G-League

Mr.Scary13

All-Conference
Dec 7, 2014
4,636
1,877
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Part of their pitch is offering these guys a scholarship to attend college after playing. They’ve already thought that step through.

And it will fail miserably. Many players that dont make it to the league still get every advantage and help from their university to help them get that degree because they gave to that institution by playing there. They also get the benefit of landing nice jobs because of the network from.that school. That will completely go out the window with this and schools couldn't care less about these kids when they fall back on school. Some will succeed, but the vast majority will absolutely flame out.
 
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timo0402

Heisman
Feb 24, 2009
13,868
13,709
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And it will fail miserably. Many players that dont make it to the league still get every advantage and help from their university to help them get that degree because they gave to that institution by playing there. They also get the benefit of landing nice jobs because of the network from.that school. That will completely go out the window with this and schools couldn't care less about these kids when they fall back on school. Some will succeed, but the vast majority will absolutely flame out.
Immediately assuming that all of these or even a majority of these kids will fail is a bit unfair. This is also the first ever opportunity for this new G-league option that’s been viable for top players.

1. Creating a new g-league franchise for this purpose.

2. $200-500K contracts right from the get go.

3. future scholarships to go school after your playing days. You can poo poo on that all you want but this is the first iteration of this. I’m sure it will be continued to be thought out so that it’s a viable option for those players that do “flame out.” By the way, you realize that this option will be for those top tier kids right? Those guys who get to do nothing but play hoops and don’t have to worry about school at all. Play against better competition. They’ll move into the NBA draft the next year. Many of them will get drafted in the first two rounds of the draft.

4. I do not think this hurts the Duke, UNC, KU, UK types but it definitely could in the future if the game didn’t change. Right now blue bloods benefit from mass marketing and coverage. However, i can easily see the G-league starting to grab some of that share if they continue on this model. These people in the NBA are not stupid, they know what they’re doing and they have the luxury of no ncaa rules right have to consider. They can continue to guess, test and revise their plans.

And on that note....

5. Clearly the NCAA realizes this is enough of a threat to their brand and their BUSINESS to where they needed to act and act immediately.
 

bouxdag

Redshirt
Apr 7, 2011
8
6
0
As it is now, if you're a top recruit and you "flame out" you still are likely to make significant money. Right now the top guys are all the g-league is taking on. We'll see where it goes in the future.

As an example, I went back and randomly looked at some of the top guys I had never heard of from ESPN's 2015 rankings.

Diamond Stone: #6 recruit. 2nd round pick. Has done virtually nothing in the NBA but bounce around in the g league. Has made 1.8 million dollars.

Ivan Rabb: #8 recruit. 2nd round pick. Very little in the NBA. Currently in the g league. Has made 2.3 million dollars.

Henry Ellenson: #5 recruit. 18th overall pick. Mostly sits on the bench in the NBA or spends time in the g league. Has made 5.6 million dollars.

These guys are given contracts based in part on potential. It's very hard for them to be so insanely bad that they don't make money that the average American can only dream of.

They can then choose to use that money and go back to college if they desire. If the argument is they aren't intelligent enough to earn a college degree on their own merits, then I'd argue the degree they would have received is as valuable as an AFAM degree from UNC.
 

df64

All-Conference
Feb 2, 2006
2,702
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My memory stinks these days and I remember those 3. All bigs who going by your #s were top 10 recruits.
Nobody is denying that top 10 guys are going to have the option to make "some" money right away in the G league. The money they are making for minimal results is largely (Ellenson) and partially (Rabb, Stone) based on at least going in the 2nd round. Chances are all 3 would be making less if they went directly to the G league.
 
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jamsession3

All-Conference
Dec 4, 2005
3,322
1,033
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My memory stinks these days and I remember those 3. All bigs who going by your #s were top 10 recruits.
Nobody is denying that top 10 guys are going to have the option to make "some" money right away in the G league. The money they are making for minimal results is largely (Ellenson) and partially (Rabb, Stone) based on at least going in the 2nd round. Chances are all 3 would be making less if they went directly to the G league.


