1) Ron vanderSchaaf (1987)

“That guy might not even make it to lunch.” That was the assessment of legendary announcer Chick Hearn when he espied vanderSchaaf on the first day of Lakers training camp in 1987. Though the Dutch center did manage to last through that afternoon meal, he was ultimately cut after just three days. Born in the small Netherlands town of Leeuwarden, vanderSchaaf excelled in soccer growing up but shifted to basketball as a teenager. He relocated to Centralia, Washington to play high school ball, was an NAIA All-American for Central Washington University, and then got selected with the 171st and final pick of the 1987 NBA Draft, by the defending champion Lakers in the seventh round. After his brief, once-in-a-lifetime experience squaring up against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Palm Springs scrimmages, vanderSchaaf played several years of semi-pro ball in the U.S. and eventually returned to his native Holland to play for a pro club.

2) Archie Marshall (1988)

A swift 6’7″ forward from Kansas University with shooting touch, Marshall was arguably a first round talent but his draft stock tanked following ACL tears to both knees during college. One injury occurred at the end of Marshall’s sophomore season in the 1986 Final Four, forcing him to miss his entire junior campaign, and the other early in his senior season, ending his collegiate career. Led by Marshall’s best friend Danny Manning, Kansas went on to win the 1988 NCAA title and their coach Larry Brown subsequently was hired by the Spurs. In a sentimental moment, Brown convinced the San Antonio front office to take a flier on Marshall with the 75th and final pick of the draft. Marshall attended training camp but was unable to participate and was cut before the ’88-‘989 season began. He never managed to suit up in the NBA, instead spending a year playing pro ball in Australia before retiring and taking a job at FedEx.

3) Sean Higgins (1990)

Leaving college early for the NBA was still a bit of a taboo in 1990, and an especially surprising decision by Higgins. He was one of the biggest heroes of Michigan’s 1989 NCAA title run, dropping 31 points in a Regional Final win over Virginia and hitting a buzzer beater to defeat Illinois in the National Semifinals. But Higgins’ reputation was of a ball hog on offense and disinterested, at best, in things like defense and rebounding, and most NBA scouts would have advised him to stay in school one more year. Higgins declared anyway in 1990, forgoing his senior year at Michigan, and sure enough fell to the last pick of the draft, #54 overall to the Spurs. In a surprise twice, Higgins not only made the Spurs roster but played solid enough to last six seasons in the NBA. It helped that San Antonio’s coach was Larry Brown, who was a longtime fan of Higgins and had attempted to recruit him to Kansas University in 1987. Over the first six years of the NBA Draft being reduced to two rounds, Higgins was the only final overall pick to actually make an NBA roster.

4) Byron Wilson (1993)

Wilson was cut from the Suns’ roster for ’93-’94 after just one preseason game, and Phoenix’s loss soon after became Argentina’s gain. The 54th and final pick of the 1993 NBA Draft out of the University of Utah, Wilson continued to chase his NBA dreams for a brief time by playing in the CBA. When that fell short, he signed with SC Canadense of the Argentinean LNB, kicking off a lengthy, successful career in South America. One of the first American superstars of the relatively young league, Wilson led three separate clubs to LNB championships, earning Finals MVP for Boca Juniors in 1997, Estudiantes in 2001, and Boca Juniors again in 2004 (he also won a title in 2003 with Atenas). He still sits seventh in LNB history in career scoring compiled over 16 seasons, and ultimately became a national hero and naturalized citizen of Argentina.

5) Zeljko Rebraca (1994)
6) Roberto Duenas (1997)

Taking a flier on an international prospect became de rigueur in the NBA Drafts of the ’90s, and Rebraca and Duenas can attest to usually not panning out. Only the third Serbian player ever drafted by an NBA team, Rebraca did not follow in the footsteps of Vlade Divac straight into the league, instead spending the remainder of the ’90s in Europe. By the time Rebraca finally took the floor in an NBA game, his rights had been traded from the SuperSonics to the Timberwolves to the Raptors to the Pistons. He joined Detroit for the ’01-’02 season and likely could have found a niche as a solid rotation player for a franchise that would go on to dominate the ’00s Eastern Conference. But Rebraca suffered from numerous injuries and a heart condition, limiting his consistency. He was eventually traded to the Hawks as part of the blockbuster Rasheed Wallace deal, then spent two seasons with the Clippers before returning to Europe to close out his career. The 7’3″ Spaniard Duenas also stayed in Europe, delaying his entry into the NBA after getting drafted by the Bulls with the last pick in 1997. But unlike Rebraca, Duenas never ventured over the U.S., instead spending his prime years with FC Barcelona, winning six Spanish league titles and the 2003 EuroLeague championship.

