NIL is giving college basketball players the power. Should the NBA draft wait?
NIL is giving college basketball players the power. Should the NBA draft wait?
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Dwyane Wade shares thoughts on Dallas Mavericks getting first pick
NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade shares his thoughts on the NBA and whether or not the Mavericks getting the first pick in the draft is a "coincidence."
Sports Seriously
CHICAGO − Yaxel Lendeborg rubbed his hands together seated inside Wintrust Arena, a wave of excitement and anxiety coursing through him as he laid out the options again before his first official NBA audition was set to begin. The former UAB star is an intriguing figure among the group of players taking part in this week's 2025 NBA Draft Combine. He's facing the sort of decision prospects invited to this annual league event never did in the past.
Lendeborg is a potential late first-round draft pick, according to draft experts, who could also slide into the second round – when contracts are not guaranteed – depending on how his pre-draft workouts go. The 6-foot-10 big man also committed to Michigan in April as one of the country's most coveted transfers amidst an explosion of money being paid to college football and basketball players through name, image and likeness compensation and the anticipated implementation of revenue sharing by the NCAA for the 2025-26 season.
The 22-year-old has until the NCAA's May 28 withdrawal date to pull out of the draft and retain his college eligibility. And sounds torn about it right now. More torn than any of the other college hopefuls around him this week.
2025 NBA DRAFT: Why Cooper Flagg was 'surprised' when Mavericks got No. 1 pick
'The NBA is ultimately the goal for a lot of guys. It's just college is so tempting because of the money,' Lendeborg told USA TODAY Sports. 'I'm 50-50 between the NBA and Michigan, and I just hope that a team can let me know early so I don't mess anything up.'
How NIL changed the 2025 NBA draft
The dynamics and financial implications of the traditional NBA draft decision tree have changed because of the money players can now make at the college level. There were only 106 early entrants in the 2025 NBA draft, which is the lowest figure in a decade and down from 353 in 2021. There were also more players from the Portsmouth Invitational, a pre-draft event for college seniors, invited to the NBA Draft Combine (18) than recent years.
The trends are in direct correlation to the rapid increase in NIL money being doled out by college basketball programs. For one season, the starter for a power conference team in college will often make more than an NBA player on the first year of a rookie deal. For many, it might be the most money they ever make in one season playing basketball.
The attempts to thread that needle, of maximizing money made in college and in the NBA, has infused chaos into the college ranks through the transfer portal and constant roster churn. It played out this week in Chicago as numerous college coaching staffs were on hand to both support their participating players at the NBA draft combine, and quietly hope the feedback convinces them to come back to college for another season.
'A case of food poisoning – nothing serious – would be good for the University Michigan right now,' Wolverines assistant coach Mike Boynton joked on Tuesday before explaining they always knew there was a chance Lendeborg would go to the NBA.
It's yet another ripple effect of the power shift within college sports.
'We've got the best of both worlds,' said St. John's star R.J. Luis, who entered the NBA draft and the NCAA's transfer portal this offseason. 'We're basically like semi-pros. We got like one-year contracts basically (in college). It's just about trying to find the best opportunity at the right moment.'
'Good for the basketball ecosystem'
The NBA doesn't seem to mind this, either.
Five league executives told USA TODAY Sports at the draft combine that the implementation of name, image and likeness at the college level has produced minimal disruptions for the league or its draft process. Some view it as a positive development despite the issues NIL created for college basketball teams. As one NBA general manager put it, 'The guys will come into the draft eventually.'
'You're still getting the top-end guys, but you're not going to get sophomores and juniors,' said an NBA front office executive who runs his team's college scouting operation. 'You're going to see a gap in the draft the next couple years, especially in the second round. But most guys choosing to go back (to college) would struggle to stay (in the NBA) anyways. Now these guys can build brands in college. In the long run, it might be better.'
'It's good for the basketball ecosystem,' added another NBA team executive.
But there will still be players like Lendeborg placed in a precarious spot, hoping the measurements, scrimmage performances and meetings with NBA officials at the combine and a flurry of workouts the next two weeks provide more clarity.
