Kenny Satterfield. Guard from the University of Cincinnati. Freshman in 99-00 and Soph in 00-01. Entered the NBA draft after his Sophomore year and was the 53rd pick in the draft and out of the NBA after two years. He made 845k total for his NBA career. There was talk that had he entered the draft out of high school he might have been a first round pick. Probably would have made a huge difference in his life.
While for busts like him, a few hundred thousand makes a big difference. I think you're wrong if you think things would be any different.
Leon Smith was ranked higher than him in that recruiting class (though not by all sources), and was drafted with the last pick of the first round (doubtful a 6'2" high school pg goes higher than a 6'10" big man out of high school). I think Satterfield is still going in the 2nd round, still making around the same money.
Korleone Young went pro out of high school the year before Satterfield would have, taken in the 2nd round and made under 300k. Maybe Satterfield did make the right decision afterall.
Leon Smith and Korleone Young had all sorts of off court problems that Satterfield did not.
How about Rashard Lewis who went in the 2nd round that same year Young did? He was supposed to go first round as well. Or Al Harrington who went #25? Both ranked higher in their classes than Satterfield was in his. Or did they have problems too?
Deshawn Stevenson was higher ranked in the class after Satterfield's and was drafted #23 out of high school.
It was a big deal when Telfair came out, because no undersized pg had over come straight out of high school before. He was much more highly regard than Satterfield, and they weren't even sure if he'd be drafted in the 1st round (why he wasn't in the green room on draft night).
In 1998, before a lot of guys were yet to go straight to the pros from high school, 6'2" Satterfield was not going in the first round. A lot of these guys were super hyped back then. They said DeMarr Johnson was going to go pro after his junior year of high school! That was never going to happen either. I believe Telfair and Lou Williams (who went #45) were the only players under 6'5" drafted out of high school.
Satterfield was not going in the 1st round in 1998. I doubt he would have been drafted at all (kinda like Lenny Cooke who was supposed to be a 1st round pick out of high school too).