OT: G League to offer $125K to elite prospects as alternative to college 1-and-done route

[Dogdeacon]

While not wrong, the risk of career threatening injury is much lower than 1/20. 1/100? 1/200? It doesn't include the risk of a medium level injury (ACL or something) causing you to fall in the draft.

I don't know, seems like every year 1 of the top 10 kids has a major injury (Bradley last yr, Giles yr before) and for awhile all of those kids were drafted by the Sixers! I don't follow recruiting so I don't even know the #1-20 high school ranked kids we don't hear about & never get drafted. The risk isn't career ending injury, its the risk that any injury severely impacts your draft position and first contract.

That's probably higher than 1/20 and then we'd have to know exactly what they are insuring.
Probably its something like $250K of first year's contract, meaning they only pay to the extent you don't make 250. Then you've lowered the risk (not guaranteeing lottery or even first round) and made it such that only the most catastrophic 1/100+ injuries you mention cause a payout.

My point is people on message boards like to throw out that players can just buy insurance and they are automatically fully protected. Anyone who has ever bought any type of insurance or made a claim knows it doesn't quite magically work that way.

 

[intlzncster]

I don't know, seems like every year 1 of the top 10 kids has a major injury (Bradley last yr, Giles yr before) and for awhile all of those kids were drafted by the Sixers! I don't follow recruiting so I don't even know the #1-20 high school ranked kids we don't hear about & never get drafted. The risk isn't career ending injury, its the risk that any injury severely impacts your draft position and first contract.

That's probably higher than 1/20 and then we'd have to know exactly what they are insuring.
Probably its something like $250K of first year's contract, meaning they only pay to the extent you don't make 250. Then you've lowered the risk (not guaranteeing lottery or even first round) and made it such that only the most catastrophic 1/100+ injuries you mention cause a payout.

My point is people on message boards like to throw out that players can just buy insurance and they are automatically fully protected. Anyone who has ever bought any type of insurance or made a claim knows it doesn't quite magically work that way.

I've never heard of a policy that does that. Perhaps they are out there. It's usually stipulated for things like not ever being able to play again medically.

It'd be damn nigh impossible to measure what you're proposing, because there's no guarantee you'd be a first rounder anyway, and you could blame a simple ankle injury on playing bad, and hence dropping in draft position. Or what defines a major injury. Or a number of other variables.

And really, you've got just as much chance of getting injured in college.

 

[BUConn10]

Kentucky still pays more. Your pick of 10,000 eighteen year old white girls is also a favorite perk.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I've never heard of a policy that does that. Perhaps they are out there. It's usually stipulated for things like not ever being able to play again medically.

It'd be damn nigh impossible to measure what you're proposing, because there's no guarantee you'd be a first rounder anyway, and you could blame a simple ankle injury on playing bad, and hence dropping in draft position. Or what defines a major injury. Or a number of other variables.

And really, you've got just as much chance of getting injured in college.

Well let’s see the premium & coverage of one athletes insurance policy. Seems logical to me that it’s $ based. And has to be sliding scale as larger policy weighed against odds that it actually occurs (if not every 12th man would buy a 1M policy).

Would you insure say 17-18 Donte Divenchenzo for $3M or even 1M? He hit his best case and will still take 2yrs to earn 3. Can you imagine negotiating with the Balls in 17-18?! They’d ask for 280M cuz they think he’ll earn that in his career. No one is underwriting within 1/100 of that prior to start of a college career & if they did Lavar would have Lonzo taking dives looking for the payout.

 

[Mokum]

I say good riddance to the one and dones. They do nothing for college ball, take playing time from legit college players, and allow Kentucky and Duke to load up with guys who should be pros.

 

[Mokum]

Kentucky still pays more. Your pick of 10,000 eighteen year old white girls is also a favorite perk.

I am not one to call “racism” on everything and anything as seems to be the norm now days, but considering most of the top players are black guys, I would say your comment is a bit racist. It is pretty obvious.

 

[whosurdaddy2720]

I am not one to call “racism” on everything and anything as seems to be the norm now days, but considering most of the top players are black guys, I would say your comment is a bit racist. It is pretty obvious.

I disagree.

Fact is that the majority of the student body at any major bball university is white and as a big, tall, strong semi-famous athlete you generally get the pick of the litter when it comes to girls on campus. Thus, "your pick of 10k white girls" isn't that far from reality.

