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SALT LAKE CITY — Earlier this month, the NBA G-League announced plans in 2019 to begin paying select players who are eligible for the G-League but not quite ready for the NBA yet.
This plan appears to be the G-League’s answer for players who don’t want to spend a season in college or overseas building their draft stock. According to a release from the G-League, players who choose the “professional path” provided by the G-League will be paid a $125,000 salary for the 5-month season.
Players who are 18 years old by Sept. 15 ahead of the season are eligible for the “select contract.” These contracts can be given to any player except for those who have already gone through the NBA draft.
In a separate release, The G-League said the rest of the players' salaries for the upcoming season will be an average salary of $35,000, or $7,000 a month.
Two-way contracts are set up a little different due to the players spending a lot of time split between their NBA team and their G-League team as well. The two-way deal is $77,250, with the money allocated for time spent on both rosters. The max amount of money a two-way deal is worth is $385,000.
The money is certainly an attractive option for high school players and makes the decision between college and the G-League difficult. But Utah Stars head coach Martin Schiller thinks that making the jump comes with some unexpected risks.
“These guys may be very exposed,” Schiller explained. “You could be as talented as you want. If you’re not LeBron (James), but you’re a really talented 18 year old and you’re still playing against a 27 year old whose perhaps played in the NBA or overseas, you’re probably going to get hammered. And here comes the exposure.”
Naz Mitrou-Long is currently on a two-way deal with the Utah Jazz. He spent nearly all of last season playing for the Stars, eventually earning a call up to the Jazz.
Prior to making it to the NBA, Mitrou-Long played college basketball at Iowa State. A season-ending injury cut his senior year short, but he was awarded a medical redshirt, making himself eligible for one more year with the Cyclones.
Mitrou-Long said his path to the league is not exactly the same as some of his peers, but said that despite the larger salary the G-League will soon offer, he would have still gone to college if the option were in front of him again.
“I wouldn’t have changed it for anything,” Mitrou-Long said. “My experiences at Iowa State was second to none. There's a reason that I talk about it the way I do. There’s a reason I wear this (bracelet) on my wrist every game. So I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for kids who are in need of money, for the simple fact that there are families out there struggling. This is real life. Who am I to sit here and say one way or the other is the wrong way?" He added. "I know me personally, I was okay with going to college. I got my degree and did all that situation, and I’m here now. But if someone were to take that route, I see nothing wrong with it at all.”
The No. 1 overall selection by the Stars in the G-League draft was Willie Reed, formerly of St. Louis University. Reed noted that when he left high school for college, he needed the time to improve his skills on the court and to build muscle on his then 6-foot-9, 170 lbs. body.
“I wasn’t the player that could have come out of high school," Reed said. "I know I needed some time in college to develop and get stronger.”
Reed added that “it’s big for kids these days” to be able to make money playing basketball right out of high school.
The fear of having the flaws in their young game revealed, possibly resulting in a career cratering move, might be enough for some players to want to spend time in college.
This new rule won’t be in place until next season, so in the meantime, the G-League is hiring a staff committed to finding players who will be considered for select contracts and run the process as smoothly as possible. Marcos Aragon is the Editor-in-Chief of the Salt Lake Community College student publication, The Globe.
