Posted elsewhere, but maybe deserves its own thread?
What about this scenario?
They should allow the players to be drafted out of HS, or at any time, you don't have to declare. But what they have to do is get rid of guaranteed contracts. If the player opts for school then the player can go to (or stay in) school and the team retains the rights for up to 3 years. If, after any season, the team and the player feel he is ready, he can leave, but he'll have to earn his spot.
This way the Lebrons can go straight to the NBA. You'll get some one and done players but only because they are ready to leave and confident they'll earn a spot. You'll get some players, like Daniels last year, who can get drafted as a junior, come back and develop as a senior finish their degree, and then try to earn that spot. You'll get guys going to teams that can truly develop their talent. You'll inevitably end up with guys who don' t need college not making a mockery of it. Those who are unsure if they can earn that spot or not will have to continue to hit the books to stay eligible in school while they develop. Guys can have the security of a "preferred tryout" (guaranteed summer league spot/d league spot), while staying in school to earn their degree.
If a player is drafted but returns to/stays in school, he must remain academically eligible throughout the academic year, or the school will forfeit one scholarship for the next season, and the player is forced to pay a fine of 10% of his first contract to a reputable charity. So once you commit to school, you can't bail after the season, you have to finish that school year, and you're not eligible to play in the NBA until the summer league before the next season.
If you're drafted after exhausting your college eligibility, normal rules apply.
This system would be similar to baseball, except the teams retain rights. The NBA would have to beef up the D-League and add a round or two I think. One problem is how does a school manage scholarships? I think the easiest fix would be to keep the dates the same for declaring for the draft, except it would be declaring you're foregoing the rest of your eligibility.
So all the guys at Kentucky today, could have been drafted a year (or two) ago. The Harrison twins could stay, the guys worried about being second round picks could stay. The top talent in the country left undecided would have to pick among other schools. Maybe they have 10 draft picks on the roster, but only 5 are actually leaving. The other 5 are sticking around for a year or two.
I think this would be better for everyone.
What about this scenario?
They should allow the players to be drafted out of HS, or at any time, you don't have to declare. But what they have to do is get rid of guaranteed contracts. If the player opts for school then the player can go to (or stay in) school and the team retains the rights for up to 3 years. If, after any season, the team and the player feel he is ready, he can leave, but he'll have to earn his spot.
This way the Lebrons can go straight to the NBA. You'll get some one and done players but only because they are ready to leave and confident they'll earn a spot. You'll get some players, like Daniels last year, who can get drafted as a junior, come back and develop as a senior finish their degree, and then try to earn that spot. You'll get guys going to teams that can truly develop their talent. You'll inevitably end up with guys who don' t need college not making a mockery of it. Those who are unsure if they can earn that spot or not will have to continue to hit the books to stay eligible in school while they develop. Guys can have the security of a "preferred tryout" (guaranteed summer league spot/d league spot), while staying in school to earn their degree.
If a player is drafted but returns to/stays in school, he must remain academically eligible throughout the academic year, or the school will forfeit one scholarship for the next season, and the player is forced to pay a fine of 10% of his first contract to a reputable charity. So once you commit to school, you can't bail after the season, you have to finish that school year, and you're not eligible to play in the NBA until the summer league before the next season.
If you're drafted after exhausting your college eligibility, normal rules apply.
This system would be similar to baseball, except the teams retain rights. The NBA would have to beef up the D-League and add a round or two I think. One problem is how does a school manage scholarships? I think the easiest fix would be to keep the dates the same for declaring for the draft, except it would be declaring you're foregoing the rest of your eligibility.
So all the guys at Kentucky today, could have been drafted a year (or two) ago. The Harrison twins could stay, the guys worried about being second round picks could stay. The top talent in the country left undecided would have to pick among other schools. Maybe they have 10 draft picks on the roster, but only 5 are actually leaving. The other 5 are sticking around for a year or two.
I think this would be better for everyone.