7) Pete Mickeal (2000)

Everywhere he went, Mickeal won basketball championships and broke records. Except for the NBA. He’s the all-time leading scorer at Rock Island High School in Illinois, led Indian Hills Community College to back-to-back junior college national titles, and in ’99-’00 was an All-American for the Cincinnati Bearcats, who finished the regular season #1 in the country. The Mavericks drafted him with the last pick in 2000 but Mickeal repeatedly fell short of making the final roster in training camp/summer league attempts with Dallas, New York, Orlando, and Houston. After earning league MVP and winning an ABA title with the Kansas City Knights, Mickeal’s pro career became a world tour from there, with stops in the Philippines, South Korea, Greece, Spain, Russia, Puerto Rico, Argentina, and Venezuela. Individual accolades and/or championship trophies were part of almost every stint, most notably a La Liga Finals MVP in 2008 and a EuroLeague title with FC Barcelona in 2010.

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Well, at least I didn’t go last: 10 other notable NBA players who were late second round draft picks

Steve Kerr (1988): The championship clinching shooting guard and legendary coach could have made our main list as the last pick of the second round to the Suns, but there were still three rounds in 1988, so he technically doesn’t qualify
Cedric Ceballos (1990): One of the all-time great draft steals at #48 overall, he was a late bloomer who rode the bench in high school, developed his skills at relatively obscure Cal State Fullerton, then became a key contributor for the ’92-’93 Suns Finals run and an All-Star in 1995
Manu Ginobili (1999): The defending champion Spurs opted to think long-term with the second-to-last pick in 1999 and in doing so, laid the groundwork for four more championships by landing a future Hall of Famer; Ginobili spent three more seasons in Europe before reaching the NBA in 2002
Luis Scola (2002): Part of the same elite class of Argentine players with Manu Ginobili, Scola was similarly a third-to-last pick of the Spurs, who held his rights for five years before trading him to the Rockets, with whom he finally made his NBA debut in 2007
Kyle Korver (2003): It was bad enough that Korver fell to the 54th pick of the draft, but insult was soon after added to injury when the Nets immediately traded him to the 76ers for only $125,000, reportedly just enough to cover Summer League expenses and a new copy machine for their executive office
Vassilis Spanoulis (2004): Already a burgeoning superstar in his native Greece when the Mavericks selected him 50th overall, Spanoulis did make a go of it for one season with the Rockets before returning to Europe and becoming one of the continent’s all-time legends
Marcin Gortat (2005): The “Polish Hammer” was an unknown commodity when the Magic selected him 57th overall but he developed into a solid center for the Magic, Suns, and Wizards; amongst players drafted 50th or lower in the modern era, Gortat is the all-time leader in rebounds and in blocks
Patty Mills (2009): Another classic Spurs dynasty scrap heap find, Mills was actually drafted by the Trail Blazers, 55th overall, spent most of his first two seasons in the G-League, then found his calling as a dynamic bench guard in San Antonio, especially during the 2014 title run
Luka Garza (2021): Drafted 52nd overall by the Pistons, Garza made unfortunate history as only the second Naismith Award winner to fall to the second round (after Frank Mason III); but he’s making a name for himself this season, logging solid backup center minutes on a depleted Celtics roster
Bronny James (2024): Basketball traditionally avoids the “nepo baby” phenomenon, as eventually the player has to prove their talent; James may be the first exception, as LeBron’s eldest child has done nothing to prove he was worth the 55th overall pick, other than making father-son history as teammates

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8) Andreas Glyniadakis (2003)

A plodding, 7’1″ center with a bevy of post moves but no shooting skills, Glyniadakis was part of an already dying breed when the Pistons drafted him 58th overall in 2003 (56 picks after they took Darko Milicic). He spent the next two seasons with AEK Athens before making a go of it in America in 2005, attending training camp with Detroit. From there, Glyniadakis was cut by the Pistons during the 2005 preseason, spent ’05-’06 with two different D-League franchises, got signed and cut by the Hawks during the 2006 preseason (earning the offhand nickname “Big Greek Fella” from coach Mike Woodson), then finally caught on with the SuperSonics early in the ’06-’07 season. Filling in minutes for an injured Robert Swift at center, Glyniadakis averaged just 1.3 points and 0.6 rebounds per game in 13 appearances for Seattle (four of which he started) before getting waived, ending his NBA career. He spent another 13 years playing pro ball in Europe, with highlights including two EuroLeague titles and two Greek League All-Star appearances.

