The road to an NBA career as an undrafted player is narrow and paved with potholes, but there is a path. Just ask Rockets guard Fred VanVleet, a former All-Star and NBA champion with the Raptors who went unselected out of Wichita State in 2016.
VanVleet is a prominent, active example of how someone overlooked during the draft can grind their way to a career in the league. Earning a guaranteed NBA contract as an undrafted free agent typically requires spending time in the G League and some lucky breaks.
Few make it, and those who don’t often wind up making a living playing overseas. But there is a path, and for many of those who went undrafted this year, it will begin in the NBA Summer League. Within minutes of the 2024 NBA Draft’s conclusion on Thursday, reports began surfacing of undrafted free agents signing deals with teams.
Will there be a VanVleet in the bunch? Time will tell. But for now, here is the rundown of the prominent players who found landing spots on draft night. Many of them were college stars that will be out to prove they have the game to stick in the NBA.
Here are some prominent undrafted players who have landed deals with NBA teams:
