Well, this did numbers the last time I did it, so let's run it back with some 90s attitude. I've already looked at the best undrafted players from both the 2000s and the 2010s, so now I'm going back and looking at the best undrafted players of the 1990s. Every time the NBA holds its annual draft, there are plenty of players who don't get their name called and go undrafted. Despite that, many undrafted players have gone on to have lengthy, successful careers that are "totally fly" or "hella phat" or other things people in the 90s would say. If you're still here after that, thank you, and let's get into this. These are the best undrafted players from each year of the 1990s.
1990: Scott Williams
Just like last time, I'm starting this list off with a weak pool of undrafted players. There are literally only four players who went undrafted in 1990 that anything resembling an NBA career, with the best being Scott Williams. Williams attended North Carolina in 1986, playing with the Tar Heels for four years. In his senior year, Williams averaged 14.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 55% from the field. Despite a strong senior year, Williams would go undrafted, but he wouldn't have to wait long to begin his NBA career.
In the summer of 1990, Wiliams would sign with the Chicago Bulls. While he was mostly used as a reserve, Williams joined the best situation possible, as 1990 was the beginning of Michael Jordan & Scottie Pippen's time of dominance with the Bulls. In his first three seasons, Williams took home three NBA championships. In total, Williams would play four seasons with the Bulls, averaging 4.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting 48% from the field. Williams would sign with the Philadelphia 76ers in the summer of 1994, playing there for four and a half seasons in a larger role, but struggled with injuries, and averaging 5.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting 48% from the field. Williams would be traded midway through the 1998-99 season to the Milwaukee Bucks, where he'd play for another two and a half seasons and have the best stretch of his career, averaging 6.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting 49% from the field. Williams would depart from Milwaukee in 2001, playing four more seasons with four teams before retiring in 2005 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He ended his career with averages of 5.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 47% from the field.
1991: Darrell Armstrong
1991 also has few NBA players who had lengthy careers, but there are two easy front runners for this choice. While Robert Pack was a solid enough role player, I'm going to have to give the edge to Darrell Armstrong. Armstrong would attend Fayetteville State University, a Division II historically black college and university in his home state of North Carolina. Armstrong would play three seasons at Fayetteville State and even played kicker for the school's football team, but his D-II status left him off the radar come the 1991 NBA draft. Armstrong would go undrafted that year and would play in various lower-level leagues in the country for the next two years. In 1993, Armstrong took his talents overseas, playing a season each in Cyprus and Spain, the former of which saw him take home the Cyprus Basketball Player of the Year, before getting his first shot in the NBA.
Armstrong would sign with the Orlando Magic late in the 1994-95 season. After playing just 16 games in his first two seasons combined, Armstrong would develop into a regular rotation player by his fourth season, with his fifth season seeing a big leap for him as he won both Sixth Man of the Year and the Most Improved Player of the Year. By his sixth season in Orlando, Armstrong was the regular starting point guard. In total, Armstrong would play nine seasons with the Magic, and averaging 11.7 points, 5.1 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 42% from the field and 35% from three-point range. Armstrong departed from Orlando in 2003, signing with the New Orleans Hornets, beginning the journeyman portion of his career. Armstrong would play five more seasons in the NBA with four different teams, retiring in 2008 as a member of the New Jersey Nets. He ended his career with averages of 9.2 points, 4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 41% from the field and 33% from three.
1992: David Wesley
1992 has a pretty clear-cut best player, and that's David Wesley. Wesley would begin his collegiate career in community college, spending a season with Temple Junior College in Texas. Following his freshman year, Wesley would transfer to Baylor, where he'd finish out the rest of his eligibility. In his final season with the Bears, Wesley would average 20.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 2 steals per game while shooting 45% from the field and 38% from three-point range, and would take home the Southwest Conference Co-Player of the Year Award. However, his status as a shooting guard concerned scouts, as his 6'1 stature was considered too small for the position and it was doubted he'd be able to transition to point guard. He'd go undrafted in 1992, but after spending a season in the Continental Basketball Association with the Wichita Falls Texans, Wesley found himself in the NBA.
Wesley signed with the New Jersey Nets in the 1993 offseason but saw little playing time in his rookie season. He'd sign with the Boston Celtics the following summer, taking on a larger role and not disappointing in the process. In his three seasons with the Celtics, averaging 12.7 points, 5.8 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 46% from the field and 40% from three. By his final season in Boston, Wesley was not only the regular starting point guard, but an absolute workhorse, averaging 40.4 minutes per game, the 7th highest in the league and more than Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett, and Grant Hill. Wesley would leave the Celtics in 1997, signing with the Charlotte Hornets, where he'd spend seven and a half seasons, again as the regular starter. During his time with the Hornets (who would move to New Orleans in 2002), Wesley averaged 14.7 points, 4.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.