The Pennsauken, New Jersey native only played 11 varsity basketball games in high school and had to go the junior college route before arriving at UAB. There is no precedent for what he's going through because a fringe first-round pick five years ago wouldn't also be mulling NIL deals worth millions of dollars.
He doesn't want to stay in school just because of the money. But he also doesn't want to go to the NBA and not have a chance to be a rotation player quickly. He only needs one team to promise him he will get one to stay in the draft. He just needs to know before May 28.
'If it doesn't happen by then," Lendeborg said, "then the decision is going to be really hard to make.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
25 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
With no players left from last season's team photo, Baylor begins summer practice with new roster
WACO, Texas — Baylor coach Scott Drew had plenty of players for the first practice of the summer Wednesday, about two months after the team photo from last season was widely circulated on social media with an X marked over all 14 of those players since none was returning to the Bears. Only four of those players exhausted their college eligibility. Nine others left in the transfer portal and one-and-done guard VJ Edgecombe could become Baylor's highest pick ever in the NBA draft later this month. 'Guys you didn't want to lose and were valuable, we haven't had many that we've lost. Whenever you do, that just tears at a coach, because you feel like you didn't do your job,' Drew said this week. 'With the portal, I think we've all gotten used to a lot more turnover in a hurry, and not to take things necessarily personal.' The Bears rebuilt their roster with eight transfers and a four-player signing class with a five-star prospect and the son of a NBA champion. Among the 14 players at the first practice was Cameron Carr, the former Tennessee guard who transferred to Baylor in the middle of last season long after that team photo session. One of the former Bears was guard Robert Wright, who averaged 11.5 points and 4.2 assists a game as a freshman last season and had reportedly agreed to a lucrative NIL deal to stay before transferring to BYU for an even bigger package. 'You know people are going to leave. Rob, obviously, was someone we had an agreement with. When you make an agreement, you think you're done,' Drew said, without getting into any specifics. 'Obviously that was a surprise to us, but again, the staff did a great job of putting together a roster and team. That's part of, hopefully, the House settlement, where you get to a point where you know who's on your team and when they're locked in, they're locked in.' The eight incoming transfers have more than 500 of games played combined, including guards Dan Skillings, who played 100 games over three years for Cincinnati, and JJ White, who started 75 of 99 games at Omaha over the same period. Juslin Bodo Bodo is a 7-foot post from Cameroon, started all 71 of his games for NCAA Tournament team High Point the past two seasons. Obi Agbim, a 6-3 guard, was the Mountain West newcomer of the year after averaging 17.6 points and 3.4 assists in 29 games last season for Wyoming. Five-star prospect Tounde Yessoufou, a small forward from St. Joseph High School in California, leads the signing class that also includes Andre Iguodala II, whose father was a four-time champion over 19 NBA seasons with four teams; Italian forward Maikcol Perez and big man May Soyoye. Baylor, Gonzaga and Houston are the only teams to win at least one game in each of the past six NCAA Tournaments, though the Bears have lost in the second round the past four years since their national championship in 2021. Drew and his staff will get an early look at the new squad with Baylor representing the United States at the World University Games next month in Germany. 'Any year you get a foreign tour, it's huge. ... Since we're returning 0.0 (percent of our) scoring, this give us all an opportunity,' Drew said. 'The games will be good for those that can play in it. But the practices will be great for everyone. And then, the one thing everybody leaves out is you do these team-bonding activities. There's nothing better than being overseas, that really brings you together a lot more than when you have all the distractions you do in the United States.'
