It's funny that every year at the NBA Draft, once the end of the guaranteed money and live appearances arrives at the end of the first round, everybody tunes out and refers to the 60th pick as "Mr. Irrelevant." That's not very accurate though, is it?Speaking historically, the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" could just as easily be applied to each pick in the draft, as organizations differ greatly in their evaluation of talent and their own needs, particularly in a year without the NCAA tournament. The nickname just doesn't reflect how basketball works anymore. Executives strategically stockpile second-round draft picks for the less burdensome financial obligations, and organizations in rebuilding mode get super creative to field a respectable team on a budget.Particularly in the NBA where worldwide talent is plentiful and positional lines continue to fade, the opportunity is everything: in the right situation, the right under-the-radar player can make an immediate, poignant statement. With professional development leagues for 16-18-year-olds, an ever-expanding set of domestic/international opportunities due to the sheer growth of basketball, and widespread NIL rights for college athletes, players of all levels and localities are starting to get their due exposure and now have enough freedom to hone their skills in a place, and at a pace, that fits best with their path to the NBA. 

Introduction

I am inherently skeptical and distrusting of scouting from the high school level to pre-Draft. That's why in this annual article, I tend to favor overlooked college players (love the mid-majors/non-power conferences) with either well-rounded, polished games or specific statistical specialties.We are going to discuss a handful of 2023 second-round picks and undrafted free agent signees who, given their individual skillsets and circumstances, warrant the attention of Fantasy Basketball Managers as potential high-impact rookies for the 2023-24 campaign who can quietly be acquired on clearance once they start showing signs of emergence.As I will frequently emphasize and reiterate: in 2023, there is very little difference between the vast majority of second-round draft picks and undrafted free agents--it always all comes down to the skillsets they possess, their capacity for growth, and the situations they've landed in.Seasons will be made and broken with early identification of the diamond-in-the-rough rookies. I used to list out the many examples from the past season in this introduction portion, but we are now in a beautiful era where there are just too many to count. There is also very little separating the featured players below and those dubbed "Honorable Mentions"--so put in the work and keep an eye out throughout the regular season for who is receiving and seizing their opportunities. 

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Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves confirmed to reporters that he'll be playing in Friday's preseason contest against the Golden State Warriors. The up-and-coming guard posted a solid performance in his first preseason action against the Nets on Monday. He dropped 18 points 5-for-7 shooting from the floor and added two rebounds and two assists. Four of his five made shots were from downtown. Reaves is looking at an important role for the Lakers this year as he has shown that the can be a big contributor to the offense. He should be a late-round sleeper that could help a lot of fantasy teams if he can grow his all-around game.

According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (rest) won't play in Saturday's preseason meeting with the Golden State Warriors. The 25-year-old had a breakout season in 2022-23, averaging 13.0 points, 3.4 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 64 games. He also shot 39.8% from deep. As a result, LA rewarded him with a four-year, $56 million contract extension in the offseason. The Lakers play their next exhibition on Monday night against the Brooklyn Nets. However, with Reaves having competed for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup over the summer, head coach Darvin Ham could keep him off the floor for that one as well to preserve his body for the grueling season ahead.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves scored a team-high 15 points in Team USA's win over Greece on Monday. He added six assists, five rebounds, and two steals. The 25-year-old, who signed a four-year, $54 million extension with LA this offseason, has played well throughout the FIBA World Cup. Reaves' fantasy appeal was already high after last season's breakout. However, he'll draw even more interest if he stays as productive the rest of the way.

Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves has played a vital role in an NBA Western Conference Finals run and is gearing up to suit up for Team USA at the FIBA World Cup, but the 25-year-old feels that a lot of people still have doubts in his ability. "I don't think (my mentality) shifts at all," Reaves told Jovan Buha of The Athletic. "I think there's still a good majority of people that probably still don't think I'm that good or any good at all." The man from Newark, Arkansas appears eager to improve his play further in 2023-24, which is great news for fantasy managers.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Austin Reaves has already signed a new four-year deal with the team that is worth $56 million. According to Michael Scott of HoopsHype, however, the San Antonio Spurs once considered offering the up-and-coming wing $21 million a season which would have pushed his total contract to $84 million. Ultimately, they decided to keep more cap space and flexibility, especially after drafting Victor Wembanyama.

Los Angeles Lakers guard/forward Austin Reaves is returning to the team on a four-year, $56 million contract. Reaves was expected to be targeted by a number of teams after his breakout 2022-23 campaign, and with him being a restricted free agent, there was a danger of massive offer sheets coming his way, but the Lakers managed to work out a good deal with the 25-year-old. He's set to be a hot commodity in fantasy drafts for the 2023-24 campaign after averaging 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists with 46.4 percent three-point shooting in the 2023 playoffs.

The Los Angeles Lakers extended qualifying offers to swingman Austin Reaves and forward Rui Hachimura on Tuesday. Not much of a surprise here, as the move comes merely as a formality with both players officially becoming restricted free agents. It would be a surprise, though, to see either of them accept the deals, considering they could aim for higher salaries even by staying with the Lakers. In any event, it's a sign that Los Angeles desires to keep the role players around, but perhaps with Reaves signifying greater priority. The three-level scorer was a revelation this season, particularly in the playoffs as Reaves compiled 16.9 points 4.6 assists, and 2.4 threes per game on a 44% clip from beyond the arc. Hachimura wasn't as significant a factor, but the scoring wing still posted a decent 12.2 points and 1.2 threes on 48.7% shooting from deep during the postseason.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Los Angeles Lakers are willing to match any offer coming Austin Reaves' way in free agency. The 25-year-old restricted free agent looks set to stay in the team, with Stein noting on Substack that the Lakers are ready to pay the big bucks even if some team signs Reaves to the maximum allowable offer sheet worth nearly $100 million over four years. The Newark, Arkansas native made big strides in L.A. last season and should be a popular man in fantasy drafts ahead of 2023-24.

