5 Undrafted NBA Players Who Could Be the Next Fred Van Vleet

Every year, there are a few undrafted prospects that end up sneaking onto an NBA roster by making a good impression during summer league play, training camp, or the G-League.

Often, these prospects are well-known college basketball players who spent multiple years in school. Case in point, Fred Van Vleet. His story is amazing.

He’s from Rockford, Illinois, so I’ve been following his journey since high school. VanVleet was a stud in high school who was All-State as a senior, and led Auburn High School within two games of a State title. Then came a storied career at Wichita State, but he wasn’t drafted in 2016.

All it took was five games in the summer league for the Toronto Raptors to sign him to a contract. During his rookie year, he made 16 trips up and down from the D-League, before eventually winning a roster spot. He bet on himself, and was recently rewarded with a two-year, $18 million deal from the Raptors.

Teams are always looking for hidden gems who didn’t get drafted, and here are five guys that have the talent to finish 2019 on a NBA roster:

Malik Newman, SG, Kansas

Newman was once a projected lottery pick (entering his freshman year at Mississippi State), but his season went poorly and he ended up transferring to Kansas. After sitting out a year, Newman had a monster NCAA tournament, averaging 21.6, including a 32-point game against Duke in the Elite 8. Newman is a great shooter and has the potential to be a microwave-type guy off someone’s bench. Overall, he is probably the most talented of this undrafted group, and it looks like he is going to get a chance with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Rob Gray, PG, Houston

Gray is similar to Van Vleet in the sense that he is 6-foot-1 point guard who had a great college career at a smaller program. Gray put on a show during March Madness, including 39 points and the game-winner vs. San Diego State.

Gray also put up 23 points in a buzzer-beating loss to eventual runner-up Michigan. If you watched Gray play in the tournament, you can tell he has a great feel for the game. He is excellent in screen-and-roll situations, and has the moxie to be successful in a big stage. The University of Houston star – who is 24 years old – is going to get his chance with the Houston Rockets to prove himself:

Jaylen Barford, SG, Arkansas

Barford is an undersized 2-guard at 6-foot-2, so it is understandable why some teams might be scared off. But the kid can shoot, and in today’s NBA, that is something all teams are looking for. Jaylen made 2.5 threes per game while shooting 43.1 percent from deep last season. He also won MVP of the Portsmouth Invitational, which helped earn him an invite to the NBA combine. It appears he will get a shot with the Minnesota Timberwolves this summer:

Allonzo Trier, SG, Arizona

Trier is 6-foot-5 and displayed a 40 inch vertical at the combine. He also averaged 18.1 ppg, and made 2.1 threes a game at a 38 percent clip. His shot selection was iffy at best while at Arizona, but he has the ability to score, and the potential to stick if he finds the right fit. He will start his journey with the New York Knicks in summer league:

Trevon Duval, PG, Duke

Duval came into Duke as one of the nation’s best point guards. His stock got hurt playing with other NBA draftees, but he still has a lot of potential and is just 19 years old. Duval averaged 5.6 assists per game last year and is athletic, as you can see in his HS highlight reel:

He was a projected second-rounder in most mocks, so him going undrafted was a little surprising. He will get his opportunity with the Rockets in summer league, so keep an eye on him:

Of course fit, opportunity, and coaching are all success factors for undrafted prospects to succeed in the NBA. If put in the right situation, one of these four guys above could have a shot at replicating VanVleet’s success.