Fox News
28 minutes ago
- Fox News
DeMarcus Cousins kicked off Puerto Rican basketball team after heated exchange with fans turns physical
Former NBA star Demarcus Cousins was booted from his team in Puerto Rico for the remainder of the season after an ugly altercation with fans during a game Monday. The Baloncesto Superior Nacional league announced Tuesday that Cousins was kicked off the Mets de Guaynabo after a vile gesture toward a fan, grabbing his genitals to mock the fan as the fan flipped both his middle fingers. Cousins then grabbed the fan's arm as the incident started turning physical. Another fan from behind the courtside seat where the first fan was seated came to the first fan's aid, swiping at Cousins, who started to bark something back to him. Cousins was ejected from the game, but things got even uglier as he tried to leave the court. Cousins, flipping off the crowd as he was walking to the tunnel, grabbed at a fan yelling at him. They made contact with one another, and the fan proceeded to throw a beverage at the former NBA All-Star. Other fans joined in, throwing drinks and other objects at Cousins. Cousins was irate and had to be held back from going after fans. In addition to being banned for the rest of the season, Cousins was fined $4,250. Cousins' fine could increase to $10,000 if he fails to "show cause" as to why it shouldn't. Cousins, the former Kentucky Wildcats star taken fifth overall in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings, last played in the NBA during the 2021-22 season, when he played for the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets. Cousins was a four-time All-Star during his 11 NBA seasons. Since his last game with Denver, Cousins has played in Mongolia, Puerto Rico and the Big3 League run by actor and rapper Ice Cube. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Hamilton Spectator
38 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
With no players left from last season's team photo, Baylor begins summer practice with new roster
WACO, Texas (AP) — Baylor coach Scott Drew had plenty of players for the first practice of the summer Wednesday, about two months after the team photo from last season was widely circulated on social media with an X marked over all 14 of those players since none was returning to the Bears. Only four of those players exhausted their college eligibility. Nine others left in the transfer portal and one-and-done guard VJ Edgecombe could become Baylor's highest pick ever in the NBA draft later this month. 'Guys you didn't want to lose and were valuable, we haven't had many that we've lost. Whenever you do, that just tears at a coach, because you feel like you didn't do your job,' Drew said this week. 'With the portal, I think we've all gotten used to a lot more turnover in a hurry, and not to take things necessarily personal.' The Bears rebuilt their roster with eight transfers and a four-player signing class with a five-star prospect and the son of a NBA champion. Among the 14 players at the first practice was Cameron Carr, the former Tennessee guard who transferred to Baylor in the middle of last season long after that team photo session. One of the former Bears was guard Robert Wright, who averaged 11.5 points and 4.2 assists a game as a freshman last season and had reportedly agreed to a lucrative NIL deal to stay before transferring to BYU for an even bigger package. 'You know people are going to leave. Rob, obviously, was someone we had an agreement with. When you make an agreement, you think you're done,' Drew said, without getting into any specifics. 'Obviously that was a surprise to us, but again, the staff did a great job of putting together a roster and team. That's part of, hopefully, the House settlement , where you get to a point where you know who's on your team and when they're locked in, they're locked in.' The eight incoming transfers have more than 500 of games played combined, including guards Dan Skillings, who played 100 games over three years for Cincinnati, and JJ White, who started 75 of 99 games at Omaha over the same period. Juslin Bodo Bodo is a 7-foot post from Cameroon, started all 71 of his games for NCAA Tournament team High Point the past two seasons. Obi Agbim, a 6-3 guard, was the Mountain West newcomer of the year after averaging 17.6 points and 3.4 assists in 29 games last season for Wyoming. Five-star prospect Tounde Yessoufou, a small forward from St. Joseph High School in California, leads the signing class that also includes Andre Iguodala II, whose father was a four-time champion over 19 NBA seasons with four teams; Italian forward Maikcol Perez and big man May Soyoye. Baylor, Gonzaga and Houston are the only teams to win at least one game in each of the past six NCAA Tournaments, though the Bears have lost in the second round the past four years since their national championship in 2021. Drew and his staff will get an early look at the new squad with Baylor representing the United States at the World University Games next month in Germany. 'Any year you get a foreign tour, it's huge. ... Since we're returning 0.0 (percent of our) scoring, this give us all an opportunity,' Drew said. 'The games will be good for those that can play in it. But the practices will be great for everyone. And then, the one thing everybody leaves out is you do these team-bonding activities. There's nothing better than being overseas, that really brings you together a lot more than when you have all the distractions you do in the United States.' ___ AP college basketball:
