I have an idea. Let’s create a new system. Call it a minor league system. Kids can elect to go there and play. There can be different levels even. G, GG and GGG. Players can get paid, don’t need to bother with pesky classes, or any of those academic things. They can buy their own meals, find their own housing. They can travel by bus from one garden spot like oh Passaic New Jersey to Akron Ohio, stay in the local Motel 6 and play a game, then get back on the bus for a ride to Muncie Indiana for another then the happy ride back to Jersey. If they are good enough they will eventually get called up to the Knicks or Pacers or somewhere. But in any case they get to live their lifelong dream. Getting paid to play basketball.
And let guys who want to go to college and play for 4 years and “only” get room board and a scholarship plus spending money, fly to games and play in front of thousands on tv stay at decent hotels, get specially prepared meals, gear, AND an education, do that.
Yes the NCAA has some dumb rules. Like most bureaucracies, every time someone does something sleazy the pass another rule until nobody knows exactly what is going on ( this is the planning and zoning board approach to governance) but last I looked not one single college player was forced to go to attend college. So I’m not sure I buy completely all this poor poor pitiful me stuff from the players. Play in the G league. Go to Europe or Turkey or China and play.