As the NBA looks to give young players different options on how to best use their skills on their way to the NBA, the G League announces that they have hired Rod Strickland to manage their new top level contracts. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN was among the first to report.
Strickland… will evaluate elite prospects, as well as educate and mentor them on the new initiative that offers select high school prospects the option to bypass NCAA basketball and accept a $125,000 salary for a five-month G League season.
Many were uncertain how the G League would evaluate which players were the “elite prospects” that qualify for this contract. That is precisely why they hired Strickland. As an NBA veteran, the G League trust Strickland to evaluate talent, know which players are right for the G League and eventually the NBA and be able to offer them the selective contract.
Strickland will also be assisted by former WNBA player Allison Feaster. Feaster, a Harvard graduate, will be focusing on the broader scope of the policy while Strickland while be on the road evaluating talent face to face.
Rod Strickland and the G League are hoping to make their league more relevant by gaining top talent, but also aim to help young players develop their game in a way no other league in the world can provide. Because many of these players are bypassing college, there are certain lifelong skills that are not learned. That is where the Professional Path program comes along.
“We want to help them in everyday life, like balancing a checkbook, understanding what’s out there — and how not to get caught up in the wrong things,” Strickland told ESPN. “Just like with a college kid, we will put in place a structure to help guide them through it all.
“I’ve enjoyed a lot of different kinds of experiences in basketball, enjoyed the mentorship part in college and I’m looking forward to the evaluation and helping of young men attain their goals on and off the court.”
As the G-League attempts to make itself a more viable option for young players, they announced earlier this year new contracts available for certain players coming out of high school. The top salary of $125,000 may be enough to persuade certain top prospects to forgo the NCAA and spend their one year of NBA-prep competing in the G League instead.
