California high school star Jalen Green, the No. 1 prospect in the 2020 ESPN 100, is making the leap to a reshaped NBA professional pathway program -- a G League initiative that sources say will pay elite prospects $500,000-plus and provide a one-year development program outside of the minor league's traditional team structure.
Green -- a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft -- announced Thursday that he is bypassing college to become the professional pathway's first participant, a decision that likely clears the way for more commitments from elite prospects.
$500k will be hard for a lot of 17/18 year olds to turn down. Do you think this will be the new trend?
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If you know you're only going to be in college for a year or so anyway and a US professional organization is willing to pay you now, I'd have to think that a lot of players would choose to go this route as well. It's a lot different than deciding to play internationally until eligible for the NBA draft.
Level of competition is better, you're getting paid, and you don't have to worry about school? I'm surprised this hasn't been more prominent.
Not only that, you don't have limited coaching times. You have questions, want to work on your shot/handles/etc, need a coach to stay after to help with that, no problem.
As far as I know, this will be the first year the NBA is trying this program to keep top players in the states. They upped the pay to 500k from 125k to be competitive with the Australian league. They'll play exhibition games against G-League teams, but will be in a different program to get them ready to play in the NBA.
I hope my pay is never upped from 500k to 125k.
???? My post said it correctly, read it again
I'm not sure G-league competition is much better than top-tier conference play in the NCAA
It's the best players from those top tier leagues. I'd have to say it probably better competition.
Exactly. Guys like Ahmed Hill who were crucial to their team's success are in the G League as role players.
I'm definitely in favor of this. I'm not a fan of the one-and-done teams that some programs assemble and thrive off of. NCAA basketball is still awesome with the level of talent most schools attract, i.e. players who cannot turn pro immediately if at all.
100% smart decision. NCAA is one of the most corrupt organizations. So happy they will not be making money of this kid.
That 500k doesn't include whatever he gets in endorsements.
They're gonna need to market the G-League a lot better for those endorsements to really kick in.
And by that, I mean they just need to market the G-League better. I think one of the mistakes they made here was to make it a legit minor league for the NBA. I think they would have been better served making it a development league, like the OHL or CHL for hockey in Canada where its a completely independent system from the NHL, with players who are able to play there after being drafted to the NHL, where teams are still trying to win, and make trades and signing independently of any kind of agreement the NHL has with them.
A year ago, Darius Bazley passed up on a Syracuse scholarship for a $1M New Balance internship then was drafted 23rd.
There have been a couple of these guys per year. Not sure it's really taking off. One of the Ball kids went to Australia.
Shoe companies are going to take a long-term view of it. Take an extreme example like LeBron. LeBron got a contract 80+ million dollar contract with Nike coming out of high school. If the next LeBron chooses to go down the G-League path, the shoe companies will offer him a similar contract to lock him up during his G-league year and his early NBA career.
The next LeBron won't have to go G League route.
Right now, the next LeBron's options would be CBB, G-league, or playing in another country. So you're saying he'd choose one of the other routes?
I think he's saying the rules would be changed by then
This as well. LeBron, Kobe, Moses Malone. They are few and far between. Once every 8 years or so. I think things will be changing quickly in the future.
Yes. See Zion. Free advertising they the conference and tv contract. Why go spin your wheels in the G-League when you can Garner ESPN highlights on a Tuesday night in Knoxville or Atlanta.
Yes.
Might make more if he played overseas.
I'd like to understand the financials behind this league, are they backed by NBA teams? Otherwise how can G-league teams afford this in the long run? One player making that much money would be hard enough, but if there's 5-10 of these level of salaries in the league plus slightly lower but in the same ballpark numbers? I'm not sure how that's sustainable unless they are subsidized by an NBA team.
I believe every G-League team is affiliated with or owned by an NBA team now, but these guys are going to a newly formed team which will be owned by the NBA and not affiliated with a specific team.
So set up like baseball and hockey, with minor league ties to teams?
I'm not too familiar with how those are setup, but I think this is a bit different because these players will be eligible for the draft after a year with with this G-League select team
while the rights to players on other teams are already owned by the affiliated NBA franchises.only the players signed to two-way contracts. G-League/NBA is not 100% analogous to MILB/NBA
So more akin to NFL practice squad I guess?
An "unaffiliated" player is effectively a free agent for NBA teams in my understanding, so similar to an NFL practice squad in that way
Sounds more like hockey. You have guys in the AHL that are signed to deals with the NHL club and assigned to the AHL affiliate, then you have guys who are signed to the AHL squad. The guys on a deal with the NHL club can be recalled, the guys who are signed (not assigned) to the AHL club cannot be recalled.
Meant the teams are funded by the parent club, not the players. In those sports, the big league team owns the minor league team and helps to fund it.
so it sounds to me like the new teams arent tied to nba teams, but are owned by the NBA so that's where the bankroll is coming from?
$500k is a lot of money no doubt but people are undervaluing the exposure playing for a Duke, UNC, UK can bring. When Zion was at Duke, almost every single Duke game that season was televised on national tv in prime time. Elite college players can establish a national brand during their one college season which is worth far more than $500k. Even if half of the top 50 players go into the G-League, it won't bring the eyeballs that NCAA basketball will. Fandom in the NCAA is team-centric versus player-centric as the nba has become. Zion would have only been watched on 5 second sportscenter highlights if he played for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
I feel like if Zion was playing for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants we would have seen a lot more of their games televised.
Yup. Even LeBronn had a high school game on ESPN.
