I’m old enough to remember when the annual NBA Draft ran for 10 rounds. Things have changed over time, and now the draft runs for only two rounds, still giving 60 NBA hopefuls from college and international squads the chance to hear their names called on that special night. What hasn’t changed is that the focus remains on those selected early in the first round, assuming that they are most likely to achieve NBA success. While this has proven to be accurate, there is evidence that some hidden gems can be found in the second round of the NBA Draft. Over the years, despite being viewed as negligible by general managers and fans alike, the undervalued NBA second-round draft pick has, at times, been fruitful for teams that decide to keep them.
KNICKS HANDING OUT SECOND-ROUND PICKS
On July 9, 2012, the New York Knicks traded three lightly-utilized players plus two second-round picks to the Houston Rockets for 38-year-old fan favorite Marcus Camby. Due to injuries, Camby had only played in 19 games with Houston the season prior but pulled down over nine rebounds per contest while only averaging 24 minutes of game action. So he still had something left to offer if he could stay on the court.
As it turned out, just getting on the court would be difficult during Camby’s second go-round as a member of the Knicks. During the 2012-13 season, Camby would log just 250 minutes for the entire season. Almost a year to the day after returning to the Knicks, he was sent to the team that drafted him with the second pick overall in 1996, the Toronto Raptors, along with two players, a first-round pick, and two second-round picks for Andrea Bargnani.
In sum, the Knicks traded away four second-round picks in a year in deals involving Marcus Camby near the end of his career.
At the time, I was a frequent visitor to one of those Knicks fan forums. While most everyone there agreed it was silly to give up two rotation players plus a first-round pick in the same deal (in addition to the two second-rounders) for a guy the Raptors were allegedly about to release, I also voiced my displeasure that the Knicks, who weren’t exactly overloaded with assets at the time, gave up four second-round picks in a year in deals involving a player at the end of his career.
I was a little surprised by the pushback, though I shouldn’t have been:
“What are you talking about? Second-round picks are worthless!”
“You’re nit-picking! Anything to criticize the Knicks!”
SO WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL, ANYWAY?
It’s impossible to make an NBA roster. It just is. In the world’s history, there have only been approximately 4,600 human beings who can actually say they’ve suited up and played in a regular-season NBA game. Ever. Most of those players were first-round draft picks out of college or high school. And while second-round picks might have been more highly-regarded when fewer teams were selecting, those players still didn’t come with the expectations of a first-round pick.
Nowadays, the second-round pick is usually a college junior or senior, an underclassman who opts to become eligible for the draft against the advice of scouts or international players in need of more seasoning. In most cases, the second-round pick works under a partially or non-guaranteed contract, has to earn a spot on the training camp roster based on summer league play, then has to earn a spot on the regular-season roster based on performances in training camp and preseason games. And, in most cases, the second-rounder has to fight to keep a position on someone’s NBA roster for as long as he’s in the league.
But there are exceptions.
YES, THE NBA DRAFT IS LARGELY A CRAPSHOOT, BUT…
In 1970, the NBA draft consisted of 17 picks per round, including one for the incoming expansion franchises in Cleveland and Portland. The 1970 NBA Draft turned out to be a strong one, with six players who’d eventually be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Famers selected that year, including Calvin Murphy and Nate “Tiny” Archibald. Both were selected at the top of the second round with picks 18 and 19, respectively.
Presumably, both players “slipped” to Round 2 based on their small physical statures, but they were giants on the court. Ironically, the defending World Champion New York Knicks had the opportunity to select either one as they had the 17th and final pick of the first round. And both were local products: Murphy from Connecticut and Archibald from New York City. Instead, they opted for a 6’3″ guard named Mike Price from Indianapolis, who played less than 300 minutes for the Knicks before moving on to the ABA.
