G League to offer $125K to elite prospects as alternative to college one-and-done route

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/25015812/g-league-offer-professional-path-elite-prospects-not-wanting-go-one-done-route-ncaa

Jonathan Givony
ESPN

In a move that could challenge the NCAA's monopoly on elite talent, the NBA's G League is creating a new venture as an alternative to the one-and-done route for the best American basketball prospects, it was announced Thursday.

As part of a newly formed professional path starting in the summer of 2019, the G League will offer "Select Contracts" worth $125,000 to elite prospects who are at least 18 years old but not yet eligible for the NBA draft.

The G League will target recent or would-be high school graduates who otherwise would have likely spent just one season playing college basketball, enticing them not only with a six-figure salary but also the opportunity to benefit from NBA infrastructure, as well as a bevy of off-court development programs "geared toward facilitating and accelerating their transition to the pro game," league president Malcolm Turner told ESPN.

MY COMMENTS

The article is much longer.  Too long to paste here.

Even though the best HS players in the country will be one and doners, It is still fun to see these guys play in college even if for one year. The financial incentive by the G-League however does not replace the need for a clear and direct pathway to the NBA.  Get rid of the one and done rule.  $125K for one year sounds good just coming out of high school but 1st and 2nd round picks make more.  A lot more.

The other thing I should mention is TV time.  College basketball is big-time with great coverage even without the NCAA package.  The influx of great college players is always anticipated with excitement by the Schools.  These elite players enjoy all of the college rivalries. The G-Leauge is much less exciting and their games are by in large not on TV.  How many G-League games come on?

Will a high end prospect be okay with playing in front of 3,000 fans up at the Portland Expo?

To be most cynical, the NBA does not want to pay big bucks for an 18 year older.  We have seen our share of one and done busts but also an amazing collection of high school ballers that were great from the jump.  So even an 18 year old should not be exploited because they just got out of High School. If they can play they should be drafted.

G-League Players earn $35,000 per year accept for the two way players. Will they be getting a raise?


The other side says.  $125K right out of HS for one year is a real nice paycheck.  You get to play and get paid.  No homework. Professional development and a platform to get a year of maturation before entering the NBA.

So there are different sides to this.

My feelings are that the one and done rule should be eliminated.  It is up to the teams to decide if they should draft a high school prospect. The NBA continues to make a ton of money and player salaries continue to rise. Those salary increases should have some level of distribution throughout the salary structure from the top money earners to the ones at the bottom.

Let colleges pay players or eliminate the one and done rule.

dboss,

Difficult issue.

I think the one problem is that $125K won't get you very far. For many if not most of the kids tempted to try that route, I'm afraid that may be the top earning year they ever get to see.

I don't have a good solution to offer up, however.

I agree on eliminating one-and-done, but in favor of expanding it. Not going to happen, but I'd make players ineligible for the draft until they complete their sophomore year of college. I'm not sure I'd pay them a contract salary per se, but I'd go for even further enhanced benefits in their housing, training and expense management.

Regards

Without a lot of study time on this topic, I kind of like it if it is tied into the elimination of the "one and done" concept.

First, many of the one and done kids (and many one and done wannabees) have very little plan to continue their college educational plans beyond their first year right from the start.  They go to "college" to play ball, but most are not "college students" in the way that the majority of college kids actually try to be "college students".  In all reality, the one and dones are basketball students for the first semester while taking many "cake" classes and do not really even show up for classes in the second semester.

By going directly to "pro" ball these guys benefit from the pro experience right away. They live away from home, get involved with a pro team including: a longer schedule than they get in college, advanced training opportunities, etc, etc PLUS they get paid.

For the G League, they get much more publicity by now having players who have a good chance of playing in the NBA, will get larger crowds as their league becomes much more meaningful,etc.

For the colleges, they get guys who will be around at least through their junior year seasons if the same process is used as is used in college baseball.  Although the overall talent levels at the big schools may not be quite be the same they gain a ton by having players for more than just one season which gives each team much more continuity from year to year.  More kids get a chance to graduate as after three years of maintaining eligibility they are much more likely to be close enough to see graduation in a not so distant horizon.

For the NBA, they get the kid who is still the preferred one year older than high school graduation, and the kid who is already closer to understanding what being a professional player is.

Could be a win for everyone involved: the one and done kids, the colleges, the NBA, the fans, and the G League.

It's good to get the G league stronger and provide a good secondary minor league here. The kids get paid more, learn skills/schemes appropriate to the NBA, and should be easier to scout than in college. Still more money is available overseas but making the G league better may help the overall NBA product better. 35k isn't a lot. Hopefully that amount goes up as well (part of why I like the 2 way rule). At least it's livable compared to baseball minor league players.

Great comments all around

No top 50 player is going to play in Portland or Rapid City - when they can play at Duke or UNC on National TV 20 times a year. But for the next tier down, not a bad idea.

my thoughts for what they are worth is the NBA should draft anyone after they are 18 YO.

If a player goes un-drafted or decided to go to college first, they have to stay TWO years in school, before they can be on an NBA roster.

obviously most elite HS prospects would get drafted, with the 15 man rosters and the two way contracts, it should be no problem for NBA teams. lets be honest we are talking about 10-15 players at most a year.

colleges would be more certain that players who came would b there for two years.

for me the two way G league contracts are enough, other than that the contracts should all be the same for all players and perhaps raised form the current levels.