiary option.
1. Fred VanVleet
Fred VanVleet has a resume that outshines all of his undrafted peers. After going undrafted in 2016, he won a championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019 as the team’s sixth man before becoming a full-time starter.
VanVleet drastically improved his averages after becoming a full-time starter in the 2019-2020 season, putting up 18.8 points and 6.9 assists per contest.
Now with the Houston Rockets, the floor general is a poised playmaker that has an extended range from beyond the arc and skill operating in the pick-and-roll.
VanVleet’s 7.9-1.7 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks sixth in the league this year. A poised defender that makes timely stops on big moments, VanVleet takes the cake as the best undrafted player in the NBA today.
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