5 Best active NBA players who transitioned from the G-League

#4 Robert Covington

Robert Covington is currently playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves

Robert Covington was a standout performer during his four seasons at Tennessee State, although the Illinois native went undrafted in the 2013 NBA draft. Convington subsequently signed a deal with the Houston Rockets, although his NBA career was still in doubt when he was assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. However, Covington impressed during his year with the Vipers, averaging 23.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game on his way to being named D-League Rookie of the Year.

Following his impressive spell in the development league, the small forward played just seven times for the Rockets, although Covington established himself as a starter for five seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers. Covington was also named to the NBA All-Defensive Team in 2018, and the 28-year-old is currently playing a significant role for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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#3 Quinn Cook

Quinn Cook spent more than a year in the G-League

Quinn Cook is currently playing an important reserve role for a contending Los Angeles Lakers team, although the 26-year-old has had to overcome the odds to carve out a successful career in the NBA. Cook was watched by plenty of scouts during his four years at Duke, although he went undrafted back in 2015, and was subsequently waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers after making six preseason appearances.

After failing to land an opportunity in the NBA, Cook was picked up by the Canton Charge and the point guard averaged 19.6 points and 5.4 assists during his rookie year in the D-League. Cook continued to impress in his second year with the Charge and eventually made his NBA debut during the 2016-17 season with the Dallas Mavericks.

While Cook's time with the Mavs was brief, he earned a contract with the Golden State Warriors for the 17-18 season and went on to play a regular role from the bench as the Warriors made back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals. Now entering his third full season in the league, Cook has already established himself as one of the NBA's best three-point shooters, and the former Duke man is getting regular minutes for a contending Laker team.