G League emerging as appealing path for elite prospects

[Muskie]

Link (https://247sports.com/Article/Professional-Path-G-League-Jalen-Green-Isaiah-Todd-RJ-Hampton-146074161/)


While the NBA G League has yet to officially sign a high school prospect, the option is becoming more intriguing and potentially more lucrative to high school prospects, multiple industry sources have told 247Sports. When the G League announced their intentions of creating a program that would harbor prospects that opted out of college, the salary released to try and entice potential players was $125,000. Sources have indicated to 247Sports that the G League is now willing to pay more for the right prospects.

[AviatorX]

I saw discussion that the G League offer to Terrance Clarke (UK commit who has confirmed he still plans to go to UK) was in the neighborhood of $500k. I do think most people vastly underestimate the step up in competition from elite college basketball to the G League and 99% of one and dones would struggle straight out of high school. That said, hard to not see that type of offer as pretty enticing.

[Muskie]

I saw discussion that the G League offer to Terrance Clarke (UK commit who has confirmed he still plans to go to UK) was in the neighborhood of $500k. I do think most people vastly underestimate the step up in competition from elite college basketball to the G League and 99% of one and dones would struggle straight out of high school. That said, hard to not see that type of offer as pretty enticing.

Agreed. I think you'll see it more and more. Assuming the NBA is bankrolling this.

[xavierj]

I saw discussion that the G League offer to Terrance Clarke (UK commit who has confirmed he still plans to go to UK) was in the neighborhood of $500k. I do think most people vastly underestimate the step up in competition from elite college basketball to the G League and 99% of one and dones would struggle straight out of high school. That said, hard to not see that type of offer as pretty enticing.

He will turn down $500K to attend UK? Cal must have come with a strong ass offer....

[smileyy]

The G-League, being run/supervised by the NBA will be such a better training ground for elite prospects than the NCAA. Plus $$$

[SM#24]

I saw discussion that the G League offer to Terrance Clarke (UK commit who has confirmed he still plans to go to UK) was in the neighborhood of $500k. I do think most people vastly underestimate the step up in competition from elite college basketball to the G League and 99% of one and dones would struggle straight out of high school. That said, hard to not see that type of offer as pretty enticing.
Can't agree with this more. You're talking 18 year olds competing with many upper 20s and even 30 yo men. That's why I've been telling people there should be a G2 league that's age restricted, say 18-23. Just need the NBA to support a minor league structure like baseball and hockey do.

[smileyy]

Idk...if the G-League doesn't think they're ready, they won't sign them. Not every "one and done" prospect is good enough for the G-League. Guys like Zion clearly are.

[smileyy]

It sounds like there will a be non-G-League developmental league for prospects after all, with some exhibitions played against G-League teams: https://www.espn.com/

[GoMuskies]

Damn, I don't like it. It's good for the kids, probably, and I don't begrudge them anything. But if the top tier kids go to the NBA, that means the next tier of kids are going to end up at Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, UNC, etc. And a lot of those second tier players are going to need two or three years of college before heading to the NBA. I don't love the idea of the blue chip programs getting the top available talent and keeping that talent for two or three years. Again, not anything WRONG with any of what the kids and the NBA are doing, but I just don't like the effect it may have on our (and other Big East programs') ability to compete at the elite level of college basketball.

[xavierj]

Damn, I don't like it. It's good for the kids, probably, and I don't begrudge them anything. But if the top tier kids go to the NBA, that means the next tier of kids are going to end up at Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, UNC, etc. And a lot of those second tier players are going to need two or three years of college before heading to the NBA. I don't love the idea of the blue chip programs getting the top available talent and keeping that talent for two or three years. Again, not anything WRONG with any of what the kids and the NBA are doing, but I just don't like the effect it may have on our (and other Big East programs') ability to compete at the elite level of college basketball.

Good thing we are in the Big East, but seriously not many guys will do this unless the money gets crazy. One guy going to UK already turned down $500K to go to KY. A few guys have been doing this. A kid from Cincinnati did it a couple of years ago, Bazley, and he is now making over $2 million per year with the Thunder and isn't even producing at all. It's all relative.

[GoMuskies]

The #1 kid in the class of 2020 just announced he was going this route.

[xavierj]

The #1 kid in the class of 2020 just announced he was going this route.

Green? I thought that's what brought this conversation up. Probably have a few kids a year I would imagine. Jalen Suggs could have done the same but he is sticking with Gonzaga.

[paulxu]

It's probably not a lot different than the top high school baseball players going straight to the minors.

[XUGRAD80]

It's probably not a lot different than the top high school baseball players going straight to the minors.

Agree with that.

There are still going to be top kids opting for a year or two of college before going to the pros. Some of the top baseball kids get million dollar + bonus money to sign a minor league contract. If the NBA starts doing that, then I can see more kids going the G-league route. But not yet.

[Lloyd Braun]

It’s a silly rule to not allow them to go to the NBA. I am of the belief college basketball was better without the 1 and done rule.

[sirthought]

It’s a silly rule to not allow them to go to the NBA. I am of the belief college basketball was better without the 1 and done rule.

It's silly to not allow them, but it's even sillier that NBA teams were drafting and paying millions to kids who weren't ready for a full time job, much less hadn't really reached their potential. The rule had to happen just to put a control on who was being picked up without enough backing up the player. For the NBA's sake, I think it should be two years out of high school and not just one. But I'm an NBA fan and most college hoops fans are not.

It lowered the NBA product with play that wasn't worth the price of admission, forced out veterans who were still capable of solid production, and drove team executives crazy trying to make sure some immature dude didn't do something stupid.

I don't know that it impacts the G League in the same way simply because people aren't watching in the same way. Ratings and attendance don't come close to college. College has a whole institution looking after these guys and some still make a lot of dumb mistakes (like stealing sunglasses while you're on a road trip to China).

Maybe if top talent bypasses school for money that will turn around. I agree that most guys can likely improve faster if they focus on it full time. I still don't know if that's worth a salary north of $100K if you haven't done anything yet.