NBA Draft 2021: 5 most intriguing undrafted players to watch going forward

The 2021 NBA Draft is over and teams are already preparing to turn their attention towards free agency. Sixty prospects were taken, most from the college ranks, starting with Cade Cunningham first overall to the Detroit Pistons.

Many of last Thursday night’s picks will go on to have solid careers in the NBA and some will turn into stars. Others won’t pan out as hoped and some may never even play a game in the league. That’s just the nature of the business when there are limited roster spots for just 30 teams.

Those with the biggest uphill climb are the players who weren’t selected in the draft. Many of those players weren’t expecting to be taken unless they were selected near the tail-end of the night. Still, there were surprises, like Gonzaga’s Joel Ayayi going undrafted.

Not being drafted is not a death sentence for prospects, though. Just ask Lu Dort, who became a major contributor for the Oklahoma City Thunder despite not being picked in the 2019 NBA Draft. Or Kendrick Nunn, who wasn’t taken in the 2018 NBA Draft. Duncan Robinson wasn’t picked that same year. The list goes on.

Right after the draft ended, many of the best players who weren’t selected immediately signed deals or agreed to join the Summer League camps of NBA franchises. The games over the summer will be their first opportunity to prove that they deserve a more substantial look in the league.

Here are five players who went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft who are worth watching.