Victor Wembanyama didn’t need the Combine to prove his worth. The 7-foot-4 French sensation was the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and he skipped the Combine while finishing the season with Metropolitans 92 in France. His playoff run overseas took priority, and NBA scouts had already seen enough.
The story of Fred VanVleet shows how an undrafted player can excel in the NBA. The 2016 Wichita State graduate failed to receive an invitation to the Combine and went undrafted, but that didn’t stop him.
Reaves completed his college athletics at Oklahoma University in 2021 before going undrafted without an invite to the Combine. During his scouting process, the Lakers gave Reaves a two-way contract.
Naz Reid entered 2019 the draft out of LSU with plenty of potential, yet the Combine didn’t invite him, so he went without a selection. The Minnesota Timberwolves gave him an opportunity, which he has transformed into a successful journey.
The 2016 NBA draft passed Alex Caruso by, and he also failed to gain a Combine selection. The professional stages of his career began at the Oklahoma City Blue in the G League until the Los Angeles Lakers showed interest in his performance.
