The end of one-and-done? New G League offer could change look of college basketball.
Is this the end of the one-and-done?
That might be premature to state, but the NBA’s development league took a step Thursday that could change the path high school basketball stars take to the pros.
The Associated Press reported that the G League is planning to offer an option to players who are not yet eligible for the NBA Draft a chance to turn pro out of high school and avoid the college one-and-done route.
Players will be eligible to sign a “select contract” if they turn 18 by Sept. 15 prior to the season that they would spend in the G League. The $125,000 contracts will be made available to elite prospects. The league said Thursday it is establishing a working group to identify players who could be offered the contract.
Players are not eligible to enter the NBA Draft until one year after high school. The G League contracts will start being available for the 2019-20 season.
Kentucky Coach John Calipari has guided numerous high school superstars through one season at UK and on to the NBA since his arrival in 2009, a wildly successful recruiting pitch that has led to the Wildcats playing in four Final Fours and winning one national championship under Calipari. Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski has also used the one-and-done rule to significant success.
The same types of players Calipari and Krzyzewski were able to attract to Kentucky and Duke now have an additional and potentially lucrative option to weigh when deciding their path to a professional career.
Not only would an elite high school player receive $125,000, he’d be allowed to hire an agent and sign sponsorship deals before ever entering the NBA Draft.
Calipari perhaps saw Thursday’s announcement coming when he spoke at length, unprompted, about the potential end of the one-and-done system during Wednesday’s Southeastern Conference Media Day.
The UK coach said one-and-done has not been bad for players. Most benefit from going to school for a year or more. Some don’t need to, he acknowledged.
“How do we evaluate and help get the information to the four or five or six or seven that should go (pro) and get the others to go to school?” Calipari asked. “Right now, I’m reading tea leaves ... and saying we’re trying to force all these kids off college campuses because none of them belong there. And they should go straight to the G League. Really? So when all these kids go to the G League, and 93 percent — my guess, tea leaves — don’t make it, what do we do? They’re road kill. Kicked to the side. What do we do with all those kids? You want to tell me the demographics of those kids? You tell me the demographics of what those kids are? Where they come from? Who they are? What do they look like?”
Calipari suggested a system under which players could turn pro right out of high school if they so choose but be guaranteed college scholarships when they’re done playing.
“Some of them will use it. Some of them won’t. ... Let them go back to college, and then we’ll let them sit out a year,” the UK coach said. “Let the NBA pay for them. And then let them start playing (in college) after a year. Why would you try to end a kid’s career when you’re the one that influenced them to leave? And (he) was 15 or 14. His mind wasn’t even developed to make a decision. ‘Well, his family should (pauses).’ Stop! Do you know the demographics you’re talking about? That’s why I said, I don’t think we should be forcing kids to go to the G League. But if you’re going to do it, do it (how) I said.”
Herald-Leader staff writer Jerry Tipton contributed to this article.
This story was originally published October 18, 2018 at 1:49 PM.