Round 2 is the portion of the NBA Draft where front offices can really separate themselves from their peers. Finding a difference maker in the second round can have a profoundly positive impact on a roster. The potential financial savings of turning a Round 2 pick into a low-cost starter make it an important aspect of building a contender in the modern NBA.
Of course, finding a quality starter in Round 2 is easier said than done. These prospects have fallen outside of Round 1 for a reason. Most possess one or two skillsets that project to be quality pro skills, but most lack other traits coveted by most front offices. Oftentimes, front offices are forced to choose between players with above average athleticism or above average skill. Players who excel on both fronts don't normally fall outside the lottery.
At the very least, savvy NBA GMs need to find rotation players in the second round to make sure they can keep their payrolls in check for the long haul. The following five players or teams deserve credit for acing their Round 2 assignment.
Richie Saunders has a skill the Grizzlies sorely lack
The fact that Richie Saunders will be playing his age-25 season as a rookie makes it clear he does not possess a ton of upside. The Memphis Grizzlies still saw fit to nab him early in Round 2 because of his potential to blossom into an elite movement shooter early in his pro career.
Saunders should be overjoyed to land with a team that has such a glaring need for the skills he can provide. He's in line to get a lot of tick as a rookie assuming he enjoys an uneventful recovery from the ACL injury that ended his season at BYU.
It's easy to envision a scenario where Saunders and Cameron Boozer develop a real chemistry to generate quality looks in the halfcourt with one another. The presence of Cedric Coward in Memphis should also protect Saunders from the need to guard elite opposing wings. Add it all up and Saunders should be able to play early as an offensive weapon for a young Grizzlies team hoping to make noise in the Western Conference.
Trevon Brazile gets to play off Nikola Jokić
Playing alongside Nikola Jokić is one of the most advantageous roles in the entire NBA. Aaron Gordon has basked in the glow of the prolific center for years and now Trevon Brazile will get a chance to experience the phenomemon as well.
Brazile is going to play most of his minutes on the second unit, but he'll get some work with Jokić due to the way Denver likes to stagger the former MVP and Jamal Murray. The former Arkansas standout has elite size for the four spot, but his offensive game was hit-and-miss in college. The idea that he'll get a steady diet of lobs from the NBA's best big man passer should do wonders for Brazile's offensive efficiency.
In the long run, the Denver Nuggets hope Brazile can tighten up his long-range shooting which would allow him to become Gordon's successor. Rookies need clear pathways for playing time to achieve their full potential. Brazile has that with a Denver team that needs a player with his set of potential skills.
Ryan Conwell will get all the 3s he can manage for the Heat
The Miami Heat are desperately searching for quality perimeter players after gutting their roster to bring Giannis to South Beach. Ryan Conwell may not have star potential, but he can shoot the three at a high level. That should be enough to earn him a rookie roll with the Heat due to their lack of depth at the guard position.
Conwell only shot 34.5 percent from 3 during his last season at Louisville, but his shot diet will be much healthier with the Heat. It's possible he could turn into a 40 percent shooter as a rookie if he restricts himself to open catch-and-shoot 3s generated by Giannis and Bam Adebayo.
Some Miami fans might have wanted to see Pat Riley and their team's front office shoot for a star, but that's a tough ask in Round 2. Coming away with one of the best shooters in the draft is a nice result for a team that's trying to load up for a run at an Eastern Conference title.
Emmanuel Sharp might be the only Kings guard who can guard anyone
Emanuel Sharp does not have the ball skills to profile as anything more than a bench guard in the NBA. He does, however, possess the long-range shooting prowess and defensive chops to carve out a long pro career.
His ability to guard opposing ballhandlers should be a real boon to a Kings' roster that projects to play quite a few minus defenders in the backcourt. Rookie Darius Acuff will be flammable as a young guard who isn't overly athletic for the point guard position. Zach LaVine has improved on defense but is still a below average option at the two.
That places Sharp in position to be the first guard called upon to slow opposing stars down if they get off to hot starts against Sacramento. It's dangerous to project any rookie guard to be a plus on defense, but Sharp has the athleticism and attitude required to defy the odds. No one should be surprised if he finds a way to play 20+ minutes as a rookie for the Kings on the back of his defensive prowess.
Colleges who want to keep stars with NIL money won big tonight
Henri Veesaar entered the NBA Draft with the idea he'd be a Round 1 pick. Instead, he dropped all the way to the Hawks who ended his slide at No. 52. The former North Carolina center passed up millions in NIL money to possibly be a two-way player to begin his pro career.
College is not for everyone, but expect Veesaar to be a cautionary tale to a lot of fringe first round prospects at Power Four schools in the future. The specter of a draft day drop will be leveraged repeatedly to keep talented players in school with lucrative NIL deals.
This strategy won't work with lottery picks, but it might change the decision-making of players who aren't completely sure they will be first round picks. Veesaar's draft day slide will be talked about a lot by college coaches who are working to keep their most talented players in future seasons.
More NBA Draft news and analysis:
- 2026 NBA Draft grades for every second-round pick
- These NBA Draft prospects lost millions by declaring way too early
- What the Bucks' depth chart looks like with Brayden Burries, Nate Ament
- Thunder win the NBA Draft for the billionth year in a row