With all the heat the NCAA has come under recently, the future of some hundreds of NBA prospects has been immediately jeopardized. From coaches to players to the front office, there has been a wave of scandalous activity in the NCAA.
Though players have been looking for alternative routes towards making their professional dreams come true for years now, the Australian National Basketball League has officially taken a step towards helping players who have no interest in attending a year of college and are seeking immediate financial compensation.
The name of the new legislation is the ‘Next Stars’ program which basically adds an eligible roster spot for any potential one-and-done players from the United States. Following from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony:
The NBL has formalized a rule that should make it much easier for future prospects in his mold to forgo college and develop in Australia instead. As part of its new “Next Stars” program, the NBL will be adding an extra roster spot next season intended strictly for draft-eligible players such as Ferguson, the league told ESPN. Sources told ESPN those players will be paid 100,000 Australian dollars gross guaranteed (approximately $78,000 U.S.), funded directly by the league.
“Unlike other countries where players and agents deal with clubs, the NBL will directly contract the players,” NBL owner and executive chairman Larry Kestelman said in a release provided exclusively to ESPN. “We will make sure the players get the development they need as part of the program with our clubs, giving them the best chance of success.
“The NBL provides strong visibility back to the U.S. Our league is closest to the NBA in terms of style of play and game day presentation. We will work to build a program to provide the right access to NBA teams and scouts alike.”
The player being referred to is current OKC Thunder guard Terrance Ferguson who spent a season overseas in Australia instead of a solo collegiate campaign at the University of Arizona. Ferguson was drafted 21st overall in this past year’s draft and has enjoyed a decent rookie campaign, despite an inconsistent season in the NBL.
With so many young players now looking for alternate routes of achieving their NBA dreams, this proactive move by the NBL should pay major dividends for the league and players alike.
Expect more teenage athletes in the future to pursue options outside of an uncompensated, brief collegiate tenure in the NCAA.
