From multiple-time All-Stars to award winners, let's take a look at the 10 best undrafted players in NBA history.
Every year, teams look to improve their roster in the NBA Draft. Typically, we spend a lot of time analyzing the projected lottery picks, but some impact players slide through the cracks. Throughout league history, there has been a wealth of talented undrafted players.
Here are the 10 best undrafted players in NBA history. The list includes All-Stars, NBA Champions, all-time record holders, and award winners.
Best undrafted NBA players of all-time: 10. Udonis Haslem
3x NBA Champion (2006, 2012, 2013), 1x All-Rookie second team (2004)
The Miami Heat signed Haslem as an undrafted free agent in 2003. 20 years later, he is still with the franchise. He is the Heat's all-time leader in rebounds (5,791) and is second in games played (879) behind only Dwyane Wade.
Haslem has played a limited role over the past few years, but he has made a whopping 501 career starts for the Heat. During their 2006 title run, he started all 22 playoff games, averaging 8.6 points and 7.4 rebounds. In 2013, he started 19 out of 22 playoff games.
Haslem may not have the most eye-popping stats, but his longevity is unrivaled. He is the only undrafted player in NBA history to play more than 20 seasons.
Best undrafted NBA players of all-time: 9. Jose Calderon
1x Spanish King's Cup winner
Calderon was one of the most efficient point guards of the modern era. He was a deadeye shooter. He holds the single-season free throw percentage record at 98.1 percent (2008-09). For his career, he shot an impressive 40.7 percent from downtown.
In addition, Calderon was an adept playmaker. He finished in the top five in assists per game in four individual seasons. From 2007 to 2013, he was sixth in the NBA in total assists (3,280), behind only Steve Nash, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Rajon Rondo, and Jason Kidd.
Calderon was a noted international player, as well. Prior to joining the NBA, he played for Tau Vitoria leading them to the Spanish King's Cup. During his time with the Spanish National Team, he racked up three Olympic medals, one FIBA World Cup gold medal (2006), and four EuroBasket medals (including one gold medal).
Best undrafted NBA players of all-time: 8. Darrell Armstrong
1x NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1999), 1x NBA Most Improved Player (1999), 1x Cyprus Basketball Player of the Year (1994), 2x All-USBL First Team (1993, 1994)
After going undrafted, Armstrong had a successful four-year run outside of the NBA. He signed with the Atlanta Eagles in the United States Basketball League, and he was a first-team All-USBL selection twice. He then went overseas, playing for Pezoporikos Larnaca in Cyprus. He posted 32.0 points and 8.0 assists and was named the Cyprus Basketball Player of the Year.
Armstrong finally landed in the NBA in 1995. He signed with the Orlando Magic. Across his first two seasons, he appeared in only 16 total games. In 1998-99, he played an expanded role and made the most out of his opportunities. He averaged 13.8 points, 6.7 assists, and 2.2 steals. As a result, he became the only player in league history to win both Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player in the same season. Behind Armstrong, Anfernee Hardaway, and Nick Anderson, the Magic finished with the third-best record in the Eastern Conference.
In 1999-00, he was inserted into the starting lineup and scored a career-high 16.2 points per game. For his career, he averaged double-digit points in six individual seasons and made the playoffs eight times.
Best undrafted NBA players of all-time: 7. Avery Johnson
1x NBA Champion
In hindsight, it is shocking that Johnson went undrafted. In 1988, he broke the NCAA single-season record for assists per game (13.3); that record still stands today.
Following the draft, he joined the Palm Beach Stingrays in the United States Basketball League. Johnson eventually signed with the Seattle SuperSonics. Over the first six years of his career, he bounced around the league, spending time with the Sonics, Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs (twice), Houston Rockets, and Golden State Warriors.
He returned to San Antonio in 1994-95 and became a regular starter. In 1995-96, he averaged a career-high 9.6 assists per game (third-most in the NBA).
Johnson would go on to spend seven years with the franchise. He was a starter on their 1999 championship team, averaging 12.6 points, 7.4 assists, and 1.2 steals in the postseason. He is second in franchise history in total assists (4,474), trailing only Tony Parker.
Best undrafted NBA players of all-time: 6. Bruce Bowen
3x NBA Champion (2003, 2005, 2007), 5x All-Defensive first team (2004-2008), 3x All-Defensive second team (2001-2003)
Bowen was an elite perimeter defender. Throughout his tenure with the Spurs, the eight-time All-Defensive wing was matched up against all-time great scorers in the postseason (Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony). He was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year runner-up (2005, 2006).
Bowen was never a big offensive producer. He averaged 6.1 points and 1.2 assists over his 13-year career. Nevertheless, his defensive presence was vital to the Spurs' success. The team had three great scoring options (Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili), and Bowen alleviated some of the defensive pressure on the star trio by taking on the toughest defensive assignments. He was an integral piece of three championship teams.
