Per ususal, the 2023 NBA Draft ended with several interesting prospects left on the board. Here are five undrafted free agents who could make teams regretful down the road.
The 2023 NBA Draft was complete with home-run swings and potentially catastrophic mistakes, the hallmarks of any good draft night. The festivities also ended with several quality prospects still in search of their professional home.
As is the case every summer, there was a flurry of undrafted free-agent signings right after the draft ended. Several prospects from the FanSided big board went unselected and were signed to two-way or Exhibit 10 contracts well into the early hours of the morning.
Here are the five undrafted free agents who have the best chance to carve out NBA roles and make front offices the league overlook quite foolish in hindsight.
2023 NBA Draft: No. 5 undrafted free agent Markquis Nowell, Raptors
The Toronto Raptors signed Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell to a two-way contract. Nowell led the Wildcats to the Elite Eight last season and he was arguably the best overall player in the NCAA Tournament, setting a tournament record with 19 assists in a single game.
For Toronto, the need for guard help is evident and the Raptors have found success with small, scrappy guards in the past. Just look at Fred VanVleet, who's currently looking for $30 million in free agency.
The rub with Nowell, however, is that he's a little bit more than "small" by NBA standards. He's generously listed at 5-foot-8, the likes of which we haven't seen on an NBA court in years. Nowell will struggle mightily to defend the size and athleticism of NBA point guards, no matter how hard he tries.
On the other hand, Nowell is an absolute eye-popping offensive talent. His 19-assist game was not a fluke — he's a brilliant passer who can see plays develop several moments in advance. He constantly passes teammates open and he's never not surveying the defense for exploitable holes. He can shoot 3s, he's bursty enough to penetrate the lane, and he will make he plays with all the confidence required to carve out a career at 5-foot-8. He's talented and determined enough. It's really a question of whether or not it's physically possible for Nowell to survive in the modern era.
2023 NBA Draft: No. 4 undrafted free agent Drew Timme, Bucks
The Bucks swept up Drew Timme and signed him to an Exhibit 10 contract. Timme is a battle-hardened college vet from one of the country's premier programs at Gonzaga. He averaged 21.2 points and 7.5 rebounds on 61.2 percent shooting last season. He was thoroughly dominant.
There was a time when Timme might have been a first-round pick based on his offensive skill set and prolific track record of production, but that time is not today. The modern NBA has really gone away from slow-footed, drop-coverage centers who can't really defend outside the paint. Timme faces serious hurdles on the defensive end to establish himself as a rotation-level player in the league.
For the Bucks, there's definite appeal in Timme's offensive skill set. He's such a dominant post scorer that it almost doesn't matter how outmoded that style of scoring is. Timme's footwork and feather-soft touch, combined with a strong 6-foot-10, 235-pound frame, make him a handful for even the best interior defenders. There's a path to him bullying second-unit bigs and racking up productive minutes in reserve.
Timme is a good passer for his position too, a key attribute if he wants to become more than just a post scorer in the NBA — a necessity for his long-term survival. The defensive concerns are great, but he battles hard in the paint and he could carve out a lane as a utility big in specific matchups, which is all you can really hope for with undrafted free agents.
2023 NBA Draft: No. 3 undrafted free agent Tosan Evbuomwan, Pistons
Tosan Evbuomwan parlayed a strong performance at the G-League Elite camp into a combine invite, where he also did well in scrimmages. It ultimately wasn't enough to get the Princeton big drafted, however, and he signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Pistons shortly after the telecast ended.
Evbuomwan occupied an extremely unique role at Princeton. At 6-foot-8, he was always the biggest player on the floor. He was also a primary playmaking hub, frequently facing up from the elbow, running DHOs, or slipping down the lane for finishes at the rim. He averaged 4.9 assists per game.
Princeton made noise in the NCAA tournament in large part because of Evboumwan's performance in the five spot. He projects as more of a power forward in the NBA, but he's built strong and he's athletic enough to guard a few different positions depending on the matchup.
The Pistons have a lot of frontcourt depth standing between Evbuomwan and a roster spot, not to mention playing time, but his brilliant passing acumen at his size is a rare gift. He has some scoring pop as a driver too and the Pistons are wise to latch onto him for an extended look in training camp.
2023 NBA Draft: No. 2 undrafted free agent Terquavion Smith, 76ers
Terquavion Smith was the No. 35 prospect on the FanSided big board. He would have warranted consideration as early as the first round; Philadelphia signing him to a two-way contract as an undrafted free agent qualifies as highway robbery.
Smith made the fateful decision to return to school for a sophomore season after breaking out as a freshman. The decision ultimately backfired, with teams still worried about his slender frame and inherent defensive shortcomings. Smith's numbers did not meaningfully change between year one and year two, and this is the result.
For Philadelphia, Smith is an excellent consolation prize for their forfeited second-round pick. Smith is listed at 160 pounds, which very well could rule him out of NBA-level defense long-term. But, the offensive upside pops in a big way and he's going to put up numbers in the G-League next season.
Smith is one of the best pull-up shooters in the draft, complete with deep range and a slippery handle to get to his spots and create space. Smith is bursty with his first step and pretty brave going up against contact for such a skinny 6-foot-4 guard. The Sixers might not have an immediate place for him in the backcourt with two negative defenders in James Harden and Tyrese Maxey expected to occupy the starting roles next season, but there's definite appeal in Smith as a potential microwave bench scorer.
2023 NBA Draft: No. 1 undrafted free agent Ricky Council IV, 76ers
Ricky Council IV was the highest-rated prospect here at FanSided to go undrafted. He came in at No. 24 on our board, meaning the Sixers essentially got two borderline first-round talents in undrafted free agency. Council joins the aforementioned Terq Smith on a two-way contract for Philadelphia.
While Council has one glaring red flag — his rocky 3-point shooting — it's wise to bet on well-defined, elite skills in the NBA Draft. Especially when those elite skills are paired with plus athleticism, positional size, and enough ancillary skill to beget long-term upside.
Council is 6-foot-6 with an excellent first step and broad shoulders. He's a ferocious downhill driver and he's one of the best rim finishers on the board who's not seven feet tall. His ability to hang, contort, and find angles to finish through traffic is legitimately special. If he can get the 3-point shot to even a respectable level over time, it gets pretty easy to imagine Council's path to productive NBA basketball as a bench scorer. He competes with fire on the defensive end too.
The Sixers are more reliant than most teams on having wings who can shoot, so Council will have to make strides in order to make logistical sense next to Joel Embiid. He also has to clean up his decision-making, especially given Nick Nurse's notoriously short leash for mistake-prone young players.
Council will face an uphill battle having gone undrafted, but he is easily the best player who didn't hear his name called. The Sixers absolutely dominated the undrafted free-agent market.
