We have spoken a lot recently about the NBA Draft and all of the hidden gems that lie within it. The middle to later parts of the draft usually has a few players that eventually emerge as either stars or high-level role players for an organization. When teams move to the second round, they are pretty much looking for players with potential but need more guidance than those selected before them in the first round. In some rare instances, teams find even more than what they bargained for in the second round.
The players listed below are the greatest second-round picks in NBA history. Not to be confused with the greatest second-overall picks in the draft, these players were passed over by all 30 teams at least once and in some cases, twice or more. What teams didn’t know is that these players would go on to become MVPs, elite Defensive Player of the Year winners, and key pieces that helped deliver NBA championships. These second-round picks were once an afterthought. Now, their contributions to the game will never be forgotten as they carved out an undeniable legacy in their NBA careers.
These are the greatest second-round picks in NBA history.
10. Jeff Hornacek – 46th Overall Pick
Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 14.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Career Achievements: 1x All-Star
Jeff Hornacek may not be as accomplished as the two players behind him on this list, but he was certainly just as impactful. Hornacek was a shifty shooting guard who defenders could not allow an inch of space to unless they wanted to get burned. Hornacek could shoot from the outside as well as anyone else in the late 80s and 90s and proved it during his first six seasons with the Phoenix Suns in the NBA.
In his final four seasons with the Suns, Hornacek averaged 15.5 PPG, 5.6 APG, and 1.6 SPG on 51.4% shooting overall and 39.9% from three. Hornacek would earn his only All-Star appearance in 1992 when he averaged 20.1 PPG on 51.2% shooting from the field. Hornacek would join the Jazz in 1994 and play a pivotal role in helping them reach the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998. Over those two seasons, Hornacek averaged 14.4 PPG, 4.4 APG, and 1.4 SPG on 48.2% shooting as the third option.
9. Toni Kukoc – 29th Overall Pick
Credit: MPS-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 11.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Career Achievements: 1x Sixth Man Of The Year
Toni Kukoc was one of the most thoroughly scouted European players during the 1990s. In a heated battle with the 1992 USA Dream Team in the Olympics, Kukoc battled with future teammates Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, who tortured the Croatian due to Jerry Krause’s infatuation with him. After the battle was over, Kukoc would eventually join the Bulls in 1993-94, just as they needed him with the retiring of their franchise cornerstone.
Kukoc was a Swiss Army Knife for the Bulls almost immediately and someone they could count on to make a play on either end of the floor when they needed it. In 1995, he helped the Bulls with 15.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 4.6 APG in 81 games. In 1996, as the Bulls set a record with 72 wins, Kukoc was named Sixth Man of the Year with 13.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 3.5 APG. He would be a key member of the Bulls’ second three-peat from 1996 thru 1998 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021.
8. Gilbert Arenas – 31st Overall Pick
Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 20.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Career Achievements: 1x Most Improved Player, 3x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Team Selection
For a lot of younger NBA fans, Gilbert Arenas is the man who served one of the longest suspensions in NBA history when he brought a firearm into the locker room with the Wizards. However, at his best, Arenas was one of the most prolific scoring guards in the NBA and could attack and take over a game from all three levels. He was especially deadly in crunch time, where it was guaranteed Arenas was going to have the ball in his hand with the game on the line.
Arenas began his career with the Warriors, where he became one of the few players to become Most Improved Player in just his second season. Arenas would be traded to the Wizards in 2003 and break out as a player. In 2005, Arenas would begin a stretch of three straight All-Star and All-NBA Team selections. During those three years, Arenas averaged 27.7 PPG, 5.7 APG, and 1.9 SPG. It wasn’t too long after that the infamous firearm incident occurred, and Arenas was soon out of the league with knee injuries on top of all the other issues that had accumulated.
7. Mark Price – 25th Overall Pick
Credit: Fadeaway World
Career Stats: 15.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 6.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Career Achievements: 4x All-Star, 4x All-NBA Team Selection
Mark Price is one of the more underrated point guards and players in NBA history. Playing for most of the late 80s and 90s with the Cavaliers, Price helped them become a perennial threat in the Eastern Conference. He earned the starting job in his second season with Cleveland and became an All-Star for the first time in his third season in 1989, averaging 18.9 PPG, 8.4 APG, and 1.5 SPG on 50/40/90 shooting splits.
After suffering an injury that limited him to 16 games in the 1991 season, Price became an All-Star once again in 1992. He would make three straight All-Star Teams from 19992 thru 1994, averaging 17.6 PPG, 7.7 APG, and 1.3 SPG during that stretch. Price would help the Cavaliers advance to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1992 but would eventually fall to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls as they often did in the playoffs. Price is one of the many players who never got to win an NBA championship but should be remembered for his beautiful shooting displays and the way he commanded the point guard position.
6. Maurice Cheeks – 36th Overall Pick
Credit: Malcolm Emmons – USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 11.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 6.7 APG, 2.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Career Achievements: 4x All-Star, 5x All-Defensive Team Selection
From a point guard whose underrated on the offensive end to another point guard who is underrated for his contribution on defense, Maurice Cheeks comes in at number nine. Known mostly as a defensive asset to the Sixers during the 80s, defenses were punished when they didn’t respect his ability to score the ball and make plays for his teammates. Cheeks’ first big contribution came in 1983 when he made his first All-Star team and helped the Sixers capture an NBA championship alongside Moses Malone and Julius Erving.
Cheeks would return to the All-Star Game in 1986 and make simultaneous trips in 1987 and 1988 as well. Over that time, he would average 14.9 PPG, 8.4 APG, and 2.4 SPG. He also ranked 13th overall in box plus/minus over that stretch. Cheeks retired and still is to this day the Philadelphia 76ers’ all-time leader in both steals and assists, as well as eight all-time in points. There is no doubt that Maurice Cheeks is one of the most accomplished second-round picks ever.
