Proballer
Years ago
NBL Should Have A Local Draft
Teams would be able to have their standard amount of players and get training extras via the draft and some potential local stars
Proballer
Years ago
Teams would be able to have their standard amount of players and get training extras via the draft and some potential local stars
Why not just invite players, if they're wanted elsewhere it's up to player then. Called free agency and clubs already do it and also have development players.
Isaac
Years ago
A draft could work for a Next Stars program paid by the league. Been discussed a load of times on Hoops why it couldn't work for rookies, training players, etc.
Yeah imagine a job paid $60k per year, with limited opportunities to make it to a well paid gig, and you don't get to decide where you live in a country the size of Australia...
Scout
Years ago
Where you are playing basketball with the opportunity of larger contract down the track with the best the country has to offer. I coach juniors and know of quite a few who would be happy with that (or should) as opposed to stacking shelves at Woolies.
Unless they are under 23's why would guys in the there mid to late 20's want to play for only 60K.
Its simply not enough money and particularly if you get no choice on where you get to play or who you sign for.
The juniors are currently getting unpaid training partner gigs or paid bugger all as DP. It's adults in their low to mid 20s that are on minimum wage (or the vets at the end of their career). Quite different to the NBA or even AFL.
D2.0
Years ago
Firstly, drafts are basically illegal in Australia.
I agree with the concept of a Next-Stars draft, and it could work because the players would be contracted with the League, not individual clubs. Hence it wouldn't be a draft in the usual meaning, but simply a mechanism for the league to allocate its employees. Guaranteed minutes, etc, could still be attached to individual players and it would be up to clubs whether they choose them.
The whole problem with DPs and TPs, is that it's NOT a guaranteed pathway.
Often these kids have spent 4 years in College, earning a degree in basket-weaving, and by the time they arrive in a DP or TP situation, their dreams are well and truly shattered.
This isn't like the AFL, where a player would eat his own testicle for a Rookie spot. These "otherwise unemployed" ballers need to be looking for their NEW career. If they can then pick up an SBL gig, and/or get asked to be a TP, then that's just a bonus.
I guess some teams are able to make decent offers to DPs, but most teams cant, and I imagine it will dry up even more post-covid.
But either way, the NBL reality is that a Draft for those players would be arse-about backwards. Can you imagine the BEST unsigned prospect in the country being told he has to move interstate and play for the Hawks, pay his own living expenses, whilst earning peanuts?!?
UseTaHoop
Years ago
Might be some call for a draft of locals returning from the covid19 capitals in the US and Europe, if they're looking for relative safe haven in Australia and NZ.
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