Not anymore ... With NIL some of these kids make more staying in college than they would on a rookie scale deal. He's at nearly $5m this year and that's subject to increase. No, it isn't #1 pick money .... yet?
He would get his 3rd or 4th contract a year later. In some cases there’s a massive difference being 31 or 32 or whatever in the contract you get. Unless someone is offering him in the neighborhood of 30 mil a year it’s asinine.
I used to believe this but if you actually study Booker he is just an older Jalen Green. Right now he is 2/8 vs Wembyless Spurs and shooting 34% for the year. KD is the true star despite his older age.
He declared for college a year earlier so he can play 2 yrs without impacting his "normal" timeline. With NIL his future is secured and with his talent he would still be no 1 in 2026 esp after a year of training. Maybe he is enjoying playing in Duke his team is destroying everyone and it is Duke, he is prob treated like a king on campus so he finds it more fun than going to a poverty franchise like the Wizards. It can be a good move so he is more prepared to play in the NBA and make a splash and be the ROY favorite.
Its not that big a deal for megastars like him. He will be a multi millionaire regardless. Jimmy B still got paid 50M at 36 yr old lol.
Sure, if there was a pile of a million dollars and a pile of 2 million, both are great and i'll live either way, but it would be idiotic to pick the 1 mil
If you are gonna earn 100M that decision is immaterial. Its not just a case of picking less money he gets to enjoy his youth by staying in college for 1 more year so its not a money decision to begin with.
If we wanted KD we should have gone for him at deadline. Plan on 2.5-3.5 years and of having him. Brooks+Reed+Uncle Jeff+2025 and 2027 phoenix picks.
Do guys have to declare for the draft before or after the lottery? I think the point about Washington is a good one. If SA or Dallas, for instance, got the no. 1 pick, would he have a change of heart?
The NBA draft declaration deadline happens first before the lottery so prospects cant dodge if the team is a bad one.
If you want KD losing Brooks makes zero sense since Brooks is playing like a fringe all star. Getting KD means win now you keep vets like FVV, Brooks, and Landale/Adams. Whitmore would have to go over Brooks. I dunno what is happening with the Suns but looks like KD wants to stay since he shut down possible trades. Doesnt make anysense for Suns not to trade KD at the deadline and then trade him in the summer.
I watched KD last night, he plays ZERO defense, he stands in the corner for most of the game hoping to get an open 3, he is an amazing shooter, but at this point in his career he does NOTHING else.....if we get him, he is just a guy that can shoot, if our guys work to set him up, there is literally nothing else he does now. DD
NCAA players have until April 27th to declare for the NBA Draft. This is the deadline for early entrants to submit their names into the draft pool. Players can withdraw their names up to June 16th The 2025 NBA Draft Lottery is scheduled for May 12th, 2025 They can declare and still have the option to withdraw ...
From age 23-27 Booker averaged 27 points on 48.4% / 36.0% shooting, with 5.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds. I'll be surprised if JG is that good starting next season, to be honest. Jalen might sniff 36% three point shooting if the improvements he's started to show are real, but he just doesn't have anything resembling Booker's midrange game. Booker has had a bad season though. I don't know what to read into his sudden decline, particularly his 3P%. He's only 28. He's not my favorite trade target, but I do think he's likely a noticeable upgrade over Jalen.
Maybe Booker being pressed into the point guard role when they traded for Beal (!?) has caused a drop in shooting percentage. It wore down James Harden by the end of the season, playing PG and SG roles, but during the regular season he was such a tank that only the strip clubs affected him on the court.
