An Idea on how NBA can clean up NCAA and the 1 and done rule

[CFAN38]

With the various scandals ripping through college basketball and all the talk of how to handle high school players joining the NBA I have a simple (yet expensive solution).

When it comes to 1 n done the league owners have two obvious issues. Allowing high-school players to be drafted puts added pressure on teams to scout in high schools where its more difficult to evaluate talent and then they must develop these kids. This leads to a lot of players not making it to second NBA contracts and teams wasting time and $$ on investments that don't pan out. There is also the fact that the NBA player association doesn't want to see less roster spots for vets while teenagers are being developed.

The current system is funneling kids into college who have no interest in anything other then getting to the NBA and starting their careers. These players are caught up in the ugly world on "blue chip prospects" leading to the scandals that have been coming to light more often then usual this season.

 My solution is for the NBA to set up an NBA prep academy. Start out with one academies with the potential to grow in the future to multiple academies spread around the country. Each academy would take in around 12 players. These players would be high end pro level prospects who would be paid to attend. I would figure on compensating them similar to G-league A contracts $25,000. However players would also have the option of passing on their salary to retain NCAA eligibility for the following year. In this sense it would be much like a traditional prep school. This would be set up where players live on campus take classes relevant to their future lives as athletes with a short earning window (ie try to avoid antoine walkers). They would then be able to compete in the G-league (likely on a reduced schedule) and in exhibitions vs Euro and south American teams. I would also make them part of the all-star weekend.

This system would certainly have hole in it but it would allow a platform for players to be paid and NBA teams to get a real feel for prospects pre draft. As much as this would hurt the NCAAs talent pool it would really be know different then when players where going straight to the NBA from high school.       

[wdleehi]

NBA doesn't have to clean up the NCAA mess. 


I still think the NBA should do one of one thing if they want to free themselves from any mess college sports may make for them:

Make a true minor league system where they can keep a player drafted out of high-school for up to three years without using up years on their rookie contract years.  (but count those years as years of service and pay them a salary equal to the first year of a rookie deal every year they are in that system)

[Roy H.]

It’s an interesting idea, but if you were a truly elite prospect, would you want to share the ball with 11 other elite prospects, or be showcased as the #1 / #1A option in the NCAA?

[Moranis]

Silver has talked pretty consistently of late of making a rule more similar to baseball, but instead of 3 years it would be 2.  So a 0 and 2 rule.  Where you can declare for the draft right out of high school, but if you go to college you have to go for at least 2 years.  That would tie into an expanded G League where every NBA team has its own fully dedicated minor league team.  You are starting to see the steps of that being made with the 2-Way player contracts.  That will likely expand and they might even add a round to the draft in that scenario. 

[CFAN38]

It’s an interesting idea, but if you were a truly elite prospect, would you want to share the ball with 11 other elite prospects, or be showcased as the #1 / #1A option in the NCAA?

I think the college super teams like Kentucky and Duke have proven that kids can go to teams where they are not 1,2 of 3rd options and still get drafted high.

If your an elite prospect you take the academy approach because you will

A. be getting a salary

B. be able to get money in form of a loan from agent or endorsements

C. be extremely exposed to NBA GMS and scouts

D. ideally getting better on and off court development then you would in college or over seas

[CFAN38]

NBA doesn't have to clean up the NCAA mess. 


I still think the NBA should do one of one thing if they want to free themselves from any mess college sports may make for them:

Make a true minor league system where they can keep a player drafted out of high-school for up to three years without using up years on their rookie contract years.  (but count those years as years of service and pay them a salary equal to the first year of a rookie deal every year they are in that system)

I agree NBA doesn't have to clean up the NCAA's mess but they also need to protect their incoming investments. Players who lose a year of basketball before joining the NBA because of NCAA violations  are not helping their development.

In theory the G-league is a great idea but taking an 18 year old and dropping him in the G-league should require a lot of time and money invested from the team to manage a kid. Setting up an academy take that investment out of the hands of individual teams and places it under league wide control.

Also imagine the draw the NBA could great by having the academy team playing their own schedule across the country. 

[wdleehi]

NBA doesn't have to clean up the NCAA mess. 


I still think the NBA should do one of one thing if they want to free themselves from any mess college sports may make for them:

Make a true minor league system where they can keep a player drafted out of high-school for up to three years without using up years on their rookie contract years.  (but count those years as years of service and pay them a salary equal to the first year of a rookie deal every year they are in that system)

I agree NBA doesn't have to clean up the NCAA's mess but they also need to protect their incoming investments. Players who lose a year of basketball before joining the NBA because of NCAA violations  are not helping their development.

In theory the G-league is a great idea but taking an 18 year old and dropping him in the G-league should require a lot of time and money invested from the team to manage a kid. Setting up an academy take that investment out of the hands of individual teams and places it under league wide control.

Also imagine the draw the NBA could great by having the academy team playing their own schedule across the country.

Why would a kid lose a year because of an NCAA violation?  When he can be drafted doesn't change. 

[CFAN38]

Obama wants a junior league


http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2761742-barack-obama-says-nba-should-create-junior-league-discusses-ncaa-structure?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=programming-national

[CFAN38]

NBA doesn't have to clean up the NCAA mess. 


I still think the NBA should do one of one thing if they want to free themselves from any mess college sports may make for them:

Make a true minor league system where they can keep a player drafted out of high-school for up to three years without using up years on their rookie contract years.  (but count those years as years of service and pay them a salary equal to the first year of a rookie deal every year they are in that system)

I agree NBA doesn't have to clean up the NCAA's mess but they also need to protect their incoming investments. Players who lose a year of basketball before joining the NBA because of NCAA violations  are not helping their development.

In theory the G-league is a great idea but taking an 18 year old and dropping him in the G-league should require a lot of time and money invested from the team to manage a kid. Setting up an academy take that investment out of the hands of individual teams and places it under league wide control.

Also imagine the draw the NBA could great by having the academy team playing their own schedule across the country.

Why would a kid lose a year because of an NCAA violation?  When he can be drafted doesn't change.

I'm referring to a situation like Kanters years ago or Wiley of Auburn this year. Both players missed a year of competitive basketball because of the NCAA.