(I'm black btw)

 

[Mokum]

I disagree.

Fact is that the majority of the student body at any major bball university is white and as a big, tall, strong semi-famous athlete you generally get the pick of the litter when it comes to girls on campus. Thus, "your pick of 10k white girls" isn't that far from reality.

(I'm black btw)

I don’t agree ( and I am 44 years married to a woman of color). Why designate the white girls? It is, IMO, a subtle reminder of an old racist idea that every black man wants a white woman. I’m white, and if I was a superstar athlete hell man I’d be chasing the black girls! I have liked dark women since I was a kid. It’s not a big deal, I just think the word white could have been left out.

 

[freescooter]

$25000 pay cut from what Louisville was paying but still it is about time. Let the guys who want to go pro from high school go pro and let college hoops get back to being college hoops. 18 year olds can go into the service, buy things, vote. But the NBA is too complex for them. What nonsense.

 

[intlzncster]

I disagree.

Fact is that the majority of the student body at any major bball university is white and as a big, tall, strong semi-famous athlete you generally get the pick of the litter when it comes to girls on campus. Thus, "your pick of 10k white girls" isn't that far from reality.

(I'm black btw)

I don’t agree ( and I am 44 years married to a woman of color). Why designate the white girls? It is, IMO, a subtle reminder of an old racist idea that every black man wants a white woman. I’m white, and if I was a superstar athlete hell man I’d be chasing the black girls! I have liked dark women since I was a kid. It’s not a big deal, I just think the word white could have been left out.

Not for nothing, but UK is ranked something like #1,636 in the nation in terms of ethnic diversity.

 

[intlzncster]

$25000 pay cut from what Louisville was paying but still it is about time. Let the guys who want to go pro from high school go pro and let college hoops get back to being college hoops. 18 year olds can go into the service, buy things, vote. But the NBA is too complex for them. What nonsense.

Which might solve one and done, but won't solve 'pay-for-play' in college.

 

[BUConn10]

I am not one to call “racism” on everything and anything as seems to be the norm now days, but considering most of the top players are black guys, I would say your comment is a bit racist. It is pretty obvious.

Its racist to say Kentucky has lots of white girls as students? Be smarter.

 

[whosurdaddy2720]

I don’t agree ( and I am 44 years married to a woman of color). Why designate the white girls? It is, IMO, a subtle reminder of an old racist idea that every black man wants a white woman. I’m white, and if I was a superstar athlete hell man I’d be chasing the black girls! I have liked dark women since I was a kid. It’s not a big deal, I just think the word white could have been left out.

Fair enough.

Black women rock! 100% agreement with you there.

 

[husky429]

Seems to me like it's a way for the NBA to boost G-League attendance/views. Getting kids like Zion in a G-League gym would sell every game out.

 

[Waquoit]

Its racist to say Kentucky has lots of white girls as students? Be smarter.

Why did you have to say white girls? Why didn't you say girls?

 

[bmayuc]

I think most of you are dead wrong about this. I don't think you will see the top 10 kinda guys take this route. Think Zion Williamson.

But the guys who's eligibility is in question(grades, payments, etc) who may just want to get on with it and get a paycheck(Brandon Jennings, Gerald Green, etc) will be an attractive option. Keep in mind $125k is the salary but they can also sign ENDORSEMENT DEALS which could easily by in the 7 or 8 digits.

In a way it is a massive competitive advantage. They get an extra year of unlimited training with world class nutrition/strenth/conditioning apparatus etc.

I think you will see 5-10 guys a year do it. Not the big names, but the secondary players. And I bet it becomes more popular with time, not less

 

[Mokum]

Its racist to say Kentucky has lots of white girls as students? Be smarter.

No it’s not. But that isn’t exactly what you said, is it? Let’s just drop it. It’s not a big deal.

 

[NowInStorrs]

We should just lock all the threads and be done with it.

 

[BUConn10]

Why did you have to say white girls? Why didn't you say girls?

Because it’s funny getting you old squares tilted because I know the idea bothers you, or else you wouldn’t all be making such a fuss out of a single word detail in my post. LMAO. To me the racist ones are the ones so upset about a fact. I got the reaction I was expecting from this demographic btw. You guys have daughters going to school down south? @Mokum ?

