The 2025 NBA Draft is in the rearview mirror and, within moments after the final pick was made, the free-for-all really began. Each year, undrafted prospects scramble to find new homes on Two-Way deals and Summer League contracts, and the hours after the second round are busy to say the least.
While the thought of an undrafted player is not always the sexiest for fans of NBA teams, there are plenty of success stories to hold onto with optimism. Perhaps the best example of an undrafted player finding glory is Hall of Fame big man Ben Wallace, who starred for the Pistons and helped to bring a title to Detroit.
From there, there is a long list of current players making an impact after going undrafted. That group includes Fred VanVleet, Alex Caruso, Naz Reid, Austin Reaves, Lu Dort, Duncan Robinson, TJ McConnell, Dorian Finney-Smith, Seth Curry, Gary Payton II, Caleb Martin, Derrick Jones Jr., Jose Alvarado, and more.
In this space, we'll highlight three undrafted players who could actually make an NBA impact sooner rather than later.
Vlad Goldin, C, Michigan
Goldin's first professional steps will be taken with the Miami Heat, as he agreed to a Two-Way deal with Miami on Thursday evening. Goldin is already 24 years old, but he was a key cog fot a strong Michigan team and a core member of a storybook FAU season that ended in the Final Four.
The big man averaged 16.6 points per game on 60.7 percent shooting in one season at Michigan, and Goldin is a legitimate 7-footer with a 7-foot-5 wingspan and a 9-foot-3 standing reach. He is very physical, effective in the post, and smart on both ends of the floor to the point where Goldin wouldn't look out of place against the best competition.
Hunter Sallis, G, Wake Forest
Sallis got off to a relatively slow college start at Gonzaga, but he averaged more than 18 points per game in back-to-back seasons with Wake Forest. The 6-foot-4 guard is a very strong athlete with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, and Sallis can operate effectively with the ball in his hands.
His shooting waxed and waned at times this season after a breakout junior campaign, but it was a genuine surprise that Sallis wasn't selected in the second round. He will join the Philadelphia 76ers on a Two-Way contract.
Ryan Nembhard, G, Creighton
In an earlier era of the NBA, Nembhard almost certainly would have been drafted and probably within the top 40 picks. He is the pure definition of a traditional point guard, leading the entire country in assists (9.8 per game) during his final college season at Gonzaga. Nembhard also had almost a 4-to-1 ratio of assists to turnovers, and he is a mature player in every sense of the word.
Nembhard also really improved his shooting during his college career, peaking at 40.4 percent from 3-point range this season, and he knows how to operate within his means and mitigate his size limitations. He did manage to score effectively when needed at Gonzaga, and while Nembhard will always be limited by his size on defense, he really competes on that end of the floor.
It is fair to say that the recent history has not shone brightly on players of Nembhard's size who are not true outliers in terms of their scoring or athletic upside. He checked in at 5-foot-11 at the combine and, with only a 7-foot-10 standing reach, he is tiny by modern NBA standards. Still, Nembhard deserves a shot, and he will get a solid opportunity to leave his mark on a Two-Way deal with the Dallas Mavericks.