Los Angeles Lakers: Best 29th overall picks in NBA history
By Jason Reed
2. Toni Kukoc, 1993
The Chicago Bulls drafted Toni Kukoc in the 1993 NBA Draft after Michael Jordan and company won their third straight NBA Title while Jordan decided to hang it up in basketball and go pursue Minor League Baseball for a year.
Despite being known as the year that Michael Jordan didn’t play, Toni Kukoc had a solid rookie season for the Bulls that year. He averaged 10.9 points, four rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game en route to being named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
Jordan returned and the Bulls eventually went on their second three-peat from 1996 to 1998 and Kukoc was a key part of it. Kukoc was an implemental role player off of the bench for the Bulls, averaging 13.2 points, 4.3 rebounds. 4.0 assists and 0.9 steals per game.
He was voted as the Sixth Man of the Year in his first season off the bench for the Bulls in 1996 and was third on the team in scoring, only behind Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen themselves.
Kukoc went on to play all the way until 2006 and finished his career averaging 11.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
He might not have the individual numbers that Eddie Johnson as or even the defensive merit and total win shares that P.J. Brown had. However, with the highest win shares per 48 minutes on this list as well as three championships in which he was a key role player, Kukoc cannot be ranked any lower than second.