Who is the best second round pick in NBA history? While so much attention is paid to the first round of the NBA Draft, the second round has proven itself throughout history. From NBA MVPs like Nikola Jokic to four-time NBA champions like Draymond Green, the list of the best second picks in NBA history is impressive. When the NBA Draft arrives, many fans look past Round 2 with the expectation that most of the players will never make an impact. As some of the best second-round picks ever prove, some of the best players in basketball are found after Round 1.
Usually, players who get into the NBA are highly recruited. It doesn’t matter if they get a ton of attention playing in college or overseas. If scouts love a player’s game, he’ll likely get drafted into the NBA. The higher a player gets drafted, the more likely they are to have an impact in the league.
Here are the 10 best second-round picks in NBA Draft history.
When you’re looking at the best second round picks in NBA history, they’re all inspirational stories. However, Khris Middleton’s career arc is one of the best. After being drafted by the Detroit Pistons with the 39th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, the 6-foot-7 forward was sent down to the G-League. He barely saw the court in two seasons in Detroit, then his career changed in 2013 when he was part of the blockbuster trade for Brandon Jennings.
In 10 seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, Middleton averaged 17.5 points per game, shot 45.8 percent from the field and earned a spot in the NBA All-Star Game three times (2019, 2020, 2022). He’s been even better in the playoffs, averaging 20.3 points per contest and he averaged 24 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.5 steals in the 2021 NBA Finals, helping Milwaukee win a title.
The end of Gilbert Arenas’ career prevented him from being ranked even higher among the best second-round picks in NBA history. However, the prime years of his time on the court were something to behold. After being selected with the 31st overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, Arenas showed a lot of promise. In his second NBA season, he averaged 18.3 points and 6.3 assists per game. After becoming a restricted free agent in 2003, Arenas signed with the Washington Wizards. From 2004-’10, he averaged 25.5 points per night with 5.7 assists and 1.8 steals. Arenas also earned three All-Star selections and made the All-NBA team three times by 2007.
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One of the most difficult things about being a second-round pick in the NBA is you face long odds of making a roster and staying in the league for more than five years is a rarity. That’s what helps make Paul Milsap one of the best second-round picks ever. Chosen by the Utah Jazz with the 47th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, Millsap enjoyed a lasting career with four different NBA teams From 2006-’22 with the Jazz, Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets and Brooklyn Nets, he earned four NBA All-Star selections and even made the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2016. At his peak (2011-’17), Millsap averaged 17 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. It’s just a shame he never took home a championship ring.
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When you land one of the best second round picks in NBA Draft history, you hold onto them for as long as you can. The Philadelphia 76ers identified Maurice Cheeks as an intriguing prospect out of West Texas A&M in the 1978 NBA Draft, selecting him with the 36th overall pick. He spent more than a decade in Philadelphia, scoring a combined 12,195 points with 7,392 assists and 2,310 steals. Not only did Cheeks make the NBA All-Str team four times, he was also a five-time NBA All_Defensive Team selection. He was so good that the 76ers didn’t hesitate to retire his No. 10. With an NBA championship ring on his finger (1983) and decades of valuable experience, Cheeks is now helping the next generation as an assistant NBA coach.
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The Chicago Bulls have quite the track record of receiving production from some of the best second round picks in NBA history. Toni Kukoc was selected with the 29th overall pick (Round 2, second overall) in the 1990 NBA Draft by Chicago. Coming over from Italy, Kukoc immediately established himself as a key part of Chicago’s rotation. From 1994-2000, he averaged 14 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. He won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 1996 and came up clutch in some big playoff series for the Bulls, netting him three championship rings.
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Marc Gasol was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 48th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, but he was immediately traded to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of the deal for Pau Gasol. In Memphis, Gasol earned three NBA All-Star selections, won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2013) and received All-NBA selections twice. He was already one of the best second round picks in NBA history without a championship, then he played a crucial role in the Toronto Raptors winning the title in 2019. One them you’ll notice of the five best second-round picks ever, a majority of them are bigs.
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Golden State Warriors legend Draymond Green might not have the statistics to stack up with the best second pick ever, but the four-time NBA champion’s impact goes beyond the box score. He’s made the NBA All-Defensive Team eight times in his career, including well into his 30s. The Warriors drafted Green with the 35th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft hoping he could become a role player. He became an important facilitator on the court, provided excellent rebounding and his defense always came up big in the NBA playoffs. The Chicago Bulls needed Dennis Rodman and the Warriors needed Draymond Green.
Not only is Dennis Rodman one of the best second-round picks in NBA history, he’s also one of the most memorable personalities in the history of sports. The 6-foot-7 forward deserves credit, he knew his role in the NBA and played it perfectly. Rodman earned NBA All-Defensive First Team honors seven times, was twice named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, led the league in rebounding seven for seven consecutive seasons and is a five-time NBA champion. All of that for a player drafted with the 27th overall pick (Round 2, third overall). The Chicago Bulls might not be a dynasty without Rodman.
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When the San Antonio Spurs drafted Manu Ginóbili with the 57th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, even some of the game’s all-time greats were skeptical of what he could accomplish. Tim Duncan had no idea who Ginobili was and was originally uncertain of his ability to help San Antonio and Gregg Popovich repeatedly butted heads with Ginobili. After averaging just 10.4 points per game in his first two NBA seasons, Ginobili averaged 16.8 points per game with 4.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game from 2005-’11. A four-time NBA champion with two NBA All-Star appearances, a Sixth Man of the Year award and his No. 20 retired. Ginobili is easily one of the best second round picks in NBA history.
Nikola Jokic was drafted with the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft and he’s become one of the best centers in NBA history. Already an NBA champion and two-time NBA MVP as a 28-year-old, we’ve only begun to see what Jokic is capable of on the court. The 2023 NBA Finals MVP is already approaching Ginobili’s mark for the most Win Shares (106.4) by a second-round pick and he carried a team to a championship. Jokic is the best passing big man of all time and by the end of his career, he’ll separate himself even more as the best second round pick ever and one of the best centers in the history of basketball.