Midway through the 2004-05 season, Wesley would be shipped to the Houston Rockets in a three-player trade. Wesley would spend a season and a half with the Rockets, averaging 10.3 points, 2.9 assists, and a steal per game while 40% from the field and 37% from three-point range, before signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the summer of 2006. He'd play his final NBA season with the Cavaliers. He'd be traded back to the Hornets following offseason, only to be traded back to the Nets a month later before finally being cut two days later. He finished his NBA career with averages of 12.5 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 42% from the field and 37% from three-point range.
1993: Bruce Bowen
1993's undrafted player pool might not have the most impressive stat line, but they make up for it with defense. All props to Bo Outlaw, who had a couple of really good defensive seasons and is one of the more underrated defenders of all time, but in terms of impact, it's hard to pick him over Bruce Bowen. Bowen would attend Cal State Fullerton, playing out all four years of his eligibility with the Titans. In his senior year, Bowen would average 16.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2 steals per game while shooting 47% from the field and 33% from three-point range. However, he went undrafted in the 1993 draft. Bowen would take his talents overseas, playing in France for two seasons before returning to the states to play in the Continental Basketball Association for two seasons. After spending another two seasons playing outside the NBA, one more in France and one more in the CBA, before finally making it to the big leagues.
After being signed and waived by the Miami Heat in 1995, Bowen was signed again by the Heat in 1997, this time on a 10-day contract at the end of the year, and played in his first NBA game. Despite signing on for the rest of the season, Bowen wouldn't play another game that season, and he'd sign with the Boston Celtics that summer. Bowen would spend two seasons with the Celtics, averaging 4.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. Bowen would then sign with the Philadelphia 76ers the following offseason, playing there for a season and a half before being traded to the Chicago Bulls in a three-team trade. After being waived by the Bulls two days later, he'd return to the Heat, playing another season and a half in Miami.
It was during the following offseason in 2001 where Bowen would sign with the San Antonio Spurs, where Bowen would break out as a player. While his stat line was never the most impressive, his defense took center stage in San Antonio, earning significant praise and making an NBA All-Defensive Team eight times, the First Team five times, and the Second Team three times. Along with that, Bowen would be a part of three separate championship teams, winning rings in 2003, 2005, and 2007. Bowen would play a total of eight seasons with the Spurs, averaging 6.4 points and 3 rebounds per game while shooting 42% from the field and 41% from three. Bowen would end his career in 2009 following a trade to the Milwaukee Bucks, who quickly waived him. He ended his career with averages of 6.1 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 41% from the field and 39% from three-point range.
1994: Trevor Ruffin
Holy sh*t, 1994's undrafted player pool is terrible. There is literally not one person who had any kind of extended career in the NBA. I guess Trevor Ruffin was the best of the bunch, even if that's not saying much. Ruffin would attend Hawaii, playing with the Rainbow Warriors for two seasons. In his sophomore year, Ruffin would average 20.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 43% from the field and 40% from three-point range. Despite being one of the stronger scorers in the nation, Ruffin would go undrafted in the 1994 draft, but after being signed and cut by the Los Angeles Lakers before the season started, he'd sign with the Phoenix Suns. After playing a single season with the Suns as a reserve, Ruffin was selected 10th in the 1995 Expansion draft by the Vancouver Grizzlies but never played for the team. He'd play one more season with the Philadelphia 76ers and showed promise as a rotation player, averaging 12.8 points and 4.4 assists while shooting 41% from the field and 36% from three-point range, but would be cut in the summer of 1996. His NBA career ended after two seasons with averages of 9.2 points and 2.9 assists while shooting 41% from the field and 37% from three.
1995: Kevin Ollie
1995 is not much better than 1994. While they had some players who put up decent numbers, those players didn't really stick around for too long. In terms of longevity, Kevin Ollie takes the cake for the best undrafted player of the year. Ollie would attend UConn, playing out all four years of his eligibility with the Huskies. His time at UConn was underwhelming, averaging just 9.8 points, 6.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 51% from the field and 31% from three as a senior. While he did make the All-Big East Third Team, it wasn't enough to get him drafted in 1995. While he was signed and released by the Warriors that summer, Olie would have to wait to make his NBA debut. Instead, Ollie would stay in Connecticut, signing with the Connecticut Pride in the Continental Basketball Association and playing there for two seasons.
