Caleb Love to Ryan Nembhard: Where are undrafted NBA free agent rookies heading to? Check post-draft updates

The 2025 NBA Draft has officially concluded, and now the undrafted free agency drama begins

Updated on: Jun 27, 2025, 08:24:08 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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The 2025 NBA Draft has officially concluded, and now the undrafted free agency drama begins. To start off, ESPN cited sources to report that Arizona's Caleb Love, one of the top scorers in college basketball, is expected to sign a two-way NBA contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. Some other undrafted agents are expected to find their way into team rosters. Last year, Justin Edwards was on the Philadelphia 76ers. Ricky Council IV, Keon Ellis and Scotty Pippen Jr. were also undrafted agents.

Caleb Love of Arizona is signing with the Portland Trail Blazers (Getty Images via AFP)

Auburn's Miles Kelly has agreed to a two-way NBA deal with the Dallas Mavericks, ESPN further added. Kansas' Hunter Dickinson has reportedly agreed to a two-way deal with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Real Madrid’s Eli John Ndiaye agreed to a two-way contract with the Atlanta Hawks, sources told ESPN. Michigan's Vlad Goldin has agreed to a two-way NBA contract with the Miami Heat. Villanova star Eric Dixon has agreed to a two-way NBA contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, and Louisville's Chucky Hepburn has agreed to a two-way NBA contract with the Toronto Raptors, the report added.

Here are some top undrafted rookies after the NBA Draft

Hunter Sallis

Eric Dixon

Ryan Nembhard

Vlad Goldin

RJ Luis Jr.

Dink Pate

Tamar Bates

Brice Williams

Izan Almansa

Mark Sears

Grant Nelson

Chucky Hepburn

Viktor Lakhin

Jax Robinson

Payton Sandfort

Caleb Love

Kobe Johnson

Igor Miličić Jr.

Arthur Kaluma

Kadary Richmond

Curtis Jones

John Poulakidas

Matthew Cleveland

Sean Pedulla

Jalon Moore

Coleman Hawkins

Dylan Cardwell

Jacksen Moni

Caleb Grill

Lamont Butler

Dawson Garcia

Eli John N'Diaye

Wooga Poplar

Cliff Omoruyi

Miles Kelly

Adama-Alpha Bal

Matt Murrell

Norchad Omier

Andrew Carr

RJ Davis

Isaac Nogués

Chance McMillian

The 2025 draft, with only 59 picks due to tampering penalties, left talents like Love and Nembhard undrafted, mirroring trends where players like TJ McConnell and Andrew Nembhard carved out roles via free agency. Teams like the Pacers, Heat, and Thunder have success with undrafted players, offering hope.

What Is an Undrafted Free Agent?

An undrafted free agent is a player eligible for the NBA Draft but not selected in its two rounds. Unlike drafted players, whose rights are held by the selecting team, UDFAs are free to negotiate and sign with any of the 30 NBA teams immediately after the draft concludes. Recognized as “Non-Draft Rookies” in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), these players face a challenging path to secure a roster spot, often requiring exceptional performance in tryouts or summer leagues.

Players who declare for the draft and go unpicked become UDFAs as soon as the draft ends. Teams begin contacting agents immediately, often during the second round, to secure UDFAs.

UDFAs can choose any team offering a contract, unlike restricted free agents (RFAs) whose original teams have matching rights. This flexibility allows players like Love, who signed with the Portland Trail Blazers, to select organizations that align with their development needs.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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