BREAKING: Emmanuel Mudiay (top HS player) will play in China; $1.2 million contract

[D-Rose]

If I could go live in another country and play basketball as one of these young guys, it'd be Australia. Not sure about the $ though, but I see why Jonny Flynn went there for a gig.

Hope Mudiay pans out and comes over next draft.

[Cactus-Sack]

Hope this becomes a trend.

[32MJ32]

If I could go live in another country and play basketball as one of these young guys, it'd be Australia. Not sure about the $ though, but I see why Jonny Flynn went there for a gig.

Hope Mudiay pans out and comes over next draft.

There's not a whole lot of money on offer down here, certainly not anywhere close the amount you could get in Europe.

FWIW, although he had already been drafted, James Ennis just spent a year here "on loan" from Miami. I'd say it helped him earn a roster spot with the Heat, as he played really well, and it was good for our league to have a player of his calibre. Hopefully, it's something that is replicated going forward.

[MavsSuperFan]

Ironic that he has to go to China to avoid worker slavery.

Seriously though this is a legit way to get around the minimum age requirement in the NBA

[MavsSuperFan]

great for him to get paid but china is awful developmentally, especially for a raw, athletic point guard

with his money, hire a coach to help develop him.

I am always skeptical of how much can you really develop players. Is any sport really that complex? Its not brain surgery.

Talent is want disguishes busts from successful players imo

[Akrazotile]

I have no problem with guys' rights to do it this way, but for me the thing is if you cant even meet basic college elligibility requirements with a million dollar future on the line, how likely are you to be a good NBA player? For every Derrick Rose theres a bunch of Michael Beasley, Darius Miles, Korleone Young, JR Smith, Tyreke Evans, Andre Blatche. Why do people even want to watch guys like that??

Obviously not everyone who came in from highschool did so bc of poor academics, so Im not talkin bout those guys. But do we not enjoy watching high IQ teams like the Spurs and Heat and Mavs play in the finals? I dont understand how so many OBVIOUSLY dumb and immature players keep getting drafted with high picks just bc they can jump high. Cant people SEE what kind of teams and players are winning each year?? And yet we still get teams drafting guys with low iq and character flags. Its ridiculous.

[hawksdogsbraves]

?

Jennings went at #7 after his year in Europe then made the All-Rookie 1st Team. How is that a bad outcome? Sounds like a good one, to me, when you factor in he got paid for his year in Rome. He'd have likely ended up in the exact same NBA situation had he gone to school and been paid $0.00 in the process.

A bad outcome for this guy would be going overseas and off the radar of NBA teams, falling out of the 1st round entirely and almost not making the league after being rated as one of the top HS prospects in the USA, like Jeremy Tyler did.

It hurt his draft stock and messed up his development (imo).

I honestly think he'd probably be better off just training all year a la Dante Exum.

[MavsSuperFan]

I have no problem with guys' rights to do it this way, but for me the thing is if you cant even meet basic college elligibility requirements with a million dollar future on the line, how likely are you to be a good NBA player? For every Derrick Rose theres a bunch of Michael Beasley, Darius Miles, Korleone Young, JR Smith, Tyreke Evans, Andre Blatche. Why do people even want to watch guys like that??

Obviously not everyone who came in from highschool did so bc of poor academics, so Im not talkin bout those guys. But do we not enjoy watching high IQ teams like the Spurs and Heat and Mavs play in the finals? I dont understand how so many OBVIOUSLY dumb and immature players keep getting drafted with high picks just bc they can jump high. Cant people SEE what kind of teams and players are winning each year?? And yet we still get teams drafting guys with low iq and character flags. Its ridiculous.

Being smart in math, science, english, etc and getting good grades doesnt translate to high basketball IQ. Look at all the articles on the gpa inflation among major college athletic programs.

There are tons of guys geniuses at one thing Eg. art, that are incapable of handling, Stem courses.

for me the thing is if you cant even meet basic college elligibility requirements with a million dollar future on the line, how likely are you to be a good NBA player?

Really irrelevant, as professional sports is 99% physical.