Irrespective of the round in which they were chosen, each year, there are examples of players who enjoy much more productive NBA careers than players selected before them. In 2013, Anthony Bennett was the first pick overall, and Giannis Antetokounmpo went 15th in the same draft. The year before, Draymond Green and Khris Middleton were selected in the draft’s second round, and each has been selected to at least one NBA All-Star team, while 26 of the 30 first-round picks that year have never made one.
Through the years, many second-round picks have become reliable rotations players in the NBA, with careers spanning over a decade, in many cases outperforming players selected in the first round. Strong performances in college don’t always foretell success at the NBA level.
“HEY, LOOK WHAT WE FOUND!”
Hall of Famers Alex English, Dennis Johnson, Maurice Cheeks, and Dennis Rodman were all second-round selections. Draymond Green, the versatile defensive anchor for the Golden State Warriors during their recent dominant five-year run, was a second-round pick. 40 percent of the starting lineup for the 2019 NBA champion Toronto Raptors, Marc Gasol and Danny Green, were second-round picks. Championships teams of the past contained several key performers like Gus Williams, Toni Kukoc, and Manu Ginobili, who were all second-round picks, as were career scoring machines Lou Williams, Gilbert Arenas, and World B. Free.
And just for the record, one of those second-round picks the Knicks relinquished as part of the deal for Marcus Camby was used by Houston in 2015 to select Montrezl Harrell, recipient of the 2020 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. The other, in 2014, was one pick after Denver selected Nikola Jokic with the 41st pick. 2014 was a solid year for second-rounders as players like Joe Harris, Jordan Clarkson, Jerami Grant, Dwight Powell, and Spencer Dinwiddie are still making significant contributions to their teams.
One of the top centers in the league, Nikola Jokic, was a 2014 second-round pick of the Denver Nuggets. Other second-rounders include Former All-Stars like Mark Price, Michael Redd, Khris Middleton, Rashard Lewis, Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap, DeAndre Jordan. The last pick (60th) of the 2011 NBA draft, Isaiah Thomas, finished the 2016-17 NBA season third in scoring average at 28.9 points per game and earned All-NBA Second Team honors. And there are plenty more.
THE UNDERVALUED NBA SECOND-ROUND DRAFT PICK
We’ve all had the experience of discussing our favorite teams’ fortunes with friends (or hearing similar conversations on sports talk radio), where inevitably the general manager in one of us cooks up a trade proposal that could improve the roster. We’re fans, so in most cases, the trade is one-sided in favor of the home side. The trade involves your favorite team making a deal to get the best player from a bad team (on the premise that they’re not going anywhere WITH that player anyway). In contrast, the other team gets a package consisting of three guys currently on your favorite team who seldom play.
When someone chimes in that the other team would NEVER make a deal like that involving their best player, the retort is usually something like, “OK, then THROW IN a second-round pick or two, and maybe some cash.” Judging from how many second-round picks we see moved in trades, real General Managers probably think of them the same way. Throw-ins.
It’s understood that circumstances may dictate the need to deal away second-round picks. Maybe the team is near its limit with guaranteed contracts, or maybe the trade partner demands at least one to complete a deal. If I’m looking to fill out a roster, I will stockpile a few of those later picks to find a sleeper. We’ve seen projected first-round picks slip to Round Two for any number of reasons.
There is plenty of evidence that NBA second-round picks are undervalued. More misses than hits, but the same can be said for the first round of several drafts. So it’s okay to be a little concerned if your favorite team tosses around its second-round picks as if they carry no value. Those same picks can come back to haunt your team later.
The undervalued NBA second-round draft pick continues to have an impact on the league.
Were there any “Mike Piazza” surprises? 62nd round, 1,000 plus pick over all.
Hey Glenn, thanks for reading. The drafts are much shorter now, but back in the day, I do remember a guy named Ed Nealy who was drafted in the eighth round and carved out a decent career. Might have played for a decade. With the draft being so short now, the best stories are about the guys who weren’t drafted at all. I’m sure you remember John Starks who played for the Knicks. Was bagging groceries at Safeway before someone discovered him.