 

[Mokum]

Because it’s funny getting you old squares tilted because I know the idea bothers you, or else you wouldn’t all be making such a fuss out of a single word detail in my post. LMAO. To me the racist ones are the ones so upset about a fact. I got the reaction I was expecting from this demographic btw. You guys have daughters going to school down south? @Mokum ?

No I don’t. But I lived two years in Georgia in the late ‘70’s, with my colored wife. Believe me sonny boy, I may be old, but far from square. You know nothing about me or the life that I have lived.

 

[jibsey]

Don’t underestimate the number of kids who don’t want to even bother sitting in class or doing any school work. I think a spot on a high profile team is worth more than 125 but the kids won;t see it that way. All they will see is immediate money in their pockets. And I don’t buy the jokes about schools paying these kids now that the spotlight is on.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Don’t underestimate the number of kids who don’t want to even bother sitting in class or doing any school work. I think a spot on a high profile team is worth more than 125 but the kids won;t see it that way. All they will see is immediate money in their pockets. And I don’t buy the jokes about schools paying these kids now that the spotlight is on.

What's a high profile G league team? Right now I'm not sure there is such a thing, but maybe folks in G-league markets can testify to popularity? However if the G-league gets top-10 rated kids from a class they can certainly turn the league into a media presence. Then you'll be correct that those kids* as the major attraction will be worth a lot more than 125K, but they will be getting atleast that in value from coaching staff & facilities (same argument College makes absent the classroom learning & Gleague probably will have some basic life skills tutoring).

* I.e. Bronny in 5 years.

 

[crazyUCfan23]

Does Lamelo Ball register as an "elite" prospect?

 

[methodology]

I've mentioned this same exact thing before. It's like minor league baseball. They will have to pay for housing, training facilities won't be comparable, travel sucks, you'll be playing in middling cities, you won't have a meal plan and will be paying for your own meals and then taxes and you don't get the free clothes/ merchandise/perks of college. In addition you aren't the big man on campus/a star and you're playing against grown men who are more seasoned and want that NBA contract.

These high schoolers are oblivious to how well they have it at the college level

 

[intlzncster]

I've mentioned this same exact thing before. It's like minor league baseball. They will have to pay for housing, training facilities won't be comparable, travel sucks, you'll be playing in middling cities, you won't have a meal plan and will be paying for your own meals and then taxes and you don't get the free clothes/ merchandise/perks of college. In addition you aren't the big man on campus/a star and you're playing against grown men who are more seasoned and want that NBA contract.

These high schoolers are oblivious to how well they have it at the college level

You're not wrong about most, but G Leaguers do received $50 per diem on the road for food. And obviously paid hotels etc.

I think the G League contract would only appeal to certain guys. Daniel Hamilton, for instance, would likely have taken this route if given the chance.

 

[tcf15]

"My concern comes back to I want to know what happens to the kids that you've encouraged not to go to college if they fail," he said Sunday via the Louisville Courier-Journal. "What are you going to do for them? That's my whole thing. What is it going to do to 8th and 9th and 10th graders? Are you going to have a whole wave of those kids that think, 'I don't need school I'm going to go to the G league.'"

 

[intlzncster]

It ain't just the $125k. Kids could take this option. Play a year at Cuse, or make 1 million dollars. Your call.

 

[Walker11]

It ain't just the $125k. Kids could take this option. Play a year at Cuse, or make 1 million dollars. Your call.

And Bazley is a kid who initially planned on going D League until he realized he wasn't going to be able to compete at the level with his body. The sponsorship will be the real money if any of these high end kids decide to skip college.

 

[jibsey]

What's a high profile G league team? Right now I'm not sure there is such a thing, but maybe folks in G-league markets can testify to popularity? However if the G-league gets top-10 rated kids from a class they can certainly turn the league into a media presence. Then you'll be correct that those kids* as the major attraction will be worth a lot more than 125K, but they will be getting atleast that in value from coaching staff & facilities (same argument College makes absent the classroom learning & Gleague probably will have some basic life skills tutoring).

* I.e. Bronny in 5 years.

You misunderstand, I meant a high profile college team gives them more monetary value.

 

[Dogdeacon]

You misunderstand, I meant a high profile college team gives them more monetary value.

Ah gotcha - true IF you are the man for that team like Jason Tatum or fatso at Dook this year. But at Kentucky that ain't guaranteed and you are fighting it out with 5 other guys for that role. 20% of the time its worth more than 125K, but rest of the time its not and you and up being the inferior Harrison brother.