OT Projected top-10 2019 pick Darius Bazley to jump straight to G-League

[PtldPlatypus]

https://sports.yahoo.com/projected-top-10-draft-pick-make-leap-high-school-g-league-193725979.html

We've seen a few players opt to play overseas rather than go to college (Brandon Jennings, Emmanuel Mudiay, Terrence Ferguson, etc), but as far as I know this is the first high-level prospect to skip college for the G-League. I'm really curious to see how he fares next season, how that impacts both his development and draft stock, and whether this prompts other expected one-and-doners to do the same.

Before commenting on the kid and his decision, I would encourage you all to read the article. Seems like the kid has put a lot of thought into his decision, and has sought input from several sources.

 

[Reep]

Honestly, I'm surprised more athletes haven't gone this route. One year of college is a total waste of time (from someone who spent 16 years in various kinds of college). He won't waste time on general education classes, can devote more time to working on his game. Can get endorsements?? Will be very visible to NBA scouts. Might choose a team based on who he thinks he wants to play for? Hopefully more kids take this path.

 

[Titan]

Nice read, I really like the kid and it sounds like he has a good head and know what he wants in life. I hope he reaches his goal and feel the G-League will end up being the better choice for him.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

Would be interesting to see a G League team compete against a top college team.

I am all for this kid to do what he wants. I am not going to shed a tear for the NCAA not making money off him.

 

[Scalma]

This is just the beginning. More and more kids will go this route imo.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

This is just the beginning. More and more kids will go this route imo.

I wouldn't be surprised in the least. Makes me wonder about G-League broadcast rights. Right now it's all streamed; how long will that continue.?

 

[dviss1]

Great read. I wish my kid was that mature and confident.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Great read. I wish my kid was that mature and confident.

Give him about 5 more years, and perhaps he will be.

 

[dviss1]

Give him about 5 more years, and perhaps he will be.

He's getting it together. Personal responsibility is so hard to teach. He's getting better so I see his confidence growing but this boy needs work.

 

[tester551]

Would be interesting to see a G League team compete against a top college team.

The G League team should wipe the floor with the college team. As long as they actually play together as a team. Unfortunately, G League is ripe with hero ball.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

He's getting it together. Personal responsibility is so hard to teach. He's getting better so I see his confidence growing but this boy needs work.

My 12-year-old has too much confidence. Kid thinks he knows everything. Tough for me, because he's way more an alpha than I've ever been.

 

[Driew]

This can only help the g league. Can you imagine a year of LeBron in the g league before being allowed to play in the NBA

 

[Sarni]

What is actually a disadvantage of going down this road? I don’t know about the rules, can you offer a $5M a year deal to a G-League player? What are the limits?

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

What is actually a disadvantage of going down this road? I don’t know about the rules, can you offer a $5M a year deal to a G-League player? What are the limits?

Disadvantage supposedly is the coaching is not as good and too much hero ball played, thus less development. Those have never been verified though.

Doubt a team is going to be offering anything close to 5M. Tight salary cap, I believe and the revenue is simply not there.

What I love is that the kid is not restricted by the NCAA . If he wants to sell his autograph, there is no issue doing that.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

What is actually a disadvantage of going down this road? I don’t know about the rules, can you offer a $5M a year deal to a G-League player? What are the limits?

As I understand, he'll still be in the 2019 draft just as if he'd gone to college. Prior, I believe he's subject to G-League max salary rules.

The disadvantage (in theory) is the exposure provided through NCAA ball that isn't available in the G-League. However, being the first of his kind to take this route, he'll likely get plenty of exposure, especially if he performs well.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Here's an interesting reaction:

Iowa Wolves head coach Scott Roth calls 18-year olds playing in the G League “disastrous”

It’s tougher than the NBA, tougher than Europe. There’s just so many things constantly going on down here. You got a bunch of guys with a bunch of different agendas, you’ve got agents telling guys what they want, you got teams telling them what they want. And so you’re going to get a 17, 18-year old kid and throw them in this environment with 26, 27-year old men who have a different agenda and try to manage a kid, and it’s already hard enough to manage young kids with one year of college experience. The travel, the flights, the 5:00 AMs, all that stuff is a grind and you have to be mentally tough and to throw a young high school kid down in here I think would be disastrous at the end of the day.

 

[Sarni]

Disadvantage supposedly is the coaching is not as good and too much hero ball played, thus less development. Those have never been verified though.

Doubt a team is going to be offering anything close to 5M. Tight salary cap, I believe and the revenue is simply not there.

What I love is that the kid is not restricted by the NCAA . If he wants to sell his autograph, there is no issue doing that.

Yeah what I just meant is whether there are any limits if you go to G-League instead of NCAA. Can you actually go into the NBA without declaring for the draft if they go into one of the G-League affiliates but there is no such option of course, you need to be in the draft at some point to be eligible for an NBA contract.

 

[Boob-No-More]

What is actually a disadvantage of going down this road? I don’t know about the rules, can you offer a $5M a year deal to a G-League player? What are the limits?

Current G League salaries range from $19,500 to $26,000. Players under 2-way contracts can make up to $75,000 while playing in the G League.

Players can also make more as training camp invitees and 10-day contracts, but those amounts are paid by the NBA team, not the G League team.

So, since Bazly doesn't meet the NBA minimum age requirement, he won't be eligible for a 2-way contract, a training camp invite or a 10-day call up. His max salary will be $26K.

