14 Active Undrafted Players of NBA Game

This applies to many different professionals including athletes in the NBA league or any other popular sport. Although stars are selected in the NBA through the NBA Draft, some of them for one reason or another, slip through the cracks. 

Players who don’t get drafted decide to play in the G-League to sharpen their skills hoping to get signed by a team or re-enter the draft in the future. Some of them opt to play for other overseas teams. Even though they never got the spotlight they hoped for in the NBA drafts, some of them work hard enough to find their way into high-performing teams. Below are 14 NBA players who never got drafted but still succeeded to get signed to major NBA teams. 

  1. Ben Wallace

Among the NBA defensive players who are most decorated is Ben Wallace. He is known as one of the most undrafted NBA players of all-time. Way before Malice made his name at the Palace, Big Ben had already won the hearts of many in the early 2000s. Big Ben led the Detroit Pistons in 2004 & 2005, including two NBA Finals. His efforts made them win the championship in 2004 and other six consecutive Eastern Conference finals. He was nominated in the Hall of Fame and has won Defensive Player of the Year four times. 

  2. Avery Johnson

In the 16 years that Johnson played in the NBA, he joined 6 different teams. What made his name is that during the three different stints he played with the San Antonio Spurs for ten years. Averaging 8.4 points and 5.5 assists for his career, Johnson was a reliable point guard who also helped the spurs win the championship in 1999. Currently, Avery Johnson sports analyst with CBS Sports, who analyzes basketball games. 

  3. John Starks

In the early 1990s, Starks scored a tryout with the New York Knicks. While attempting to dunk on Patrick Ewing, he got injured and little did she realize that it was a blessing in disguise. The deadline to recovery made it hard for him to be released. The Knicks had to keep him because he didn’t heal in time. He was known for his never-back-down attitude and scrappiness that made him become a fan favorite over eight seasons in Madison Square Garden. In 1997, Starks won the Sixth Man of the Year award 

  4. Bruce Bowen

Bowen joined the San Antonio Spurs in the 2000s, where he became one of the league’s best defensive players. This was after spending five years in France and the Chinese Basketball Association. He has won three championships with the Spurs and he was picked for the All-Defensive team eight times. 

  5. Brad Miller

10 years before the bigs, Miller was a stretch center for 14 years. For his career, he averaged 11.2 points and was a two-time All-Star also. He played a key role for the Sacramento Kings when they were perennial playoff contenders, from 2003 to 2009. 

  6. Darrell Armstrong

Armstrong played with the Orlando Magic in the late 1990s and early 2000s as a defensive pest and an offensive spark. He stands shy of six feet. After averaging 13.8 points and 6.7 assists in 1999, he was named the most improved player and the 6th man of the year. He had 14 NBA seasons under his belt. 

  7. David Wesley

Before he joined the New Jersey Nets in 1993, Wesley spent one year in the Continental Basketball Association. For 14 years, he played as a strong guard and a persistent perimeter defender. In the 10 seasons he played with the Nets, Wesley averaged double-figured points. 

  8. Raja Bell

Before he was noticed, Bell played 12 seasons as a 3-and-D wing. He had a career 40.6% shooter from beyond the arc and was an All-Defense selection. Bell was at his prime as a key cog in the “seven seconds or less” mid-2000 Suns together with two time MVP Steve Nash.

  9. Udonis Haslem

Haslem, who is now 40, joined his hometown Miami Heat in 2003, after playing a year in France and hasn’t left. He has won many hearts in franchise history. He works as a rebounder and an insider.

  10. Fred VanVleet

Before VanVleet was signed with the Toronto Raptors, he spent three years as a starter at Wichita State. While he was playing with Toronto Raptors, he spent most of his first season in the G League. In 2019, he contributed much to the Raptor’s Championship and after averaging 17.6 points per game in 2019-20, he signed a four year deal worth $85,000,000. 

  11. Bo Outlaw

While averaging 5.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game, Bo Outlaw played for five different teams in his career of 16 years in the NBA. He played for three seasons with the Clippers in 1994, after a stint in the CBA. 

  12. Jeremy Lin

In 2010, Jeremy Lin was invited by the Dallas Mavericks after being among the undrafted NBA players that year. This was after his four seasons at Harvard. He later had a chance to join the Golden State Warriors, which was his home team, however, this was a partly guaranteed contract deal for two years. He was sidelined a bid in the 2011 NBA lockout due to a patellar ligament injury to his knee. 

  13. Alex Caruso

Alex Caruso joined the Philadelphia 76ers for the NBA Summer League in 2016 when he became one of the undrafted NBA players. This was after a four year career at Texas A&M University. He later signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder from Orlando, and got waived later.

  14. Quinn Cook

In the 2015 NBA Draft, Quinn Cook went undrafted and joined the Oklahoma City Thunder. After participating in the Summer League, he later joined the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Las Vegas Summer League. He was eventually cut by the Cavaliers after playing with them for six preseason games. Recently, after he was waived earlier in the off-season, he got re-signed with Los Angeles.

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