Restricted free-agent shooting guard Austin Reaves is expected to draw a lot of interest around the league when free agency begins, and the Houston Rockets could be among the front-runners for his services. "Reaves is a guy they like a lot," said The Athletic's Rockets beat writer Kelly Iko on the HoopsHype podcast with Michael Scotto. Scotto mentioned that a potential deal for Reaves depends on whether James Harden returns to Houston or not. Reaves just finished his second NBA season, averaging 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 28.8 minutes during the regular season. He took his numbers to 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists in the playoffs.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves is set to become a restricted free agent once the season concludes. It is being reported that Reaves is expected to receive significant interest and potential offer sheets from several teams this summer. He's not currently allowed to talk about it publicly, but Reaves having a big market isn't surprising. Other teams can offer Reaves a contract up to a four years and a projected $98.7 million. The Lakers are able to match any of the offers that Reaves receives. He averaged 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting over 44 percent from deep this past season.

Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves tallied 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting in Monday's Game 4 loss to the Nuggets. The 24-year-old scored the ball very efficiently throughout the series and did so again Monday, although Denver did a great job in limiting Reaves' impact offensively as he finished with only one make from downtown. Reaves played 41 minutes with only one turnover and had two rebounds and three assists. The man from Arkansas made a huge impact on the Lakers during the latter half of the season and the team will be desperate to retain him as Reaves enters restricted free agent status this offseason. Having averaged 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting over 44 percent from deep during the postseason, Reaves is looking at a big pay rise from his current two-year, $2.5 million deal.

The Los Angeles Lakers are determined to re-sign guard Austin Reaves and forward Rui Hachimura this offseason. Both players are set to be free agents this summer, but the Lakers would reportedly like for them to return. Honestly, both players have been pleasant surprises for Los Angeles. The Lakers are currently still alive in the postseason, but will likely turn their attention to their pending free agents once the playoffs are over. The Lakers don't have much young talent on the roster, so keeping Reaves and Hachimura around a little longer could be a good idea for the organization.

Los Angeles Lakers guard/forward Austin Reaves had a superb 7-for-10 shooting night and finished with 23 points as the team suffered a 119-108 loss to Denver in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. Reaves hit three shots from deep with five attempts and was perfect with his six free throws, completing his line with seven rebounds, five assists and one steal. The 24-year-old has opened the series in very good form, but he might get only one more chance to shine, with the Lakers in danger of getting swept in the fourth game of the matchup. Reaves has averaged 22.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists against Denver, shooting 56.5 percent from three-point range.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Austin Reaves has been shooting at or above 50% in the Western Conference Finals so far and has knocked down the fifth-most threes in this postseason so far. During Game 2, the 24-year-old put up 22 points, five assists, three rebounds, and one steal while shooting 8-for-16 from the floor and 5-for-9 from deep. He's now at 44.5% shooting overall and 43.2% from deep across 14 games this postseason and his 16.4 points per game are good enough for third best on the team.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Austin Reaves continues to have quite the postseason as he collected the fifth 20-point game of his playoff career. The 24-year-old posted 23 points, eight assists, and two rebounds while shooting 7-for-14 from the floor and 5-for-9 from beyond the arc. 23 points tie his career high in the playoffs so far, and he's hit that exact mark four times this year. Reaves has proven to be an integral piece of this roster and arguably the clear-cut third option behind only LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Los Angeles Lakers guard/forward Austin Reaves has enjoyed a breakout campaign and the team will be desperate to retain his services in the offseason, but it might not be easy. Reaves is going to be a restricted free agent and the most the Lakers can offer him outright is a four-year deal with a bit over $50 million. It will definitely be an attractive offer for the 24-year-old, but NBA insider Shams Charania suggested on FanDuel TV that some teams might be willing to offer even more to Reaves.

Los Angeles Lakers guard/forward Austin Reaves hit 4-for-5 from deep, including a half-court heave, as the team blew away Golden State with a 122-101 victory Friday. Reaves shot 7-for-12 overall from the field during an impressive 23-point performance that included a spectacular first-half buzzer-beater. He also amassed five rebounds and six assists. The 24-year-old was a bit quiet at the start of the series, but he had a great finish to continue his impressive sophomore campaign. Reaves has upped his postseason averages to 15.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves is set to become a free agent at the end of the season. Despite that, Reaves recently mentioned that he'd like to stay with the team. "I would love to be here my whole career," Reaves said. The 24-year-old is certainly deserving of a pay raise after the season he has put together in 2022-2023. He's averaging 13 points, three rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 64 regular season games. Reaves has stepped up and been an important piece of the Lakers roster this season. It'll be interesting to see if the team decides to reward him with a new contract this offseason.

Los Angeles Lakers guard/forward Austin Reaves popped up as a surprising leading scorer for the team in Monday's Game 4 against Memphis, finishing a 117-111 overtime victory with 23 points on 7-for-16 shooting. He was 2-for-5 with the three-ball and 7-for-8 at the charity stripe, completing his line with four rebounds, six assists and one steal. Reaves has emerged as a key piece of the Lakers puzzle over the second half of the season, and he's been relishing his first playoff campaign as well, posting 17.8 points with 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists, shooting nearly 50 percent from the field and over 41 percent from deep.