ESPN analyst Jeff Goodman: Skal Labissiere (Boston Celtics Channel)

[guava_wrench]

If they force guys to d-league, more players will opt to play abroad. The d-league doesn't pay enough. Players already are hurt by delays in their career starting since years of service impact your max deal. Starting players later would just mean guys who would have been worthy of a max 30m contract being stuck with a 20 million max. If they are going to lose a substantial amount of money over their career, they might as well make money in Europe until they can get into the NBA.

[TheSundanceKid]

And even when he's "fully ready", what will he be?  A reserve big who can't rebound? I've already ranted about him in another thread, but he's not first-round material, much less top half of the first round where everyone seemingly puts him.

If that is the case imagine the Maker project longevity!? 

This is why I can't believe Maker will go first round. It will take most of his rookie contract just to see the court. At least Skal has some shooting finesse to build around

[TheSundanceKid]

If they force guys to d-league, more players will opt to play abroad. The d-league doesn't pay enough. Players already are hurt by delays in their career starting since years of service impact your max deal. Starting players later would just mean guys who would have been worthy of a max 30m contract being stuck with a 20 million max. If they are going to lose a substantial amount of money over their career, they might as well make money in Europe until they can get into the NBA.

With the inflation of the salary cap something has to give with D-League salaries. Are they tied to the CBA? With how connected they are to NBA teams now they really should be aligned to the salary cap inflation each year

[passesofftodj]

This is one of the problems with guys entering the NBA after only one year of college: There are probably going to be several players each year who will be pretty good 3 or 4 years down the road, so some teams feel like they need to draft them now so they don't miss out on them later, but in the meantime they contribute virtually nothing while taking up a roster spot.

And that's where the D-League comes in, at least in the NBA's mind if it ever fully develops into a legit minor league system.

To me, they either have to fully invest in the NBDL, allow guys to be drafted out of HS, and develop properly that way, or do what the NfL does and make guys stay for at least 3/4 years so the majority get the development they need.

IMO, supporting the sham that is college sports is the worse way to go but either way, they have to pick one or the other because what they have now is just bad for the majority in both directions.

True, but it is awfully good for the crooked for proft colleges who put on the sham and bilk parents out of billions/shackle students with massive debt.

Guys staying longer helped the NBA.  Players were more developed, easier to scout/forecast, and had already been marketed to the public free of charge.

[BDeCosta26]

This is one of the problems with guys entering the NBA after only one year of college: There are probably going to be several players each year who will be pretty good 3 or 4 years down the road, so some teams feel like they need to draft them now so they don't miss out on them later, but in the meantime they contribute virtually nothing while taking up a roster spot.

And that's where the D-League comes in, at least in the NBA's mind if it ever fully develops into a legit minor league system.

To me, they either have to fully invest in the NBDL, allow guys to be drafted out of HS, and develop properly that way, or do what the NfL does and make guys stay for at least 3/4 years so the majority get the development they need.

IMO, supporting the sham that is college sports is the worse way to go but either way, they have to pick one or the other because what they have now is just bad for the majority in both directions.

True, but it is awfully good for the crooked for proft colleges who put on the sham and bilk parents out of billions/shackle students with massive debt.

Guys staying longer helped the NBA.  Players were more developed, easier to scout/forecast, and had already been marketed to the public free of charge.

Exactly why I think were much better off if we raise D-League salaries to a reasonable level, and allow 1st round guys unlimited trips up and down at their rookie salaries. Plus, every NBA team should establish it's own NBDL team, align it with the concepts of the parent franchise and stock it with 18-21 year old late 1sts, 2nds and UFA's.

Pretty much what were doing right now is the route you'd expect to go. Just allow HS seniors to declare, and make a rule where you have to be two or three years removed from HS to play in the actual league. Then guys like Maker, Skal, Bender can develop into more ready, quality players.

At least that doesn't support the god awful NCAA

[Evantime34]

The steal at 16 I'm hoping for.

After seeing work out videos of him shooting, I agree with you. His jumper looks really smooth out to NBA 3. He's an NBA unicorn in that he can block shots and shoot from 3.

