After watching Suggs Saturday night and hearing Colin Cowherd earlier, I believe Suggs helped UK and other blue chip programs with his heroics Saturday night. It is estimated that Suggs made $2 - $3 million dollars in endorsements moving forward. The same can't be said for Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga who chose the G League route. No one watched their games on Thursday afternoons, but 15 million people watched Suggs and he will be rewarded for it in endorsements and shoe deals. Do you think Dashin Nix wishes he was playing at UCLA in the Final Four, as opposed to the getting limited minutes for G League Ignite. I hope guys like Jalen Hardy look at the success of Cade Cunningham and Jalen Suggs and their marketability and choose going to college rather than playing in Lakeland and Ft. Wayne.
Thanks Jalen Suggs
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Lol no one needs to watch their games. As long as some NBA team and their scout is impressed they ‘ll be signing for a lot of $$$$.
Depends on if the kid wants to go to school or not. It will be a toss up. Some go some stay and go to college. Some turn out great players and others need more time.
You think the guys coming out of G league will get equally lucrative endorsement deals as Suggs?
Yeah - and some don't even want to play ball for even a year. Look at Terence Clarke!
What everyone seems to forget is the public relations and branding value of participation in college basketball. When someone disappears into the G League, they lose this value. It would be interesting to see what a PR professional feels about this. I would think that appearing on television numerous times in a Kentucky uniform would boost this value.
I think OP was simply referring to endorsement opportunities, not getting drafted or signing a big NBA contract. The endorsement deals are HUGE for these players and have become a priority.
Oooo idk about this. Certainly Suggs performance doesn't hurt. He did exactly what college ball fans should want.
But Green and Kuminga are still making nearly half million dollar salaries.
Not sure Suggs moved the needle much.
But Green and Kuminga are still making nearly half million dollar salaries.
Not sure Suggs moved the needle much.
They only need some coaches and GMs paying attention to their box score. Suggs definitely picked up a little more notoriety among basketball fans but he has to create something from that notoriety in order for it to have significant value.
Let these guys that have absolutely no interest in college go on to the G League. I couldn't care less. Let em all go.
This starts to balance out and I have a really hard time seeing why a kid wouldn’t want to go to school, especially at a place like Kentucky. Make comparable money either way but either do it as a relative unknown in some G League city or do it on campus as the target of five to ten thousand horny shapely coeds.
I realize I'm biased and just love the college game, but I really do wish these guys would play in college. Of course, I'd really love it if they came to UK, but really I'd prefer they play the college game anywhere rather than go the g-league route. It just makes the game better when we have great players. It also builds interest for the NBA from people who might otherwise never watch. I will watch former UK players even when I don't really even care about the NBA otherwise.
A year on an amazing college campus playing for a nationally recognized program is 100% better quality of life than G-League bus rides for a year. It's not even close.
Hopefully this gets stressed more and more to these kids who think it is better to take 50k now than 50 million in one year. Their salary is only part of their income. They get paid more off selling their brand than they get paid from the team. It is totally understated how much their brand came from their college days. For example would you even think about buying a Karl Towns jersey if he went straight to the G league? I wouldn't.
Depends for who. Don't think top 10 recruits care much about "quality of life" for one year when they're making $500,000. And I have a feeling Kuminga and Green and Nix and Todd would make the same choice all over again.
For you and I, and for players who wouldn't make it in the NBA? Sure give me the college campus life. Its a great one.
But if I can make half a million and play in a pro-style league that likely prepares me better than college does while not having to be in meaningless class.. ill take some bus rides.
They can have it, then. College basketball is better off without them
How many of them are actually making 500K?
Agree with the first part. I dont think the college game needs then.. and it really just helps eliminate 1AD on its own.
I think they were all making close. But idk if they ever released their actual salaries.
But idk if its even so much money. If you're a top talent you want to play in a league that best preps you for the NBA.. and that appears to be the Gleague as of now (but jury is still out on that after only a year).. and you don't want to deal with the downsides of college: classes, homework, the concept of "playing for free".
Plus, while females (or males) are more readily available at a college campus.. its not like Kuminga can't get his anywhere he goes..
I wish every kid came to college, and for at least two years. I hope the G-League implodes. I wouldn't care if the NBA implodes.
But if your calculation is that you are going to college because you might make an historic play in a Final Four game, and thus make your time more lucrative than the $500,000 you might make in the G-League, then you need a quick course in finance and in the laws of probability.
For every Suggs there is a BJ Boston or Terrence Clarke who might as well have spent the last year in the G-League. Maybe their inadequacies -- physcial and in terms of character -- would not have been so glaringly on display.
But if your calculation is that you are going to college because you might make an historic play in a Final Four game, and thus make your time more lucrative than the $500,000 you might make in the G-League, then you need a quick course in finance and in the laws of probability.
For every Suggs there is a BJ Boston or Terrence Clarke who might as well have spent the last year in the G-League. Maybe their inadequacies -- physcial and in terms of character -- would not have been so glaringly on display.
How much college helps your brand is totally overrated. KAT went to UK and his jersey isn’t among the top sellers. Anthony Davis was the best college player of the last decade, and his popularity only grew when he went to play for the most popular franchise. Had nothing to with where he went to college at.
I'm pretty sure the g-league ignite team, designed specifically for this, is paying over 6 figures. Now the rest of the g-league.. different story.