5. Marc Gasol – 48th Overall Pick
Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 14.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 3.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.4 BPG
Career Achievements: 1x Defensive Player Of The Year, 3x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Selection, 1x All-Defensive Team Selection
The impact Marc Gasol made during his career with the Grizzlies and Raptors can only be truly understood by the ones who were watching him at his best. Gasol was a tough and physical big who wasn’t afraid to take chances on defense that paid off more often than not. During his 10 seasons with the Grizzlies, Gasol was a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA player. In 2013, he was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year as well, with 1.0 SPG and 1.7 BPG for the 56-26 Memphis team.
Gasol’s true impact would be measured when he was traded from Memphis to Toronto during the 2019 season. Gasol would immediately insert himself as a key piece for the Raptors as both a playmaker and an interior defender. Gasol would average just 9.9 PPG and 6.1 RPG with the Raptors in 26 games during the regular season and 9.4 PPG and 6.4 RPG during the playoff run. Gasol should be considered one of the greatest European players of all time and would still be in today’s game in his prime.
4. Draymond Green – 35th Overall Pick
Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 8.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 6.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.0 BPG
Career Achievements: 1x Defensive Player Of The Year, 4x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Selection, 7x All-Defensive Team Selection
One of the more boisterous personalities over the last decade in the NBA has been Draymond Green. Often the butt of jokes for his peculiar single-digit stat lines, Green has been one of the more impactful overall players since 2015, according to the fans that have actually watched him. Green’s defensive ability to guard all five positions on the court while directing his teammates into position has been priceless in the Warriors’ four championships since 2015. He has also served as the engine that runs the offense with his playmaking on more than one occasion.
Green has averaged at least 1.0 SPG every year since his second in the NBA. In 2017, he was named the Defensive Player of the Year, leading the NBA in steals with 2.0 SPG and adding 1.4 BPG. He has served as the enforcer and on-court leader for four NBA championship teams with Golden State from 2015 thru 2022 and continues to serve that role in 2022-23. He has been just as important to the Warriors’ success as any other player has been for Golden State over the last 10 years.
3. Manu Ginobili – 57th Overall Pick
Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 13.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Career Achievements: 1x Sixth Man Of The Year, 2x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Selection
Coming in at number three is a San Antonio Spurs legend for life and one of the greatest European players to ever play the game, Manu Ginobili. For 16 seasons, Ginobili helped the San Antoni Spurs become one of the more successful NBA franchises as far as championships go. Ginobili was a member of four Spurs championship teams and played a pivotal role in each and every one as a defender, playmaker, and clutch performer.
After years as a starter and even an All-Star appearance in that role as well as two championships, Ginobili took a bench role in order to make the team a more cohesive unit. In 2007, the move immediately resulted in an NBA championship over the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2008, Ginobili was named Sixth Man of the Year averaging 19.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.5 APG, and 1.5 SPG off the bench. In 2014, Ginobili found a bit more magic in the tank as the Spurs won another NBA championship in a six-game series over the Miami Heat. In 2022, Ginobili was inducted into the Basketball Hall Of Fame for his tremendous success over 16 seasons in the NBA.
2. Dennis Rodman – 27th Overall Pick
Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 7.3 PPG, 13.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Career Achievements: 2x Defensive Player Of The Year, 2x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Selection, 8x All-Defensive Team Selection
With an argument for a top-three impactful defender of all-time, Dennis Rodman comes in at number two on our list of greatest second-round picks. Dennis Rodman was selected strictly for the effort he gave on the defensive end and for rebounds. Rodman was never an offensive threat by any means other than the odd putback or wide-open layup. However, there has never been a player with as much direct defensive impact as Dennis Rodman did on NBA championships.
Rodman was a key member of the 1989 and 1990 Detroit Pistons teams that went back-to-back as NBA champions. Rodman would go on to win back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards in 1990 and 1991, as well as his first All-Star appearance in 1990. From 1992 thru 1998, Rodman would lead the NBA in rebounding all seven seasons while winning five of the seven NBA championships with the Pistons and Bulls. Rodman would join Chicago in 1995-96 and play a vital role in their second three-peat as NBA champions.
1. Nikola Jokic – 41st Overall Pick
Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 20.2 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Career Achievements: 2x MVP, 5x All-Star, 4x All-NBA Team Selection
There was most likely very little doubt as to who we selected as the greatest second-round pick in NBA history. Nikola Jokic began his move into this selection just a few seasons ago, but over that time has become one of the great playmakers and overall offensive players we have ever seen. Jokic controls the game from the center position due to his unbelievable court vision and ability to create opportunities for himself and his teammates. After his debut in 2015, it only took two seasons for Jokic to become a full-time starter. Since then, it hasn’t taken long for him to become one of the best players in the NBA.
Jokic would make his first All-Star Game in 2019 and help the Nuggets reach the Western Conference Finals in 2020. In 2021, Jokic would take home his first MVP award after averaging 26.4 PPG, 10.8 RPG, and 8.3 APG. In 2022, Jokic would win his second consecutive MVP award after leading the Nuggets to the playoffs despite losing both Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. His 2022-23 performance through 59 games has been his masterpiece, though. Jokic is currently averaging 24.5 PPG, 11.8 RPG, and 10.0 APG on the season and has Denver in the driver’s seat atop the Western Conference standings. If things remain the same for him for the remainder of the regular season, Jokic will be just the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double for the entirety of a season.
Source: fadeawayworld
