Locked-in fans of the Golden State Warriors will remember some of the most glaring draft busts in recent franchise history. For every Draymond Green and Stephen Curry plucked from down the draft board there are some phenomenal whiffs, from James Wiseman at the top of the draft to the likes of Jacob Evans and Festus Ezeli late in the first round.
One such draft bust is a name that many fans will have forgotten - but likely not all. In 2013, the Warriors acquired the 30th overall pick in the NBA Draft, courtesy of the Phoenix Suns. It was their highest pick that year, as they flipped their own first (21st overall) in an ill-fated deal for shooting guard Marcus Williams, who was released by the team a year later.
The Warriors' franchise almost changed course forever, as French center Rudy Gobert almost fell to them at No. 30. There were also a few players who would go off the board in the second round who carved out long NBA careers, including Mike Muscala, Raul Neto and Allen Crabbe. The collection of undrafted players included Curry's younger brother, Seth, as well as Robert Covington, Matthew Dellavedova and Daniel Theis.
Warriors whiffed on Nemanja Nedovic
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The player the Warriors ended up drafting, however, was Serbian point guard Nemanja Nedovic. He possessed intriguing athleticism for a European guard and excelled at getting into the paint with a quick first step, but his jumper was a major work in progress. He was expected to be a developmental player the team might consider bringing over in a few years as Steph Curry's future backup.
The team didn't wait, however. They brought Nedovic over right away, signing him that summer and moving him between the top club and the Santa Cruz Warriors in the D-League. It was the Warriors' last season before Curry became an MVP and the team began its dynastic run; they would lose to the LA Clippers in the first round of the playoffs at the end of the season.
During the year, Nedovic saw playing time in 24 games, and he did absolutely nothing during those appearances. He averaged just 5.9 minutes per game and shot a frigid 20.5 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from 3-point range. The long-distance shot was not a surprise, but the fact that an athlete of his caliber couldn't shoot better than 23.8 percent from 2-point range was horrifying. He matched his 13 assists with 13 turnovers and 13 personal fouls, and he didn't snag a single steal.
The team had seen enough after just one season. Nedovic was waived after his rookie season and headed overseas, never to be heard from in the NBA again.
To his credit, Europe has been a much better fit for the 6'3" guard. He has been a key player for multiple iterations of the Serbian National Team, and he has played for a number of clubs across the continent. He played for Valencia and Unicaja in the Spanish Liga ACB league for a number of years, then spent two years in Italy with Olimpia Milano and another two seasons in Greeze with Panathinaikos.
In 2022, Nedovic returned to Serbia and the team that helped to develop him as a teenager, signing a three-year deal with Crvena zvezda, where he has helped to lead the team to multiple Serbian League championships.
This summer, Nedovic joined yet another new team, [signing with AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/nemanja-nedovic-lands-in-monaco/) to complete European League bingo and play in the French LNB Pro A as well as the EuroLeague. Monaco was the EuroLeague runner-up last season and employes a plethora of former NBA players including Theis, Nikola Mirotic, Nick Calethes and star guard Mike James.
Nedovic didn't work out in Golden State, but he has found his groove in Europe - going from draft bust to international star.