The competition would still be worse in the D-League than in the NCAA or euroleague. If they want competition, they go to Europe or the NCAA. Europe has a better system for developing younger players also.
i dont know i like all of his ideas. and it would increase the level of competition quite a bit over time. if haseem thabeet or whatever was able to play against john wall it wouldnt look so bad to be called down to the d leagues. and as he said it would also promote the league and become more popular. although teams would still be spending top picks in the draft for HS seniors and that was what they were trying to avoid it seems. so maybe thats not that great of and idea
25-30k is not that bad actually. They work only about half the year and do not have to pay for living or transportation costs because the organization pays for that. Additionally, they can also work during the off season somewhere else.
If what D-League players make is similar to what MLS players make, I'd imagine most of them have second jobs. For the guys that probably won't get called up, I guess it's more for the love of the game. Getting paid is just a bonus.
Simple question is, could these guys make more money doing anything else? Also, if they are dedicated, nowadays with distance learning etc., plus looking at how short a basketball season is, playing in the D-League shouldn't really stop them from still getting an education.
I agree that players who aren't clearly aren't good enough to make it into the NBA shouldn't put too many years into it. At some point you have to move on. I mean when you're barely a rotatoinal player in the D-League the chances aren't good.
You have to realize that these guys have dedicated their lives to this. If they don't make it here, they aren't going to make it anywhere else because they're so far behind. I think exposure in the D League at least helps some that want to go on in basketball. Maybe be a high school coach, scout, or even elementary gym teacher later in their lives.
