First-Round Prospects Are Skipping the Draft for NIL Dollars — Here's How the NBA Can Fix the Problem
The situation will get worse before it gets better. Here are two potential solutions.
In 2021, NCAA athletes became eligible to earn money through a process known as NIL — short for name, image, and likeness.
Now, as NIL has taken root, schools’ affiliated collectives are offering million-dollar deals even to minor college stars, including NCAA men’s basketball players.
So a number of NBA prospects have decided to stay in school — the upshot is that NBA teams will be drawing from a smaller talent pool in this month’s draft. In particular, the second round of the draft might be much weaker than usual, but the first round will be affected as well.
Furthermore, one likely new development here is that colleges might soon be able to pay players directly rather than — or in addition to — the money being funneled to athletes through sponsorship deals.
With colleges expected to ramp up offers more and more — with the potential to develop into something more like a professional league — this situation isn't going away anytime soon, either.
How big is the problem likely to be, and can the NBA solve it? If so, how?
Here are my solutions:
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