The NBA G League made a major announcement this Thursday when it revealed its new “select contract” route. These are the $125,000 contracts that the G League will offer to elite high school prospects who are at least 18 but are not yet eligible for the NBA draft. Previously, recent high school graduates l had this option, but they were only able to make the standard $35,000 G League salary that is earned by the rest of the league.This is the NBA’s attempt to invest in its minor league and to provide an alternative to the NCAA for players. Beyond just the higher salary, players going into the G League would be free to market their own brand and likeness and to sign any endorsement deals that they wish, as they would not be in violation of any NCAA rules by doing so. The offer may seem attractive at first glance, but if the NBA is hoping to model its minor league off the success of those in baseball and soccer, this change will not do enough to tip the scale.Players coming straight out of high school still have far too much incentive to go into the college game, and the disadvantages of the G League for their own development and marketing are too great. The average age of players in the G League is 25 years old, which means that no matter how talented and athletic these 18-year-old prospects are, they will still be thrust into a situation where they are completely overwhelmed by the size, strength and athleticism of their competition.Additionally, these players may not even see much court time in the G League. The coaches of these teams do not have a large incentive to play young players, who may not win them games, for the sake of those players’ development, especially when the players have no official ties to — and will likely never play a minute of basketball for — the affiliated NBA team. Finally, the select contract prospects will come into this league facing animosity from their teammates, who would make significantly less money, even though they may be doing more in the moment to help their team win games.Expecting elite high school prospects to jump at this opportunity is asking them to give up all the glamour and exposure that comes along with high-profile Div. I college basketball, and potentially the future of their career, for one year of a $125,000 salary. If the past year’s FBI report on corruption in college basketball is any indication, almost all of the ‘elite’ players that would be invited to this G League opportunity are already receiving this amount of money without the aforementioned drawbacks.The NCAA as it currently stands is a deeply flawed and corrupt institution, but it still holds far too much power for a handful of select contracts to shake up the whole system.
Weidner's Words: Where select contracts fall short
