NBA Draft: the 10 greatest undrafted players in league history

Every year, the NBA Draft leaves fans with mixed emotions. Sometimes it’s because their favorite team didn’t make the right pick, and other times because the overall talent pool isn’t particularly exciting. Still, hearing your name called by an NBA franchise is an unforgettable moment that brings many prospects to tears.

When you go undrafted, the feeling is very different. Disappointment sets in, and you start wondering whether you weren’t good enough or if you did something wrong. Your only opportunity is to sign a short-term deal the following day and prove that being left out of the 60 picks was simply a major mistake.

Here are ten undrafted players who went on to make NBA history.

10. Alex Caruso

Alex Caruso finished college in 2016 and declared for the NBA Draft, only to go unselected. He played Summer League with the Philadelphia 76ers, who didn’t keep him, then signed with OKC, where he was waived less than a month later. In 2017, he replaced the injured Lonzo Ball as the Lakers’ starting point guard. That marked the beginning of the “CaruShow”, as he became the first player to reach the NBA from the G League via a two-way contract. In 2020, under LeBron James’ leadership, Caruso won an NBA championship, carving out a key role in the Lakers’ rotation, then he signed with the Bulls in 2021, and got traded to the Thunder in 2024, winning another NBA title with them.

9. Brad Miller

The big man from Kendallville went undrafted in 1998 and began his professional career with Bini Viaggi Livorno in Italy. Once the NBA lockout ended, he signed a two-year deal with the Charlotte Hornets. After stops in Chicago and Indiana, the peak of his career came with the Sacramento Kings. During his six seasons there, he earned back-to-back All-Star selections and led all NBA centers in assists during the 2005-06 season with 4.7 per game, becoming a true pioneer of the playmaking big man.

8. Carl Braun

The oldest player on this list, Carl Braun was the first undrafted player to leave a lasting mark on NBA history. After college, his chances of becoming a professional appeared slim, but the New York Knicks signed him in 1947. He became a five-time consecutive All-Star from 1953 through 1957, later served as a player-coach from 1959 to 1961, and finished his career alongside Bill Russell, winning his only NBA title.

7. Darrell Armstrong

Now an assistant coach with the Dallas Mavericks, Darrell Armstrong finished college in 1991 with no NBA opportunities in sight. He spent four years playing semi-pro basketball and in lower European leagues before catching the attention of the Orlando Magic, where he played until 2003. In 1999, he became the first player ever to win both Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player in the same season. His career featured plenty of highs and lows. During the 1996 Slam Dunk Contest, he famously attempted a layup instead of a dunk – often called the worst dunk attempt ever. In 2003, he was arrested outside an Orlando nightclub. Still, in Dallas he became a respected figure, reaching the 2006 NBA Finals as a player and winning the 2011 championship as an assistant coach.

6. John Starks

After just one year of college, John Starks declared for the 1988 NBA Draft but wasn’t selected. He remains the only undrafted player in NBA history to score more than 10,000 career points, thanks largely to his memorable run with the New York Knicks from 1990 to 1998. During that span, he earned an All-Star selection in 1994 and won Sixth Man of the Year in 1997. His All-Star season ended on a bittersweet note, as the Knicks reached the NBA Finals before losing in Game 7, where Starks delivered one of the worst performances ever in a Finals game.

5. Avery Johnson

Despite leading college basketball in assists for two consecutive seasons, Avery Johnson went undrafted in 1988. He entered the league with the Seattle SuperSonics, showcasing his passing ability but struggling to secure a long-term role. Everything changed when he joined the San Antonio Spurs, where he played from 1994 to 2001. Avery Johnson helped lead San Antonio to the 1999 NBA championship and became the first undrafted player in league history to have his jersey retired.

4. Fred VanVleet

After four outstanding years at Wichita State, including two MVC Player of the Year awards, Fred VanVleet drew interest from NBA teams that wanted him to spend two years in the G League for just $20,000 total accepting to be selected in the second round. VanVleet declined. Instead, he bet on himself, earned a roster spot with the Toronto Raptors as the team’s fourth guard, spent time with their G League affiliate, won a championship there in 2017, and eventually became one of the biggest difference-makers in the 2019 NBA Finals, tormenting the Golden State Warriors with his three-point shooting. Now with the Houston Rockets, VanVleet remains one of the league’s toughest competitors.

3. Udonis Haslem

Udonis Haslem spent his entire NBA career with the Miami Heat, retiring at the age of 43. After going undrafted in 2002, he headed to France to play for Chalon-sur-Saône before returning home a year later to sign with Miami. Across 18 seasons, Haslem won three NBA championships, including back-to-back titles during the Heat’s Big Three era, while appearing in six NBA Finals. His loyalty, toughness, and inspiring journey from Liberty City, one of Florida’s toughest neighborhoods, made him an icon for both the city of Miami and the Heat organization.

2. Bruce Bowen

Tough, physical, relentless, and an elite perimeter defender with a reliable three-point shot, Bruce Bowen went undrafted after finishing college in 1993. He spent several years playing professionally in France before signing a 10-day contract with the Miami Heat in 1997, appearing for just one minute and recording one blocked shot. After bouncing around the league, he finally found the perfect fit with Gregg Popovich’s San Antonio Spurs, becoming the prototype of the modern 3-and-D wing. Bowen won three NBA championships, earned five straight All-Defensive First Team selections and three Second Team honors. The Spurs retired his No. 12 jersey, which he later personally passed on to LaMarcus Aldridge upon his arrival in San Antonio.

1. Ben Wallace

The greatest undrafted player in NBA history is, without question, Ben Wallace. Often described as the Dennis Rodman of the 2000s, “Big Ben” became a legend with the Detroit Pistons, helping lead the franchise to the 2004 NBA championship. Alongside Dikembe Mutombo, Wallace remains one of only two players to win Defensive Player of the Year four times – and the only undrafted player ever to accomplish the feat. Ignored in the 1996 Draft, perhaps because he transferred between two colleges or because he was viewed as an undersized big man with limited offensive skills, Wallace proved every doubter wrong. Detroit honored him by retiring his iconic No. 3 jersey, and he remains the enduring symbol of one of the greatest defensive teams in NBA history.