For comparison, the average NCAA Division I basketball scholarship is worth $38,246. Of course, most of that money goes back to the school in the form of tuition. The $26K Bazly earns in the G League will be his to keep and spend how he wishes. He will also not be subject to NCAA restrictions on other forms of income.

He's not going to get rich playing in the G League, this is just the path he feels will best prepare him for a career in the NBA.

BNM

 

[riverman]

I've always thought the G league should become a true minor league system like baseball has...Neil Olshey said they were exploring the idea of having our own with our system using it as a development tool for Stotts style of play. The Stampede didn't work out for a lot of reasons...I hope we get one in Eugene...easy to send players down or bring them up. I don't like seeing colleges prioritize athletic scholarships when the G league should represent an NBA prep education..give the scholarships to engineers and biotechs...academics...let the development league be the standard for a shot at the show. Have to pay them better and pay coaches better...upgrade the look so it's as good as top level college facilities....some G league games look like they're played in empty high school gyms

 

[PDXFonz]

I think it's the best call. 1. G-League 2. College 3. Overseas

Teams want to see players play against what they consider to be NBA talent. Outside of the occasional game in college which has a handful of "NBA talented" players, you don't always get to see that in college, same overseas. But in the G-League you have a league full of players who are on the fringe, or talented enough but not yet ready to crack their teams rotation (IE: Swanigan).

Now that is if you are ready and capable. You're either going to make a fantastic case for yourself in the G League, or you are going to fail and kill your stock.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I've always thought the G league should become a true minor league system like baseball has...Neil Olshey said they were exploring the idea of having our own with our system using it as a development tool for Stotts style of play. The Stampede didn't work out for a lot of reasons...I hope we get one in Eugene...easy to send players down or bring them up. I don't like seeing colleges prioritize athletic scholarships when the G league should represent an NBA prep education..give the scholarships to engineers and biotechs...academics...let the development league be the standard for a shot at the show. Have to pay them better and pay coaches better...upgrade the look so it's as good as top level college facilities....some G league games look like they're played in empty high school gyms

Or maybe in Tacoma or Seattle so they aren't competing with U of O to put butts in seats. It's still a business and they need to make money. They could play their games in Key Arena or the Tacoma Dome, maybe split them between the two venues to draw fans from all around the Puget Sound region.

Wasn't that why they hired Calabro - to expand our market to the north?

BNM

 

[Wizard Mentor]

To me, the big question is this: Will he get a shoe contract? If Nike or someone gives him $100k, it would
really change the incentives for entering college vs. going DLeague.

 

[Sarni]

Current G League salaries range from $19,500 to $26,000. Players under 2-way contracts can make up to $75,000 while playing in the G League.

Players can also make more as training camp invitees and 10-day contracts, but those amounts are paid by the NBA team, not the G League team.

So, since Bazly doesn't meet the NBA minimum age requirement, he won't be eligible for a 2-way contract, a training camp invite or a 10-day call up. His max salary will be $26K.

For comparison, the average NCAA Division I basketball scholarship is worth $38,246. Of course, most of that money goes back to the school in the form of tuition. The $26K Bazly earns in the G League will be his to keep and spend how he wishes. He will also not be subject to NCAA restrictions on other forms of income.

He's not going to get rich playing in the G League, this is just the path he feels will best prepare him for a career in the NBA.

BNM

He wouldn’t be eligible for a two way contract anyway, having never entered the NBA draft thus not making him eligible for selection at any point in the past, correct? Even if he was 22 or 23.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

Wasn't that why they hired Calabro - to expand our market to the north?

BNM

They hired Calabro because he was the best available when they decided to move on from the Mike duo.

 

[Boob-No-More]

They hired Calabro because he was the best available when they decided to move on from the Mike duo.

Try telling that to the forum conspiracy theorists. They insisted hiring Calabro was the latest indication that Paul Allen will eventually move the Blazers to Seattle, that he wanted to familiar voice to help with the transition.

BNM

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

Try telling that to the forum conspiracy theorists. They insisted hiring Calabro was the latest indication that Paul Allen will eventually move the Blazers to Seattle, that he wanted to familiar voice to help with the transition.

BNM

But Ballmer is going to move the Clippers up there first!

 

[Boob-No-More]

But Ballmer is going to move the Clippers up there first!

I'd actually love that. Talk about renewing a rivalry. I already hate the Clippers, but not as much as I did when CP3 and Blake were there.

Why the fuck does LA need two teams anyway. It just confuses their fans who can't decide which bandwagon to ride.

BNM

 

[Lanny]

They hired Calabro because he was the best available when they decided to move on from the Mike duo.

Mike Rice was warned several times not to do something, which has escaped my memory, but he continued to do it. That last time was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Edit - Can't tell you where I heard this 'cause I was sworn to secrecy.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Mike Rice was warned several times not to do something, which has escaped my memory, but he continued to do it. That last time was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Edit - Can't tell you where I heard this 'cause I was sworn to secrecy.

Ridiculing the "buy of the night" or whatever they called the merchandise they were supposed to be pimping. They didn't like him bad mouthing the products they were promoting.

BNM

 

[Lanny]

Ridiculing the "buy of the night" or whatever they called the merchandise they were supposed to be pimping. They didn't like him bad mouthing the products they were promoting.

BNM

I guess cat's out of the bag.