5 biggest NBA Draft steals from the last decade
As we all gorge on NBA conference finals action, many teams around the league not fortunate enough to earn a postseason berth are toiling diligently behind the scenes, looking to uncover the next potential franchise-changing gem.
Let us take a quick look at 5 of the biggest steals selected over the last 10 years in the NBA draft. It is an expansive list overall, so we are limiting it to players who were drafted outside of the top 10 and later selected to at least one NBA All-Star game.
Devin Booker
He was the 13th pick in a 2015 class that saw his college teammate Karl-Anthony Towns go No. 1 overall. Booker came off the bench at Kentucky but is now leading the Phoenix Suns on a magical postseason run as a two-time All-Star. He is a study in perseverance considering all the losing seasons he endured over his first five seasons to get to this point.
Donovan Mitchell
At one point, baseball was Mitchell’s main sport, and you halfway wonder what he could have achieved had he focused all his efforts on that endeavor. A two-time NBA All-Star and winner of the 2018 Verizon Slam Dunk Contest, Mitchell was the 13th pick of a 2017 draft that produced a trio of All-Stars (Bam Adebayo and Jayson Tatum). Mitchell is one of the league’s most dynamic scorers, and one reason the Jazz should compete for titles for years to come.
Jimmy Butler
Butler’s story is incredible. A native Texan, Butler played junior college ball, then matriculated to Marquette University before Chicago made him the 30th pick of the 2011 draft. His Draft class includes six other All-Stars (Butler, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Isaiah Thomas, Klay Thompson, Kemba Walker and Nikola Vucevic). A five-time All-Star, Butler just finished up his second season in Miami, where his relentless drive and work ethic seem like natural fits in the Heat culture.
Nikola Jokic
His improbable rise started in a Serbian newspaper and reached its highest point this season. The Joker is coming off his first Kia NBA Most Valuable Player award, and he was the first Serbian to take home the honour and the lowest-drafted player (41st overall) to do it. Some could make the case that he’s the biggest Draft steal in NBA history.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
He’s the ultimate gem. The two-time Kia MVP and five-time All-Star was selected 15th in the 2013 draft.
You can bet when the Draft arrives on July 29 a few teams will nab steals we’ll be talking about for years to come.
