NBA Draft 2019: Top 25 undrafted players since 2000

It was a great college career for Fred VanVleet, winning the Missouri Valley Player of the Year twice and dishing out over five assists per game three times for Wichita State. But like most mid-major stars who lack the elite-level athleticism like a Ja Morant, the 6-foot point guard had to make the NBA without getting drafted.

He was picked up by the Toronto Raptors in 2016. After an uneventful rookie campaign, VanVleet averaged 8.6 points and 3.2 assists per game on 21 minutes per contest. He hit six 3-pointers in a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers and dropped a season-high 25 versus the Los Angeles Lakers.

The former Shocker star had an even bigger impact this past season, starting 28 games on the 58-win Raptor team, putting up 11.0 points and 4.8 assists per game on the eventual Eastern Conference Champions.

VanVleet had struggled through a big part of the 2019 NBA Playoffs, but after the birth of his child, he came alive at the best time. He’s averaging 16 points per game in the last five contests, including a massive 21 points on seven made 7-pointers in a crucial Game 6 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

His play has established himself as the top reserve guard on a very good Toronto team. VanVleet has set himself up for a great payday as a free agent – if the franchise even allows that to happen.

While the small sample size makes it tough to compare VanVleet to others with longer careers on the list, but I’m confident to project him as a 10+ year NBA veteran who could end up as a starter eventually. He’s been a winner and producer his entire basketball career, so there’s no reason to assume the opposite going forward.

Career stats (177 games): 8.2 points, 3.3 assists, 2.2 rebounds per game