3. Kendrick Nunn, PG, Miami Heat
Kendrick Nunn has arguably the best story of any rookie. After going undrafted in 2018 out of the University of Oakland, he spent the 2018-19 campaign playing for Golden State’s G-League team, the Santa Cruz Warriors, appearing primarily off the bench. Then last April, Miami gave him the chance to prove himself at the NBA level.
The 24-year-old quickly did, emerging as an absolute star for Erik Spoelstra’s team this season. Nunn started all 62 games for the Heat, dropping 15.6 points and 3.4 assists per contest. He ranked second among rookies in scoring, just a couple points behind Ja Morant.
Nunn was undoubtedly one of the most important players for Miami this year as they once again became relevant in the East. He’s a natural scorer who uses his nifty handles to weave amongst bigs and finish at the hoop or drain shots from downtown. Nunn averaged 22.3 points per contest in his first five NBA games, the most by an undrafted player in league history. He then went on to win back to back rookie of the month awards in December and January.
Although his production slowed down after the All-Star Break, Nunn still had an outstanding rookie campaign and profiles to be a key piece to the Heat. With Butler at the forefront, along with guys like Nunn, Herro, and Bam Adebayo, Miami is in good hands for the future.