10 most hyped NBA prospects that went undrafted

11/11/2024 03:53 PM

Becoming a top draft prospect isn’t always easy. While it’s always good to get a head start on playing well at the amateur and college levels, dealing with the hype and impressing NBA scouts are certainly different animals altogether.

While some prospects have been hyped enough to be in a good position to be drafted, it doesn’t always result in having their name called on draft night. Here is a look at the 10 most hyped NBA prospects that went undrafted.

Kai Sotto

Kai Sotto carried the hopes of Philippine basketball fans on becoming the first full-born Filipino drafted into the NBA. Standing at 7’3, Sotto had the physical tools to make the leap. In fact, his skills as a modern center convinced Filipino basketball fans that their dream was within reach.

But despite the hype, Sotto was still a raw prospect. Furthermore, pulling out of the NBA G-League’s Ignite program certainly didn’t do him any favors. Moreover, his NBA Summer League stint with the Orlando Magic wasn’t impressive enough to land him on an NBA roster.

Johnny Juzang

There’s no question that UCLA was a legitimate contender in the 2021 NCAA Tournament thanks to Vietnamese star Johnny Juzang. Juzang’s brilliance even had some draft projections show him being selected as high as the first round. In fact, Juzang initially declared for the NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility.

However, the UCLA star opted to return to college basketball with the hopes of winning a national championship. His return did more harm than good, leading teams to pass him up during the 2022 NBA Draft.

Aaron Harrison

There’s no question that Aaron Harrison shined bright at the amateur level. In fact, he was a five-star recruit, who eventually attended Kentucky. At Kentucky, Harrison had a solid freshman year, helping the Wildcats make it all the way to the national championship game. However, staying one more year at Kentucky negatively affected his stock.

His numbers took a dip, and his flaws were more apparent despite helping Kentucky reach the Final Four. Like his brother, their stocks declined. But unlike the former, Harrison wasn’t drafted and had to resort to a basketball career overseas. However, he did find a way to play in the NBA, having stints with the Charlotte Hornets (2015-2017) and Dallas Mavericks (2017-2018).

Wayne Selden

As a high school prospect, it’s easy to see why Wayne Selden was a top recruit. The five-star prospect had all the physical tools to succeed at the high school level. However, when he finally played at the college level, that all changed.

While Selden did try to reinvent himself, it wasn’t enough to get him drafted during the 2016 NBA Draft. Fortunately, Selden did find his way to the NBA, carving out a four-year NBA career.

Trevon Duval

Coming out of high school, Trevon Duval was a coveted prospect around the nation. He was a five-star prospect that ranked first in his position and in the state. But more importantly, he was sixth in the 2017 high school class.

However, Duval’s stock plummeted when the college games were played. In his lone season, Duval averaged 10.3 points per game on 43% shooting for Duke University. With a disappointing stint, Duval went undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft. He did get a call-up to briefly play for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Daishen Nix

At the high school level, Daishen Nix impressed enough by becoming a five-star recruit. He ranked first in his state and 21st in his class. Despite garnering several offers in college, Nix opted to take the G-League route by joining the NBA Ignite program.

Unfortunately, Nix failed to develop into a NBA-ready prospect, averaging only 8.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. Nix went undrafted but currently plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves after playing two seasons for the Houston Rockets.

Joel Ayayi

Joel Ayayi was a revelation for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The French prospect was the fourth option of a stacked Bulldogs team. But while Ayayi did garner some offers to be drafted, he turned them down, leading him to go undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Instead, Ayayi settled to sign a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. However, he was quickly released before briefly joining the Washington Wizards.

Naz Reid

Being a five-star recruit doesn’t guarantee that a team would call your name in the NBA Draft. That was the story for Naz Reid. Reid ranked 12th in his high school class while ranking third in his position and second in his state.

However, weight issues certainly hampered his college showing, leading NBA scouts to doubt his ability to thrive in the NBA. Fortunately, Reid proved his doubters wrong before becoming the league’s reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year for the Timberwolves in his fifth season with them.

James McAdoo

While playing in college is a great way to show a player’s NBA readiness, staying too long at the NCAA level could do more harm than good. Initially, McAdoo was dubbed as a lottery pick NBA prospect for his versatility. At 6’9, it seemed like McAdoo had all the tools to become a top draft choice when he declared for the draft.

But after opting to play three years for the University of North Carolina, people got a hard look at McAdoo, enough to see holes in his game. This ultimately hurt his stock, leading him to go undrafted. However, McAdoo became part of two of the Warriors’ championship teams in 2014-2015 and again in 2016-2017, including being on their bench in the playoffs.

Lenny Cooke

When it comes to top NBA prospects that went undrafted, a name that stands out was Lenny Cooke. Cooke was a solid prospect at the high school level with some basketball fans even putting him over LeBron James. Unfortunately, Cooke bet on himself a little too fast.

Instead of continuing to develop at the college level, Cooke made the jump to the NBA by hiring an agent. After that, Cooke went undrafted in the 2002 NBA Draft and never even got to play a single game of NBA action. It was a quick turnaround for a prospect that was once dubbed as better than the best basketball player in the world today.

The post 10 most hyped NBA prospects that went undrafted appeared first on ClutchPoints.