9) Semih Erden (2008)

Part of a strong class of players who led Turkey to a silver medal in the 2010 FIBA World Cup, Erden fell well short of the NBA success of his contemporaries Omer Asik and Ersan Ilyasova. Drafted by the Celtics as the 60th overall pick in 2008, Erden joined the roster after leading Fenerbahçe to the 2010 Turkish League title. An All-Star in his native country, Erden was instead a bench warmer in the NBA, averaging just 4.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in 41 appearances as a rookie. He did get a brief stretch as Boston’s starting center that season when Shaquille O’Neal and Kendrick Perkins both went down with injuries. After a trade to Cleveland, Erden found playing time to be similarly limited with the Cavaliers and returned to Turkey during the 2011 lockout. In his second go-round in the Turkish Super League, Erden made three more All-Star appearances.

10) Isaiah Thomas (2011)

“Mr. Irrelevant” is the tongue-in-cheek title granted to the final pick of the NFL Draft, and quarterback Brock Purdy has made headlines as the first superstar amongst their ranks. The NBA list of “Mr. Irrelevant” honorees is similarly littered with also-rans, but Thomas is the one exception. Listed at just 5’9″ and likely even shorter, Thomas was always a long shot for basketball success and his draft position, #60 overall out of Washington University, certainly reflects that. But he was hardly deterred, eventually getting named to two All-Star teams and finishing fifth in MVP voting in ’16-’17 before injuries marred his remaining career. Amongst second round picks of the modern era (since 1988), Thomas is top 30 in career points and career assists, and tied for eighth in All-Star appearances, marking him as easily the most successful “Mr. Irrelevant” in NBA history.

11) Jānis Timma (2013)

A 29-year-old Latvian with bleach blond hair and a body covered in tattoos, Timma was a certainly a memorable inclusion in the 2021 NBA Summer League. It was a long and circuitous road to that point for Timma, who had been drafted #60 overall by the Grizzlies eight years prior. Already a legend in his native country, Timma remained with his Latvian club Ventspils, leading them to a Baltic League championship and making four Latvian league All-Star appearances. That was followed by up-and-down stints in Spain, Russia, and Greece before Timma finally accepted a 2021 Summer League invite from the Magic, who had acquired his rights via trade in 2015. Timma won over Orlando fans with his unique look and dynamic style of play but didn’t make the final roster. After a brief stint with the D-League Lakeland Magic, Timma spent the remainder of his career overseas. In 2024, he passed away at age 32 from an apparent suicide while playing for a 3×3 club in Moscow.

12) Kostas Antetokounmpo (2018)

In an effort to keep their superstar happy and ensconced in Milwaukee, the Bucks have been collecting Antetokounmpo brothers like Pokemon, signing oldest brother Thanasis in 2019 and youngest brother Alex in 2025. Only Kostas is missing from this family reunion, as he’s currently playing for Aris B.C. back in their native country of Greece. Kostas does have NBA experience though and even a championship ring to show for it. Having moved to Milwaukee when Giannis was drafted by the Bucks, Kostas finished high school in the U.S., played one season at the University of Dayton, then declared for the 2018 NBA Draft. He was the 60th and final pick and his NBA career reflects that status, with just 32 appearances over three seasons, spent entirely on two-way contracts. But Kostas can claim this much: He was the first Antetokounmpo brother with an NBA championship ring, earned with the Lakers in 2020.

13) Sam Merrill (2020)

A star player and ace distance shooter for NCAA mid-major Utah State, Merrill could have improved his draft status immensely with a strong March Madness showing. But that opportunity was interrupted by COVID-19 forcing an NCAA Tournament cancellation and Merrill fell to the 60th and final pick, then was traded a week later from the Pelicans to the Bucks as an afterthought throw-in with Jrue Holiday. An inauspicious start for sure, but Merrill has defied odds to develop into the valuable shooting specialist he portended as in college. He’s earned a championship ring as well, playing minor minutes as a rookie with the Bucks. Acquired and waived subsequently by the Grizzlies and Kings, Merrill finally found a solid home in Cleveland. Working his way up through their G-League affiliate, Merrill became a crucial bench piece for the title contending Cavaliers, who rewarded him with a four-year, $38 million contract in the 2025 offseason. It’s far and away the biggest payday ever earned by an NBA Draft “Mr. Irrelevant.”

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