Ollie would get his first taste of the NBA in 1997, signing with the Dallas Mavericks. This began a stretch of seven years where Ollie played for 10 different teams, never lasting longer than a season with the same team and playing for multiple teams in all but two seasons. In 2004, Ollie would start his first extended stay with a team after the Cleveland Cavaliers traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers, who he had already played for twice before between for the 1999-2000 season and halfway through the 2000-01 season. Ollie's third stint with the 76ers would last four seasons, and he'd average 2.6 points and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 43% from the field. Ollie would spend two more seasons in the NBA, retiring in 2010 as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The definition of a journeyman in the NBA, Ollie is heavily respected by the younger players he played with, with Kevin Durant specifically praising him for changing the culture in Oklahoma City. He ended his career having played for 12 different teams over 13 seasons, with career averages of 3.8 points and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 41% from the field and 31% from three.
1996: Ben Wallace
It's not even up for debate, Ben Wallace is by far the best undrafted player of 1996, and arguably the best of all time. Wallace began his college career at the junior college level, playing for two years at Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio. He'd transfer to Division II HBCU Virginia Union University before his junior year, where he'd play out his final two years of eligibility. Given his status as a D-II player, Wallace didn't receive much attention come the 1996 NBA draft, and he'd go undrafted. After initially trying out for the Italian team Viola Reggio Calabria, Wallace soon found himself on an NBA roster.
Wallace would sign with the Washington Bullets where he would play for three seasons, slowly working his way up from a little-used bench player to a regular rotation piece. In those three seasons (during which the Bullets rebranded to the Wizards), Wallace would average 3.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 53% from the field. Wallace would be traded in the 1999 offseason in a four-player trade to the Orlando Magic, where he'd play a season before being traded the following summer to the Detriot Pistons in the Grant Hall trade. It was in Detroit where Wallace broke out, establishing himself as one of the greatest defenders in the history of the NBA. In his six seasons with the Pistons, Wallace would take home an NBA-record four Defensive Player of the Year awards and was named to the All-Defensive 1st team five times. Along with that, Wallace would average 7.9 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 2.8 blocks per game while shooting 47% from the field. Was named to the all-star game four times, the All-NBA Second Team three times, the All-NBA Third Team twice, and led the league in rebounds twice and blocks one. And for the cherry on top, Wallace's fantastic defensive abilities proved huge come the 2004 playoffs when the Pistons took home the NBA Championship, a run that likely earned him the cover of ESPN NBA 2K5, the only undrafted player in history to hold that honor so far.
In 2006, Wallace departed from the Pistons and signed with the Chicago Bulls, playing a season and a half with the team and earning one last All-Defensive team honor, making the Second Team in 2007. Midway through the 2007-08 season, Wallace was shipped to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team, 11-player, one-pick trade. He'd spend another season and a half with the Cavaliers before being traded once again in the 2009 offseason, this time to the Phoenix Suns in a trade for Shaquille O'Neal. Wallace would be cut by the Suns that same summer and signed with the Pistons once again for one final run. Wallace would play three final seasons with the Pistons, averaging 3.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, a steal, and a block per game while shooting 49% from the field. It was during his final season that Wallace played in his 1,055th game, setting the record for the most by an undrafted player ever. Wallace officially retired in 2012, with career averages of 5.7 points and 9.6 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 2 blocks per game while shooting 47% from the field. While his offensive stats aren't super impressive, his impeccable defensive is legendary, and while he missed the Hall of Famer in 2019, he'll almost certainly be enshrined in the future.
1997: Troy Hudson
Unlike 1996, 1997 isn't that clear-cut. While Damon Jones was a strong three-point shooter, I'm giving the nod to Troy Hudson. Hudson would begin his collegiate career with Missouri. However, after a freshman year where he barely saw the court, Hudson would transfer to Southern Illinois. Hudson would play another two seasons with the school, averaging 21.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. However, his switch to a smaller school likely hurt his draft hopes, as he would go undrafted in the 1997 draft.
Hudson wouldn't wait long to debut in the NBA, signing with the Utah Jazz following the draft and playing eight games with the team before being waived. Hudson would finish out the first season of his professional career in the Continental Basketball Association, playing with the Yakima Sun Kings. After spending another season in the CBA with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, along with being signed and waived by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Hudson would return to the NBA in 1999 with the Los Angeles Clippers. He'd spend two seasons with the Clippers averaging 8.2 points and 3.8 assists per game, before being waived in the summer of 2000. Hudson would sign with the Orlando Magic that summer, playing another two seasons and averaging 8.4 points and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 40% from the field.