There are a lot of strings with that as well. Getting admission to said school. Participating in school activities...i.e. classes. Minimum coaching and practice times. And other NCAA handcuffs. For a kid that can get admitted to Duke, and already has game, but just has to go thru the process in order to get to the draft, the big-time college route works as a draft-reel. For kids that need footwork help, off-hand help, defensive positioning help, etc, and maybe is lower tier on the SAT side (one that might not do well in classes and basketball with scheduling) the $500k and free schedule helps give them the opportunity to flourish. Just like baseball, some kids will make it thru. Some will take the money and not work hard enough to make it to the next level. Really, it's not a one-size-fits-all decision. All about options.
Excellent points. I agree.
You also have to consider the benefits of attending college too. People would have been hyping Zion's G league games sure, but is he getting a 10 mil a year shoe endorsement if he comes from the G league? I sort of doubt it. College basketball has a lot larger market than anyone gives it credit for.
If you're as good as Zion, I don't think the NCAA matters. The best example of that is Lebron. He didn't need the NCAA, G-League, or anything else to land mega endorsements right out of high school.
Zion wasn't even the number 1 prospect in the consensus rankings. He was number 5. You can't tell me he didn't benefit a TON from being in the spotlight at Duke for a season. People act like he was Lebron in high school, and his highlights say he was, but he wasn't perceived as that.
To be fair, there have only been a handful of LeBron's: High school->NBA. LeBron, Kobe, Moses Malone, and maybe you could include Kevin Garnett (5th overall pick), Dwight Howard, Tracy McGrady (9th overall), Shawn Kemp (17th overall)
Agreed. He's that kid that CAN handle college, and basketball, and photo shoots, and campus life. Not every kid is that polished at 18. Doesn't mean they won't ever get a shoe deal, but the majority of the guys that have the top tier shoes...well, they had IT by age 18/19. He did the right thing for him because he could afford to do the year at college, and do it well.
Not every basketball player will get a shoe deal. Nor does every kid deserve a shoe deal. That's top tier level. And like I said above, those kids usually have it by the end of high school. Doesn't exclude other kids. Nor is $500k something to sneeze at with the opportunity to go to the big show more millions.
If we're being honest here, we all know that Zion banked more than $500k to go to Duke last year anyway.
I'm honestly surprised that it's not more from the G-League. Will Wade at LSU of all places said he could offer rookie minimum, which is something like $800k. I can't imagine what the top-5 are receiving.
Is this finally proof the average starting salary at Duke is less then 500k??
This program is only for the elite of elite basketball recruit. Your average (which is a way above average) college basketball player won't have this opportunity.
I think it's great. Those that are ready can dive right in. We will get to see people develop in a program and spend 4 years in school.
I think it's a great move for guys who are 99% sure of declaring after 1 year anyways.
Hopefully players like him have a person in their ear that encourages them to put away some of that money. If basketball doesn't work out, he can always go back to school with it basically paid for.
Next thing you know: G league equivalent for football where top-tier HS football players play in a league nationwide with salary and endorsements for a few years before going up to the pros.
Slightly joking, slightly not.
I wouldnt think this could happen just because of how expensive it is to field a football team. Plus outside of maybe the high end 4 and 5 star recruits, the talent wouldnt be there to fill more than maybe 2 or 3 rosters.
Yeah highly doubt this happens for plethora of reasons. Regarding fielding a team though maybe they get a bunch of 2 / 3 stars, (or no stars that don't want to go to Elon for football or something that think this is a better way forward) to field full rosters. Or this goes by way of 5 v 5 or what not and and just skill players.
Fun to think about, but yeah probably not happening any time soon.
I don't know you'll see a ton of guys do this. Green is super unique in that he could play in the NBA right now but rules prevent him from doing so. And this was meant to be a splash to keep people from thinking they have to go overseas. I doubt Isaiah Todd, who is doing the same thing, got the same level of money as Green for example. I think the bigger thing college basketball has to address is the fact that the NBA seems to hate their development track. Guys leave after their freshman or sophomore year because otherwise they get hammered for being "too old." Like the Suns drafted Cam Johnson at 11 last year and were eviscerated everywhere for it since he's 23. But he immediately came into the league and canned 40% of his threes. How is that not valuable late lotto pick?
I hope this kid (and any other that takes this path) has someone that will take his interest to heart. I do not personally know any 18-19 year-old kids that have the foresight to know how to handle that much money at that time in their life. As a general rule, an 18 year old who is considered to be mature is not as mature as one with another four years of life experience.
I don't know anything about this G-league. Perhaps they provide some structure and oversight. If they don't, I'm cynical enough to see trouble ahead for many of these kids.
These top players aren't going into the G-League, it's a different program that will develop them for the NBA, and they will play around 10 games against G-League teams as part of their development. They will also take some life skills classes of some sort, that I assume will provide some financial awareness to help them make better decisions with money.
The regular G-League is just like a minor league system, that I don't think provides the structure and oversight that this new program will.
NBA moving in right direction, NFL needs to as well.
That's a bit different. There are basically zero players who could go straight from high school to the NFL. Maybe some kids could make it in the XFL (RIP), but 99.9% of the kids need to play in college to get bigger and actually learn football. Obviously it would be nice if there was a paid alternative to the NCAA but college is the best spot for football and a ton of highly ranked players don't even do well in college unlike basketball.
I wonder how much this compares to what they get paid at Duke or Kentucky?
Looks like Isaiah Todd will be joining him. 13th ranked in the class, had been commute to Michigan before recently decommitting
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29049520/no-13-ranked-prospect-isaia...
I wonder if basketball's draft/eligibility rules will one day become like baseball's. I like the baseball setup where you can either go pro out of high school or go to college - but if you go the NCAA route, you have to stay for a couple years. It gives a good option for pro-ready kids who don't want to go to school and helps the stability of the collegiate game.
Btw, this kid is not the first to choose G League over college. He's just the first under the new pay structure, which will likely encourage quite a few top prospects to do the same.