I'm seeing here Kumimga is making $500k. I imagine Green is right there with him.. and guys like Nix and Todd are making close, but not the same.
Suggs definitely increased his profile with an iconic shot and playing for a historically good team.
But how many guys are going to play for an undefeated team, make it to the championship game, hit an iconic shot in the final four, and possibly win a championship?
I’m not sure many players will be able to boost the status enough to cover the base salary the G League. At least not in most cases.
But how many guys are going to play for an undefeated team, make it to the championship game, hit an iconic shot in the final four, and possibly win a championship?
I’m not sure many players will be able to boost the status enough to cover the base salary the G League. At least not in most cases.
Suggs shot will be played for the rest of ESPN's existence. These guys whoever they are that went to the G-League if they don't make it as a NBA Superstar no one will ever care.
Nix is earning $300k. Cant pass that up. No amount of college poon and cafeteria food would make me change my mind.
But then again, I bet Suggs wouldn't change his mind either. Some guys just want the fastest and least resistance path to the NBA. Some can let it wait a year or two.
But then again, I bet Suggs wouldn't change his mind either. Some guys just want the fastest and least resistance path to the NBA. Some can let it wait a year or two.
Freeing up NIL will change that. If you can earn money on endorsements and autographs and such as a college student, it's a different conversation.
And the NCAA will make the money on that, not Suggs, lol. All Suggs has done is basically make it so that he can get any job or be apart of any franchise in Spokane Washington (which isn't a bad thing). But like others have said.. look what Suggs had to do for his name to "make the papers".
Kuminga and Green might never be "stars".. but they secured life changing money for them and got to work on their pro game. And if they tear their Achilles tomorrow, they got something for it.
College is just fun, man. Was some of the absolute best years of my life. You can't always put a dollar amount on life experiences. Maybe I'm projecting my own experience and also doing it in hindsight, but I still would prefer the college life for even just a year. But I get it, the money is hard to pass up.
100% and it will be a great change in my mind. Will be curious to see how that plays out, and if it moves the needle at all back in favor of top guys going to college.
But again.. I think this goes past money. Kuminga and guys like him just don't want to be in college. They want to work on their pro-potential as fast as possible in a league designed for them to become stars at the next level.
Either way.. we're only talking about 5 to 7 guys in a given year.. so it doesn't much matter. College is still gonna get 99% of the top1000 recruits.. which is what we want.
But ill make my claim in that the G-league is not done taking recruits. Im not saying it will for sure happen.. but id bet they grab 2 more.. some top10 player is going to see how well this worked and bite. My guess is still Banchero as he was likely a G-league guy until Duke swooped in. . But then again, they probably paid more lol.
Not overrated at all. Saying KAT isn't among the top sellers is a bad comparison. He plays for Minnesota after all. Do you believe that his marketability would have gone up if he went to Minnesota without the marketing bump he got from UK? I don't. He would probably be making a third of what he now makes on endorsements and marketing.
Don’t underestimate the academic part of this. The educational system in this country is so comprehensively awful that a lot of these kids leave high school completely unprepared to do college level coursework. Any route to the NBA that doesn’t involve going to class is going to look attractive.
Once NIL passes and thee kids can get more money in college, you'll see the powerhouse school divide come back.
You think Ben Simmons or Fultz or the others guys who went to Washington and small schools would go there instead of UK or another big school.
Our rabid fan base will be a massive recruiting tool once NIL hits. Look at all the lines we give seniors and anyone else on autograph tours. No other school does that to my knowledge.
You think Ben Simmons or Fultz or the others guys who went to Washington and small schools would go there instead of UK or another big school.
Our rabid fan base will be a massive recruiting tool once NIL hits. Look at all the lines we give seniors and anyone else on autograph tours. No other school does that to my knowledge.
The truth is in the middle. Your comment is accurate. They’ll still get drafted and the good ones will still be lottery.
However, the stage that being the face of college basketball brings for the ADs, Walls, Zions etc, they build a brand that is more immediately marketable to the average consumer and have chances at commercials and shoe deals in their initial contract.
The other guys may take a year or 2 to develop the same brand recognition and casual fan hype. Their big shoe deals and commercials are more likely to come going into their 2nd construct 2-3 years into the league.
Exceptions to every rule though.
“Estimated” by whom? Do you have a source for that number, because it sounds a lot like a random one someone just pulled out his ***.
And, sorry, but the Kumingas and Greens will make plenty in endorsement money too if they can play. College quickly stops mattering soon after those guys enter the league.
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This is so true and never seems to get mentioned. It’s part of the decision-making process for kids that people ignore.
It all depends on the kids situation. If you live in a poor family and need money you go. Period. If your Suggs good your moment will come for the endorsement money. I don’t want the kids chasing the money at UK. I want the kids who want the college life, who want to play on the big stage. Who are present for the moment not looking ahead. Terrance Clarke probably lost mega money by going to college. Not every situation is the same.
I don't think it will matter to most of them. They're going from having virtually nothing to being a millionaire, I seriously doubt those that don't want to go the college route are going to look at someone like Suggs (the guy with one of the few buzzer beaters in the final four) and decide college is the better route.
Suggs is an outlier, even if Cowherds WAG is remotely correct. And I've yet to see evidence that he is.