2024 NBA DRAFT THREAD 4

[deeps6x]

Hunter Sallis is withdrawing as well

[x]

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?s=46&t=bbHklJ8GtSbhRHldSOdiIA[/x]

Wild. 2025 is going to be an even better draft than ppl are anticipating. Sallis is legit

Trade Poeltl for Edey (or Missi, Ware or some other C), tank hard for the 2025 draft.

Just doooo it Masai.

[Dalek]

Josh Oduro also posted on his IG story that he was in Toronto. He is 24 later this year but honestly, this man cooked Donovan Clingan and Ryan Kalkbrenner the past year. He is a fascinating below the rim C with passing and some shooting.

You can watch the highlights and be blown away with his footwork, but Oduro is a leader. He sounds a bit like old FVV before he got too full of himself.

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[aminiaturebuddha]

The dumbass scout who followed in college and then insisted that we work out then sign a dude that is 5'8 to play professional basketball...I sure hope he or she has since been fired.

Easily one of the dumbest signings ever. Why did we ever waste time, money and a roster spot on Tiny Fred?

Might've been enthralled with the 9.6 BPM he posted? But, also, it's highly unlikely that undrafted 2 way signings ever really work out, so it really isn't too big of a deal. Wouldn't fire someone.

It's scary that Tiny Fred was followed throughout the college season by someone and that resources and a roster spot were wasted on him. Basketball is ruled by tall guys...let's be honest. In a league with guys as tall as 7'4...looking at a sub-6 foot tall guard is just stupid. How was anyone thinking that Tiny Fred could be an impact player in the league?

Tiny Fred and perhaps also Christian Koloko are probably the front office thinking they could replicate the success of FVV and Pascal by adding guys straight out of the FVV and Pascal mold. That's front office hubris and incredibly dangerous if they are still approaching the draft in the same manner.

Ulrich Chomche's bio reads kinda like Pascal and I'm sure he is very much on the radar for our front office...but is he the best player available wherever he gets picked...or is he the pick because he's kinda like Pascal?

Come on, man. Now you're just inventing things to get upset about. There's nothing to suggest that anyone believed that Nowell was going to be "an impact player in the league". Nobody thinks that UDFA two-way players are this.

It's much more likely that they hoped that he would be a good lead guard with the 905 to give players like Koloko pick-and-roll reps and help other developing prospects find their spots on the court, since those were his strengths in college.

This isn't "hubris" and "dangerous". It's how every team approaches fringe roster undrafted two-way guys. If you had bigger expectations than that, that's on you.

[RoteSchroder]

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why are so many players withdrawing? They think they're gonna go in the lottery in 2025?

[CazOnReal]

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why are so many players withdrawing? They think they're gonna go in the lottery in 2025?

Because the deadline to withdraw just passed and this was their last chance to do so if they didn't maintain the ability to transfer back to college/to retain their ability to play overseas. This isn't anything new.

Hell, Kel'el Ware did this exact same thing last year to improve his stock which uh...it hasn't really worked out, he's probably going around the same area he was expected to in 2023.

[Mark_83]

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why are so many players withdrawing? They think they're gonna go in the lottery in 2025?

Short answer: NIL money.

Long answer: NIL now heavily incentivizes players who are not in line for guaranteed pro-money (i.e., 1st round money) to take guaranteed amateur money instead. The NBA caps 2nd round picks salaries at 50% the minimum rookie salary (approximately $559,782). Some players can make as much as that and possibly more with guaranteed in NIL endorsements. In fact, Bronny would actually make less money as a 2nd round pick this year than he did in the NCAA.

https://en.as.com/ncaa/what-ncaa-basketball-players-make-the-most-money-from-nil-endorsements-n/

Bronny James, USC, $5.9 million

Bronny’s NIL value dropped from $7.2 million to $5.9 million after his cardiac arrest. However, he gained a significant following on +11.9k just 48 hours after his USC debut, resulting in a five-figure increase in his value. His partnership with Nike, recent appearance in the Fast X commercial, and collaboration with Beats by Dre also contribute to his earnings. Bronny is a highly sought-after athlete represented by Klutch Sports and currently holds the top position on the NIL rank list.

Moreover, if you noticed there are a lot of players who put their name into both the draft AND transfer portals (including Bronny). That's because a lot of the top players sell their services through the transfer portal looking for the best NIL deal with companies associated with a particular school.

https://boardroom.tv/ncaa-transfer-portal-nil/

NIL opportunities can have a huge impact on where a player winds up. In the past, basketball or football players who are excelling at mid-majors might transfer to a bigger program to gain visibility and set themselves up better as a professional prospect. That still exists. But for those who aren’t guaranteed a long career in the pros, the ability to make more money now is going to be a factor.

Overall, it's just a safer bet than risking a non-guaranteed contract or worse, being undrafted and being out in the basketball wilderness having to play overseas. By returning they still get paid, maintain their college eligibility and can possibly boost their draft stock for the following year.