[HurricaneKid]

I have no problem with guys' rights to do it this way, but for me the thing is if you cant even meet basic college elligibility requirements with a million dollar future on the line, how likely are you to be a good NBA player? For every Derrick Rose theres a bunch of Michael Beasley, Darius Miles, Korleone Young, JR Smith, Tyreke Evans, Andre Blatche. Why do people even want to watch guys like that??

Obviously not everyone who came in from highschool did so bc of poor academics, so Im not talkin bout those guys. But do we not enjoy watching high IQ teams like the Spurs and Heat and Mavs play in the finals? I dont understand how so many OBVIOUSLY dumb and immature players keep getting drafted with high picks just bc they can jump high. Cant people SEE what kind of teams and players are winning each year?? And yet we still get teams drafting guys with low iq and character flags. Its ridiculous.

Why are you assuming its academics?

Its not. There is an NCAA investigation and the kid did something. Probably had cream cheese with bagels.

[D-Rose]

**** the NCAA. They make billions off guys like this that would never want to go to college otherwise. People like this have a one in a million talent and deserve to earn their maximum potential.

[Akrazotile]

Why are you assuming its academics?

Its not. There is an NCAA investigation and the kid did something. Probably had cream cheese with bagels.

Youre right I did assume and if my assumption was wrong about this particular case thats my bad.

However I still think the point in general is valid, Im not saying anyone has to be GOOD at particular subjects but you dont have to be good at subjects to get passing grades, you just have to make a minimal effort. And I guess it just annoys me when the NBA is supposed to be the best bball league in the world and we have guys like michael beasley being drafted second overall. I mean there are so many flat out DUMB players on the court and off who get drafted. I just dont understand why teams dont take more caution with this. The Spurs never draft guys with character/maturity issues and look where they are. Why arent other teams doing the same???

[Real Men Wear Green]

Comparing NCAA to slavery is stupid. Players are not being forced to join it the way that slavery was forced. Nor does it have slavery's horrors. You can disagree with NCAA policies without making ridiculous comparisons.

[SpanishACB]

Ironic that he has to go to China to avoid worker slavery.

however, it's more ironic seeing yankees laugh at other countries slavery or standing against communism when they have it right at home and seem pretty happy with it giving the NCAA millions and millions in merchandise and TV deals.

[SpanishACB]

I have no problem with guys' rights to do it this way, but for me the thing is if you cant even meet basic college elligibility requirements with a million dollar future on the line, how likely are you to be a good NBA player? For every Derrick Rose theres a bunch of Michael Beasley, Darius Miles, Korleone Young, JR Smith, Tyreke Evans, Andre Blatche. Why do people even want to watch guys like that??

Obviously not everyone who came in from highschool did so bc of poor academics, so Im not talkin bout those guys. But do we not enjoy watching high IQ teams like the Spurs and Heat and Mavs play in the finals? I dont understand how so many OBVIOUSLY dumb and immature players keep getting drafted with high picks just bc they can jump high. Cant people SEE what kind of teams and players are winning each year?? And yet we still get teams drafting guys with low iq and character flags. Its ridiculous.

this is a troll post right?

mentioning the Spurs to support your argument it actually destroys it when you realize the amount of players they have that were teen professionals.

[moe94]

I have no problem with guys' rights to do it this way, but for me the thing is if you cant even meet basic college elligibility requirements with a million dollar future on the line, how likely are you to be a good NBA player? For every Derrick Rose theres a bunch of Michael Beasley, Darius Miles, Korleone Young, JR Smith, Tyreke Evans, Andre Blatche. Why do people even want to watch guys like that??

Obviously not everyone who came in from highschool did so bc of poor academics, so Im not talkin bout those guys. But do we not enjoy watching high IQ teams like the Spurs and Heat and Mavs play in the finals? I dont understand how so many OBVIOUSLY dumb and immature players keep getting drafted with high picks just bc they can jump high. Cant people SEE what kind of teams and players are winning each year?? And yet we still get teams drafting guys with low iq and character flags. Its ridiculous.

This entire post is just wtf