The top 3 international undrafted players playing in the NBA today
Typically, teams in the league would use the Summer League to evaluate drafted or undrafted talent to make roster decisions. With the pandemic, the franchises were not given that opportunity.
Even with the chances to watch those games, some teams strike out on undrafted prospects and allow other teams to swoop in and make a deal. That’s why you never seed betting sites, like BetMGM Indiana, set odds on undrafted players signing with teams. There have been some pretty solid undrafted international prospects in today’s league that have come to the NBA and made a difference in the league. These are currently the top three.
Tacko Fall-Boston Celtics (Honorable-Mention)
Fall enjoyed a four-year college career at the University of Central Florida; however, he didn’t move to the United States from Senegal until he was 16 years old. The 7-foot-6 big man is a recent member of the All-Defensive Team for the G-League after being undrafted in 2019. Fall has only played seven games in his NBA career, but he is still learning.
Joe Ingles – Utah Jazz
When it comes to international awards, the Australian has racked up quite a few. He is a former EuroLeague champion (2014), Israeli League champion (2014), two-time Spanish League champion (2011, 2012), and Catalan League champion (2012). In 2009, he started his trophy case by winning the NBL with the South Dragons.
Today, Ingles is a key contributor for the Utah Jazz, the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Ingles is shooting over 44% from the three-point range and averaging 11.7 points per game. After playing five games with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014, he was shipped to the Jazz, where he has spent his entire career up to now.
Maxi Kleber-Dallas Mavericks
Kleber entered the 2014 NBA draft after spending three seasons playing professional ball in Germany. He went undrafted and then spent the next three seasons playing for German and Spanish Clubs. In 2015 and 2017, he was a German League All-Star, which led to him joining the Dallas Mavericks in 2017.
Kleber’s breakout season came last year, where he averaged 9.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and shot 37.3% from the three-point range. He has gone back and forth starting for the Mavericks this season. This year, he is spotting an impressive 47.5% clip from the three-point range.
Chris Boucher-Toronto Raptors
Boucher hails from Canada and is having a breakout campaign with the Raptors. Boucher has spent the last three seasons with the Raptors after starting his career with the Golden State Warriors in 2017. Currently, he is averaging 13.2 points per game and 6.8 rebounds.
He was a member of the Warriors championship team in 2018 and then won a title as a reserve in 2019 with the Raptors. In 2019, he was the G-League MVP. In what has been an early career, he has accomplished more than some veterans have ever achieved.