[mmmmm]

This is one of the problems with guys entering the NBA after only one year of college: There are probably going to be several players each year who will be pretty good 3 or 4 years down the road, so some teams feel like they need to draft them now so they don't miss out on them later, but in the meantime they contribute virtually nothing while taking up a roster spot.

And that's where the D-League comes in, at least in the NBA's mind if it ever fully develops into a legit minor league system.

To me, they either have to fully invest in the NBDL, allow guys to be drafted out of HS, and develop properly that way, or do what the NfL does and make guys stay for at least 3/4 years so the majority get the development they need.

IMO, supporting the sham that is college sports is the worse way to go but either way, they have to pick one or the other because what they have now is just bad for the majority in both directions.

I agree completely, though they need to probably look at the MLB & NHL models for development more so than the NFL.

It's nice to see that at least a few players in recent years are starting to bypass the farce that is the NCAA and use either the D-League or the international leagues to fill their one-and-done requirement.  But it still has a long ways to go.

[mmmmm]

If they force guys to d-league, more players will opt to play abroad. The d-league doesn't pay enough. Players already are hurt by delays in their career starting since years of service impact your max deal. Starting players later would just mean guys who would have been worthy of a max 30m contract being stuck with a 20 million max. If they are going to lose a substantial amount of money over their career, they might as well make money in Europe until they can get into the NBA.

Once they have a full D-League, where every NBA team has an NBADL affiliation, you can setup affiliation contracts  and 'expanded rosters' where players on the D-League are getting paid by the NBA team that owns their rights.   

The expanded role of the D-League would come with more changes than simply 'forcing guys to d-league'.   It would have to become a fully viable development league.   This is not rocket science, though.  Other sports already do this and provide models that they can emulate where it makes sense.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

This is one of the problems with guys entering the NBA after only one year of college: There are probably going to be several players each year who will be pretty good 3 or 4 years down the road, so some teams feel like they need to draft them now so they don't miss out on them later, but in the meantime they contribute virtually nothing while taking up a roster spot.

And that's where the D-League comes in, at least in the NBA's mind if it ever fully develops into a legit minor league system.

To me, they either have to fully invest in the NBDL, allow guys to be drafted out of HS, and develop properly that way, or do what the NfL does and make guys stay for at least 3/4 years so the majority get the development they need.

IMO, supporting the sham that is college sports is the worse way to go but either way, they have to pick one or the other because what they have now is just bad for the majority in both directions.

I was thinking about the D-League as I was writing my first post, and I agree with your overall assessment. The D-League is, in theory, a good idea, but is itself in need of development.

Basketball doesn't have the minor-league system (and the expectation that players will work their way up through it) that baseball and hockey have, and basketball also lacks the huge rosters and practice squads that football has. Basically, when it comes to roster and development structure, it has the worst of everything: inadequate development system, small rosters (and two players on the roster can't even dress), and teams have to decide whether it's worth having a young player taking a spot when they might not contribute for 3 or 4 years.

[saltlover]

If they force guys to d-league, more players will opt to play abroad. The d-league doesn't pay enough. Players already are hurt by delays in their career starting since years of service impact your max deal. Starting players later would just mean guys who would have been worthy of a max 30m contract being stuck with a 20 million max. If they are going to lose a substantial amount of money over their career, they might as well make money in Europe until they can get into the NBA.

With the inflation of the salary cap something has to give with D-League salaries. Are they tied to the CBA? With how connected they are to NBA teams now they really should be aligned to the salary cap inflation each year

D-league salaries are actually paid by the NBA itself.  D-league players are all employees directly of the NBA, except those on 15-man rosters.  They are not members of the players association, so their contract is not part of the CBA.  However, the NBA's overhead costs, which include D-league salaries, come out of the revenue total before the salary cap is calculated, so the more D-leaguers get paid, the smaller the salary cap.  So while it's a marginal amount of money for the salary cap now, if they started getting paid $250,000 a year, it could lower the cap by a million or two.