Is the NBA draft over? Top 3 college big men who could not find a spot in the 2023 draft classÂ
Not every college prospect who declares for the NBA draft gets their name called by Adam Silver. This year's class was one of the most talented and as such, some very talented prospects fell through the cracks and went undrafted on June 22.
The draft by itself ends with the two rounds and 60-player (58 this year) ceremony. But teams are free to hoover up the remaining talent to two-way or exhibit 10 contracts. These players are eligible for summer and G League games which could land them on an NBA team roster.
There was a proposal by the NBA commission to allow undrafted players to go back to college but it went unsigned by teams. At the moment, players only have the option to become undrafted free agents if they do not withdraw their names before the May 31 deadline.
Final guy Imma be tweeting about tonight is Adama Sanogo, a 6'9, 21-year-old big-man from Mali. Sanogo was a starter on the national champion UConn Huskies and his scoring versatility is impressive for a big man https://t.co/Y5SG7UowHs
There have been several recent notable undrafted players who have had decent NBA careers.
We take a look at three of the big men this year who were not picked:
#1. Adama Sanogo
Perhaps the most surprising undrafted player this year was Adama Sanogo, formerly of the UConn Huskies, the reigning national champions.
Not only was he important to that team, he shows a lot of potential upside that NBA teams rarely ignore. Sanogo averaged 17.1 points and 7.7 rebounds, leading the Huskies in scoring and being named the final four's Most Outstanding Player.
Immediately after the draft, it was announced he had signed a two-way deal with the Chicago Bulls. His outstanding college season and performance at the NBA draft combine should ensure that he makes it into the league at some point.
#2 Drew Timme
Drew Timme of the Gonzaga Bulldogs averaged 19.6 points and 7.1 rebounds in his three-year college career. Teams considered him too one-dimensional with a phenomenal post-up game but not much upside in other areas.
He signed an exhibit 10 deal with the Milwaukee Bucks after the draft, allowing him to play in the summer league and attend training camps.
#3 Oscar Tshiebwe
Oscar Tshiebwe averaged 16.5 points, 1.6 assists and 13.7 rebounds a game last season for the Kentucky Wildcats. It's easy to see why fans found it hard to understand why a player with such statistics went undrafted.
While he's a veritable rebounding machine and a more than decent points-scorer at college level, Tshiebwe is also 23 years old and not considered to have much upside.
His story did not end too badly though as he secured a two-way contract with the Indiana Pacers to give him a chance of making it into the league at some point.
