Jay Bilas shares how NIL has driven down value of second round in NBA Draft

NIL has affected everything in college sports since it began nearly four years ago in 2021. The pros have since felt those effects as well, specifically in their drafts, with how good some players have it in collegiate athletics now.

Jay Bilas explained the impact of name, image, and likeness on the NBA Draft going into tonight’s second round coverage while on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on Thursday. He felt it had steadily decreased the value that teams can find in the second round with prospects who have remaining eligibility that could be selected in those spots, deciding to withdraw their names and return to college rather than be picked in the association.

“One thing you’re seeing with NIL now? Players are not only going to college. They’re staying in college longer,” Bilas said. “The second round is probably not – I haven’t like, you know, done this with a microscope. But the second round this year is probably not as good as the second round, like, two or three years ago because a lot of second-round picks are guys that would’ve come out two or three years ago, are staying in school because they’re going to make way more money staying in school.”

“If they’re not going to be first-round picks, they’re staying in (college),” Bilas said.

As many as 106 players, whether from college or international, entered their names to be early-entry candidates as part of this draft. Then, by the withdrawal deadline for college players on May 28th, 50 pulled their names out of this class.

Among the most notable on that list were Houston’s Milos Uzan, Duke’s Isaiah Evans, Florida’s Alex Condon, Boogie Fland, and Reuben Chinyelu, Kentucky’s Otega Oweh and Jaland Lowe, Auburn’s Tahaad Pettiford, Alabama’s Labaron Philon, Arkansas’ Karter Knox, and NC State’s Darrion Williams. Those are several players who will make the difference for potential national title contenders. The rest of the names still then include ones who will absolutely affect their respective programs as well in ’25-’26.

Several of those names could have been or would have been selected tonight in the second round, or maybe even last night in the first round for some. However, name, image, and likeness has made it a much different decision-making process considering what those players could make over a year back in college than their first as rookies in the NBA.

First round picks make several million dollars on guaranteed deals as rookies, but second-round picks aren’t on the same wage scale, meaning less guaranteed money for contracts closer to the minimum or ones for a two-way signing. That’s the same value or less than some of them would make back in college, based on the compensation at their respective programs.

There are still good players to be found by franchises in the second round, with that on display tonight as 29 more selections will be made. Still, as compared to previous drafts in years past, there may be less talent available this year and in ones moving forward, as a result of NIL.