Taking 200k - 500k is good money, but be clear these kids are being isolated from the grown men. And, if that 'potential' is subpar, then please save that 500k, because you may never see it again.
 

Jperry1987

Senior
Sep 23, 2019
373
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Taking 200k - 500k is good money, but be clear these kids are being isolated from the grown men. And, if that 'potential' is subpar, then please save that 500k, because you may never see it again.
Yes to a 17-18 year old kids, thats a significant amount of money but from what i understand the team being assembled for these kids is based in California and taxes in California are crazy high. So far only the cream of the crop ( Jalen Green) has been given 500k to sign and the others are lower. My point here is that once these kids sign/ hire and pay agents, and also pay the high taxes in the state of California, in the end their really only pocketing 200-250k and thats if your in the upper echelon ala Jalen Green type.
Take Daishen Nix (sp?) this kid is far from a lottery pick and agreed to what 200k? After agent and taxes his bring home is 80-120k? Not sure these kids know exactly what their in for? Yes its good money for mostly anyone but just not sure that is equivalent to a year in college in my opinion considering i read somewhere that most D1 bball players receive something like 40k for food alone for a years time.
 

AlanInNJ

All-Conference
Feb 25, 2014
1,665
2,462
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I always see guys talking about the big money for these young players, and don't get me wrong, $300,000 a year to a 19 year old to play basketball is huge. But I always think about those who don't make it. So they make some money for a couple years, and then they get cut, and maybe they can get a contract overseas somewhere, or maybe they can't. So now you have a 21 year old with a couple hundred grand in the bank, no job, no degree, no marketable skills. Where does he end up working then? And how much does he make there?

It's risk versus reward, and I feel badly for these young men who make the decision to take the chance and they don't make it. Unless you are a top lottery pick, why not take the free ride to a to top academic university, play ball for 3-4 years, get a degree and the network that goes along with it, and then make the jump? I just don't get it.
 

What Would Jesus Do?

All-Conference
Nov 28, 2010
32,722
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It’s around $8k/month....but that’s just for five months. You do get per diem, housing and a meal plan. That’s for undrafted players. Obviously there’s g-leaguers who are multi-millionaires.

There’s guys playing professionally overseas who are comfortably making into six figures.

Players signed to Select Contracts can earn $125,000 for the five-month NBA G League season.

Jalen Green is getting:

Around $500k
Headline a new G-League team
Full ride scholarship to go back to school whenever he wants

That's a pretty big range.

My question is this. Suppose there is no basketball - either college or G-league - this coming season.

I assume the college players still get their scholarship.

Do the G-league still get their wages?

If you think there won't be any basketball, getting paid - whether it's $40K, $125K or $500K - might sound better than taking classes from home.
 

DukeDenver

All-American
Nov 21, 2010
8,249
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Lol it’s hard for me to feel sorry for a 20 year old with half a million bucks.. who cares if they have no degree, go learn a trade or go to college if you want to after that. Start a business or invest that in smart things. It’s a nice head start
“Starting a business” means nothing to a kid with zero real world experience and no decent mentor to speak of. Many of these young men are in such a situation. It’s a perfect situation for them to lose their money on something stupid.
 
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pisgah101

Heisman
Dec 26, 2005
15,254
12,796
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“Starting a business” means nothing to a kid with zero real world experience and no decent mentor to speak of. Many of these young men are in such a situation. It’s a perfect situation for them to lose their money on something stupid.

not always.. I put 4 different things lol some of them can do it. Not all 18 year olds are idiots and not all 18 year old have bad parents or lack mentors
 

nets on nets on nets

All-American
Jun 4, 2015
4,162
5,515
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99% of these 18 year old superstars have been travelling every single weekend from one AAU tournament to another for most of their life. Basketball is all they know, it's all they were taught to know. It's all they need to know as long as basketball works out.

They aren't like the rest of us. Sure, they have a golden key to millions of dollars and a great life. But lets be real, most of them have ZERO life experience outside of the basketball gym.

IMO the kid that goes the G-League route and flames out would have the exact same outcome had he gone to college, just making less money. So I don't really feel too bad for the kid that flames out whatever route he chooses to take, it's just really nice that this new option allows a kid to return to college even after being a pro.
 
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