Under the NBA’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement, draft picks have become more valuable than ever. As Mark Deeks wrote yesterday in a piece for SBNation.com, first-round picks are harder and harder to come by in trades, since teams love the appeal of being able to acquire cost-controlled young talent. Second-round picks, meanwhile, can sometimes be even more coveted than first-rounders, since teams don’t necessarily have to guarantee money to their second-round players, many of whom sign for the minimum salary or close to it.
Draft picks also allow NBA teams to select a player and stash him overseas, ensuring that he develops for another professional team and comes stateside when he’s NBA-ready. In other words, whether a club signs a player immediately or just hangs onto his rights for a couple years, draftees are among the most valuable assets for NBA teams.
It’s no surprise then that nearly 10% of the players on NBA rosters this year were selected in the 2013 draft. 41 players from this year’s draft class are currently on NBA teams, while the other 19 draftees will hone their craft overseas or in the D-League.
Of the 30 players selected in the first round, only Lucas Nogueira (Hawks) and Livio Jean-Charles (Spurs) are playing overseas, for Estudiantes in Spain and Asvel Villeurbanne in France, respectively. However, the career paths for this year’s second-rounders are a little more diverse. With the help of Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival, here’s a breakdown of where 2013’s second-round picks are currently playing (draft position in parentheses):
NBA:
- Allen Crabbe, Trail Blazers (31)
- Carrick Felix, Cavaliers (33)
- Isaiah Canaan, Rockets (34)
- Glen Rice Jr., Wizards (35)
- Ray McCallum, Kings (36)
- Tony Mitchell, Pistons (37)
- Nate Wolters, Bucks (38)
- Jeff Withey, Pelicans (39)
- Jamaal Franklin, Grizzlies (41)
- Ricky Ledo, Mavericks (43)
- Ryan Kelly, Lakers (48)
- Erik Murphy, Bulls (49)
- Peyton Siva, Pistons (56)
Overseas:
- Alex Abrines, Thunder (32): Barcelona (Spain)
- Mike Muscala, Hawks (44): Obradoiro (Spain)
- Marko Todorovic, Rockets (45): Barcelona (Spain)
- Erick Green, Nuggets (46): Montepaschi (Italy)
- Raul Neto, Jazz (47): Lagun Aro (Spain)
- James Ennis, Heat (50): Perth Wildcats (Australia)
- Colton Iverson, Celtics (53): Besiktas (Turkey)
- Arsalan Kazemi, 76ers (54): Petrochimi (Iran)
- Joffrey Lauvergne, Nuggets (55): Partizan (Serbia)
- Deshaun Thomas, Spurs (58): Nanterre (France)
- Bojan Dubljevic, Timberwolves (59): Valencia (Spain)
- Janis Timma, Grizzlies (60): Ventspils (Latvia)
D-League:
- Grant Jerrett, Thunder (40): Tulsa 66ers.
- Pierre Jackson, Pelicans (42): Idaho Stampede
- Romero Osby (51): Fort Wayne Mad Ants. NBA rights no longer held by Magic.
- Lorenzo Brown (52): Springfield Armor. NBA rights no longer held by Timberwolves.
Free Agent:
- Alex Oriakhi, Suns (57): Recently parted ways with Limoges.