The 2025 NBA Draft is now complete as we heard 59 new names called to join the league as rookies next season. Cooper Flagg went No. 1 overall following a spectacular freshman season at Duke. Rutgers guard Dylan Harper followed.
NBA teams then looked to identify under-the-radar talent in Round 2 with hopes to develop the youngsters into solid contributors. That process will now continue in free agency.
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Undrafted players will look to find new homes to continue their playing careers. Some of those players could very well be diamonds in the rough.
Below is a list of nine NBA players that were not selected on draft night, but went onto have solid, if not spectacular, careers as pros.
Bruce Bowen
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Bowen played his college ball at Cal State Fullerton but went undrafted after finishing up his career in 1993. He briefly played overseas before landing with the Miami Heat.
After bouncing around the league a bit, he signed with the Spurs where he spent eight seasons. Bowen won three titles in San Antonio and was named to the All-Defensive Team eight times.
Alex Caruso
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Caruso’s now won two NBA titles after helping the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 Finals. He’s made two All-Defensive Teams across eight pro seasons.
The guard played college basketball at Texas A&M where he twice led the SEC in assists and once paced the conference in steals. He went undrafted in 2016.
Lu Dort
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Lu Dort was a player that probably would’ve been drafted had it not been for his representation. It’s believed that he told teams not to select him after the first round ended.
He wanted to have more control over his destiny. Ultimately, he landed with the Oklahoma City Thunder where he’s averaged 10.1 points per night. He won an NBA title in 2025 and was named All-Defense.
Udonis Haslem
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Haslem was a three-time NBA champ that spent two decades in the league, all of which came with the Miami Heat. He averaged 7.5 points and 6.6 boards per game as a pro.
Haslem played at Florida in college where he averaged 16 points a night as a senior. Still, he went undrafted after the 2002 season.
Avery Johnson
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Johnson was a true point guard with the Spurs, averaging 5.5 assists a game throughout a 16-year NBA career. He spent a decade in San Antonio while also playing for the Warriors, Nuggets, Mavs, Rockets, and SuperSonics.
He was at his best with the Spurs, where he racked up 10.1 points and 6.9 assists per night. He won an NBA title in 1999.
Fred VanVleet
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VanVleet was a star at Wichita State where he averaged 10.2 points per game across a four-year career while leading his conference in assists three times. That production has continued into the NBA.
VanVleet has scored just under 15 points a night as a pro to go along with 5.7 assists. He won an NBA championship with the Raptors in 2019 and was named an All-Star three years later.
John Starks
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Starks went undrafted after spending time at Northern Oklahoma College, Oklahoma Junior College, and Oklahoma State. He was not selected in the 1988 NBA Draft.
That didn’t stop him from becoming an All-Star with the New York Knicks. He also won a Sixth Man Award and averaged double-digit scoring totals in nine of his 13 pro seasons.
Ben Wallace
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Wallace is the undisputed GOAT when it comes to best undrafted NBA performers. After playing at Virginia Union University, he was not selected in the 1996 draft.
Wallace played for Washington and Orlando before becoming a superstar in Detroit. He led the Pistons to an NBA title in 2004 and was a 4-time Defensive Player of the Year. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021.
David Wesley
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David Wesley played 14 seasons in the NBA with stints in Charlotte, New Orleans, New Jersey, Boston, Houston, and Cleveland. He averaged double figure scoring totals 10 times and narrowly missed an 11th with 9.9 ppg in 2006.
Wesley went undrafted after a three-year career at Baylor despite scoring more than 20 points a night in his final NCAA season. He ranks 10th on the Hornets’ list of all-time leading scorers, sixth in steals, and fourth in assists.