The 2016 NBA Draft is in the books, but there are still tons of first-year players trying to crack into the league next season. For those not among the 60 selected during the draft in Brooklyn on Thursday night, free agency will be the next step in the process.
NBA Draft 2016: Top 5 undrafted players
Gary Payton II and Cat Barber are among the top undrafted prospects this year.
Lots of talented players fall out of the draft, and many will end up signing as undrafted free agents with teams soon. Some have already agreed to deals.
Here’s a run down of the top undrafted players after the draft:
Gary Payton II, Oregon State
The son of an NBA legend, Payton played two strong seasons with the Beavers but has some notable red flags on his résumé. He's already 23 years old -- older than most rookies -- and has never really been a major threat from three-point range. What Payton does bring to the table is athleticism and the kind of defensive potential that would make his dad proud. At 6'3 with a 6'8 wing span, Payton has the tools to be a high-level defender at the next level, even if he never quite reaches "The Glove" status. Clearly there was interest from teams even though he didn't get drafted because Payton has already agreed to a deal with the Houston Rockets.
Cat Barber, NC State
Barber is coming off a monster junior year with the Wolfpack in which he averaged 23.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. There are questions about whether he has the strength or point guard skills to translate that production to the next level, but it’s hard to ignore a 6’4 guard who puts up those kinds of numbers in the ACC. Only two point guards were drafted in the first round this year, so you know teams will be out looking for opportunities to take fliers on interesting prospects. Payton already got his deal and Barber should get one soon as well.
Robert Carter Jr., Maryland
Carter is a power forward prospect teams can dream on. He’s strong, athletic, can score in the post and is coming off a solid junior year with the Terrapins. There are questions about Carter’s motor, which scouts point to as a reason he only averaged 6.9 rebounds per game last season, but most of the tools are there for Carter to develop into a useful NBA player. A key aspect of his game will be continuing to improve as a long-range shooter. As a junior, he took 2.2 threes per game and hit 33 percent of them, which was a step up from his shooting in his first two college seasons. More progress there would give Carter real potential as a stretch-four. He has reportedly signed a contract with the Warriors.
Alex Poythress, Kentucky
The rare four-year senior at Kentucky, Poythress bounced around in a few roles with the Wildcats during his time there. In December 2014, he suffered a torn ACL that cut his junior year short, and it took him some time to shake off the rust following his return. Still, there’s some potential here for Poythress as a classic 3-and-D type of wing given his length (6’11 wing span) and returning athleticism. Poythress knows he has something to prove, too. “I feel a little forgotten,” Poythress said before the draft, via ESPN. “It is what it is. I just come here every day trying to work hard, grinding through it, trying to reach my goals ... The pressure [at Kentucky] was crazy, but I feel like it prepared me to play in the NBA. It matured me. It helped me look at life in a different way.”
Jarrod Uthoff, Iowa
An Iowa native who became a superstar at his state school, Uthoff surprisingly fell out of the draft entirely. At 6’10 with a seven-foot wing span, shooting ability and some ball skills, he’s going to be an interesting flier for someone. Even with consistency being a real problem at times during his three years with the Hawkeyes, ESPN ranked Uthoff No. 38 on its big board entering the draft. Clearly teams didn’t quite agree with that assessment, but someone is going to take a gamble and hope Uthoff is more than a great college player who can’t translate it to the NBA.
Other notable undrafted players:
- Ron Baker, Wichita State (agreed to deal with Knicks)
- Fred VanVleet, Wichita State
- Sheldon McClellan, Miami (agreed to deal with Wizards)
- Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga (agreed to deal with Rockets)
- Marshall Plumlee, Duke
- Isaiah Taylor, Texas (agreed to deal with Rockets)
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Bulls fans can already be excited
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