In 2002, Hudson would return to the Timberwolves through free agency, and he would have the best stretch of his career in Minnesota. In his five seasons with the Timberwolves, Hudson averaged 10 points and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 41% from the field and 36% from three. Hudson's first season in Minnesota proved to be his best, as he put up a career-high 14.2 points and 5.7 assists per game and had a standout playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, where he averaged 23.5 points and 5.5 assists per game. However, the rest of Hudson's stint in Minnesota was marred by injuries, and his contract would be bought out in 2007. Hudson would play one final season in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors, playing in nine games before being released. After an attempt at a comeback in 2012 with the Skyforce (now a part of the NBA D-League) ended due to injuries, Hudson retired from basketball in 2013. His career averages sit at 9 points and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 40% from the field and 34% from three.
1998: Brad Miller
1998 has some solid career role players like Mike James and Earl Boykins, but the easy choice is Brad Miller. Miller's collegiate career would see him playing for Purdue, spending all four years of his eligibility with the Boilermakers. In his senior year, Miller would average 17.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 63% from the field. Despite a strong stat line in college against a strong schedule, Miller would go undrafted in 1998. Not that being drafted would've allowed him to play any sooner, as the NBA was locked out a week after the draft, and wouldn't resume play until January 1999. Until then, Miller would play overseas in Italy with Bini Viaggi Livorno.
Just after the NBA season started, Miller would sign with the Charlotte Hornets, playing there for two seasons and averaging 7.1 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 49% from the field as a reserve. Miller would sign with the Chicago Bulls in 2000, playing there for a season and a half before being traded to the Indiana Pacers in the seven-player, one pick trade that also sent Ron Artest to the Pacers. Miller would spend another season and a half with the Pacers, but he would begin to reach his full potential, as he would make his first all-star appearance in 2003 during his final season in Indiana.
Following his all-star season, the Pacers sent Miller to the Sacramento Kings as part of a three-team, five-player trade, where he'd have his most prominent run. In his first season with the Kings, Miller would make his second all-star appearance. In total, Miller would spend five and a half seasons in Sacramento, averaging 13.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4 assists per game while shooting 49% from the field. Miller would be traded back to the Bulls in 2009 as part of a five-player trade, spending another season and a half with the team. Miller would play two more seasons in the NBA, one with the Houston Rockets and one with the Minnesota Timberwolves. After being traded back to the Hornets (now in New Orleans) and then to the Suns during the 2012 offseason, Miller was waived by the Suns and officially retired. His career averages sit at 11.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while shooting 48% from the field.
1999: Raja Bell
And finally, we round out the '90s with 1999. 1999 is, like 1993, a choice between two strong defenders and, with no disrespect to Chris Andersen, I'm giving the nod to Raja Bell. Bell would initially play college basketball at Boston University, spending two seasons with the Terriers and averaging 15 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 43% from the field and 33% from three-point range. However, Bell would leave Boston due to "non-basketball-related reasons" and after missing a season, transferred to Florida International University. Bell would play his final two years of eligibility with the Panthers, averaging 16.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 45% from the field and 34% from three. However, playing at two smaller schools left Bell off the radar of NBA scouts, and he'd go undrafted in 1999. Bell would spend one season in the Continental Basketball Association with the Yakima Sun Kings before officially making the jump to the NBA.
After being signed and cut by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2000 offseason, Bell would sign two 10-day contracts with the Philadelphia 76ers, eventually signing on for the rest of the season and the following year. Used mostly as a reserve, Bell would average 3.3 points and 1.4 rebounds per game while shooting 43% from the field on the 76ers. In 2002, Bell would sign with the Mavericks for a season before signing with the Utah Jazz the following summer. Bell would spend two seasons with the Jazz as a regular rotation piece, averaging 11.6 points and 3 rebounds per game while shooting 43% from the field and 39% from three-point range.
Bell would leave Utah to sign with the Phoenix Suns in 2005, where Bell would have his greatest success in the NBA. Playing in Phoenix for three and a half seasons, Bell averaged 13.4 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 44% from the field and 42% from three-point range. Additionally, Bell would gain a reputation as a strong defender during his time with the Suns, earning All-Defensive First Team & Second Team honors in 2007 & 2008, respectively. Midway through the 2008-09 season, Bell was shipped to the Charlotte Bobcats in a five-player, one-pick trade. Bell would play a total of 50 games with the Bobcats across two seasons before being traded early in the 2009-10 season to the Golden State Warriors, where he'd play one game before being cut. Bell would play two final seasons with the Jazz, returning to the team in the 2010 offseason. In those two years, Bell averaged 7.4 points and 2.2 rebounds per game while shooting 42% from the field and 36% from three. Bell was still under contract for the 2012-13 season, but a falling out with the team kept him off the court before being waived in the offseason. Bell officially retired in 2014, with career averages of 9.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 43% from the field and 41% from three.
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