How college basketball NIL millions could ruin Lakers’ plans at 25th pick in NBA Draft originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Los Angeles Lakers‘ season ended Monday night, and while it’s logical to focus on LeBron James and Austin Reaves’ contracts, there’s also an NBA Draft to plan for.
The Lakers will have the No. 25 overall pick in the first round, and normally, that wouldn’t be a terrible spot to be.
In this era, though, it’s a lot tougher.
By the time the 25th pick rolls around, you’ve entered into the realm where players may have chosen to stay in college with NIL money rather than remain in the draft.
How college basketball NIL millions impact Lakers pick
The reality is that guys who are on the fringes of the first round are rarely staying in the draft anymore.
The Athletic recently cited three players who in past eras may have come out but in this era are returning to the NCAA for another year: Florida’s Thomas Haugh, UConn’s Braylon Mullins and Duke’s Patrick Ngongba.
“According to industry chatter, most high-major starters are set to earn at least $1 million next season, with players good enough to go pro liable to make several times that,” The Athletic’s Brendan Marks writes. “Rising prices in the college basketball marketplace eventually lead to an inevitable either-or question: Would you rather be selected 25th overall — and make just under $2.5 million as an NBA rookie, per the league’s wage scale — or make more than that to star for a college team with championship dreams?”
Ironically, he used the 25th pick in his example, probably more for how it looked numerically than any connection to the Lakers.
But he’s right. Anyone who isn’t assured of getting drafted by No. 25 might fall into the second round, where the contract setup is even worse.
The Lakers are likely just high enough on the board to end up with a player they like. But it’s no longer a spot where the choice will be obvious. Too many of the guys L.A. may have wanted to draft will still be playing college basketball for another year.