Following his retirement, the Spurs retired his No. 12 jersey. Head coach Gregg Popovich said the following about his career:
"Bruce Bowen was the premier perimeter defender in the NBA for close to a decade. His success is proof that hard work and determination do, in fact, pay off. Statistics are meaningless when talking about his importance to this franchise. The simple fact is the Spurs don't win NBA Championships in 2003, 2005 and 2007 without Bruce Bowen."
Best undrafted NBA players of all-time: 5. Brad Miller
2x NBA All-Star (2003, 2004)
Miller is one of only three undrafted players in league history to earn multiple NBA All-Star selections, alongside Ben Wallace and Connie Hawkins (more on them later).
In college, he was a standout at Purdue. As a senior, he averaged 17.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and 1.2 steals for the Boilermakers. However, he was not selected in the 1998 NBA Draft.
After playing in Italy, he got an NBA opportunity in 1999, signing with the Charlotte Hornets. In two seasons, he played well in limited action. He then signed with the Chicago Bulls in free agency, where he eventually emerged as a starter. In 2001-02, he averaged 12.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals for the Bulls, but he was shipped to the Indiana Pacers at the trade deadline.
With the Pacers, Miller was selected to his first All-Star team in 2002-03; he averaged 13.1 points and 8.3 rebounds. However, he was on the move, once again, during the offseason. He signed with the Sacramento Kings.
In Sacramento, Miller had the best run of his career. He spent six total seasons with the franchise, averaging 13.3 points and 8.6 rebounds.
Best undrafted NBA players of all-time: 4. Fred VanVleet
1x All-Star (2022), 1x NBA Champion (2019)
As a freshman, VanVleet was part of Wichita State's Final Four run in 2013. Over the years, he developed into one of the most impactful point guards in the nation. He was a three-time AP All-American honorable mention and two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year.
However, VanVleet was surprisingly overlooked during the draft process. Critics pointed to his 5-foot-11 height and were skeptical of his athleticism.
The Toronto Raptors signed him as an undrafted free agent, and he developed into a legitimate piece of the franchise's core. In 2019, he played in all 24 playoff games during the Raptors' title run, and he scored 22 points in Game 6 of the Finals.
In February 2021, he broke the single-game scoring record for an undrafted player with 54 points against the Orlando Magic.
Following Kyle Lowry's departure, VanVleet elevated his game to another level. In 2021-22, he averaged a career-high 20.3 points, 6.7 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals, en route to his first All-Star selection.
The pre-draft discourse focused on his perceived weaknesses (size, athleticism), but his collegiate strengths (shooting, playmaking, on-ball defense) seamlessly translated to the NBA.
At age 29, VanVleet still has plenty of basketball ahead of him, and he has a legitimate shot at becoming the greatest undrafted player of all time.
Best undrafted NBA players of all-time: 3. John Starks
1x NBA All-Star (1994), 1x NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1997), 1x NBA All-Defensive second team (1993)
In 1988, Starks was signed by the Warriors as an undrafted free agent. After playing sparingly as a rookie, he spent time in the Continental Basketball Association and World Basketball League.
Starks rejoined the NBA in 1990, signing with the New York Knicks. His role gradually increased until he became a starter in 1992. During the 1993-94 season, he made his first All-Star team, averaging a career-high 19.0 points, 5.9 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.6 steals.
He scored 19+ points in five consecutive games in the 1994 NBA Finals, including a 27-point performance in Game 4.
After spending four seasons as a starter, Starks transitioned to the bench for the 1996-97 season. He did not miss a beat, as he won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award.
Best undrafted NBA players of all-time: 2. Connie Hawkins
4x NBA All-Star (1970-1973), ABA MVP (1968), ABA Champion (1968), ABL MVP (1962)
Hawkins had a strange career. In 1962, college basketball was turned upside down by a massive gambling scandal, which involved 37 players from 22 schools. At the time, Hawkins was a freshman and did not play for Iowa's varsity team. However, his name was mentioned in an interview. He was never indicted, but Iowa expelled him from the university. This haunted him over the next decade.
Hawkins was not selected in the NBA Draft and was essentially blackballed from the league. As a result, he played for the Pittsburgh Rens in the ABL. After the league folded, he played four years for the Harlem Globetrotters. In 1967, the ABA officially launched, and Hawkins enjoyed the best years of his career in the league, winning MVP and a title.
Finally, he joined the NBA in 1969. Despite his late arrival, he still built an impressive resume. He was a four-time All-Star and was selected to the All-NBA first team in 1970.
Best undrafted NBA players of all-time: 1. Ben Wallace
4x NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006), 4x NBA All-Star (2003-2006), 1x NBA Champion (2004)
Wallace's resume is not rivaled by another undrafted player in NBA history. He is one of the most dominant defenders of the modern era. He was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year four times, which is tied with Dikembe Mutombo for the most in history. In the record books, he is 14th in total blocks (2,137) and 34th in total rebounds (10,482).
Wallace's defensive prowess was at the forefront of the Pistons' 2004 championship run. Across 23 playoff games, he averaged 10.3 points, 14.3 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, and 1.9 steals. In the Pistons' closeout game in the NBA Finals, he posted 18 points, 22 rebounds, three steals, and one block.
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