This years situation with UCLA reminds me of aother time when talented players were influenced to make an early departure.  I recall sadly the year that Toby Bailey, LaRon Rush and Trevor Ariza decided they were good enough to join the NBA.  And the results have turned out mixed at best.  Though all talented and could shoot, their games still needed both structure and refining.  To someone from the outside their decisions seemed hasty to be sure.  All needed time to improve defensively and to better their shot selections.

     Who ever had their ears and steered them to opt out of their elgibility they had left, surely faded quickly into the background.  The oncoming reality that eached faced has been a hard lesson to indure, though some have come out of it better then others.

     Bailey who was drafted could still hit his shots, but his liability on the court defensively limited his playing time and potential.  Having to learn the diffrence from the College game to the Pro's in practices and by watching from the bench never gave him the chance to meet his full potential and though he played a few years in the NBA his career came and went almost as fast as his college career lasted.

     Rush on the other hand could be said to of never had a chance.  His career was plauged by controversy from the beginning.  From the Mr. Piggy scandal to his early departure and signing with an agennt, and continued with his playing days after leaving UCLA.  His reality check was as cruel as it could be.  Taking the advice from who knows who, that informed him he was no wrost then a middle second round pick to the realization of going undrafted.  His dreams of playing in the NBA ended as quickly as his college career.  Playing in any league that would have him he was never able to capture or hone the talent he displayed at UCLA, and each stop, at what ever league he played in left more questions than answers to his ability.  The only bright side was the fact that his brothers( Kareem stayed in school long enough to insure to himselves that an NBA career would at least have a good start.  Brandon who is coming out this year at least check the waters of intrest last year to give him an idea of where he might actually be drafted and now is ready and highly thought of) learned from his mistakes.

     Trevpr Ariza left after his froshmen year and though he is still currently  in the NBA (on the injury reserve list with the LAKERS) his potential is still for the most part untapped.  He still hasn't worked himself into (any of the teams he's played for) the starting gaurd spot.  But his athletic ability and his desire to improve has help him maintain a roster spot in the NBA, along with his natual ability to play defense.

     The current crop of Love, Collison and Westbrook brings to mind the above mentioned atheletes who are trying to decide on their future.  Kevin Love who undoubtably will forego the remainder of this college elgibility would probably stick in the NBA in one way or another.  Though it would do him good to of stayed and honed his defensive and shooting skills at UCLA before making the leap to the NBA.  Trying to learn the game at the top level will surely be rough on him and may stunt his game for as many as three years before he establishes himself as a ligitimate NBA power forward.

     Collison has a natual leadership ability that bodes well for him in the NBA, but as the game against Memphis showed he can be force to abandem a game plan to try to force his game when a cool head is needed.  His shot selection has improved and his defensive skills are close to NBA ready.  Still another year at the helm of a talented team that could again advance to the premier College stage would only increase his value next year.

     Both Westbrook and Mbah a Moute are a step below both Love and Collison.  Westbrook's game still needs fine tuning and his maturity could be a question in the NBA.  his shot selection needs improving and decision making needs at least one more year to be able to go in the first round of the draft.  Mbah a Moute who has developed his inside game this year could use another year to hone it for his eventual departure and the injuries he has suffered would only place a big question mark against him this year regarding his stamina.

     Choices like these implore the NBA  to set up some sort of working agreement with minor leagues other than the IBL to form a actual minor league for the NBA.  It would help draftees who may need more work to have a place to go to hone their game, while giving the team that drafts early departed college players a sort of safety net to help insure the players development while insuring their ties to the individual.  Also the structure would free up Salary Cap space and create Rooster Flexibility if structured right (See Blog below).  This has been long overdue and would help not only the players, the team, but whatever league the NBA sponsors for this purpose.

     With the NBA wanting to increase the age of a prospective draftee, while not seeming to put a hinderance on his financial future or place a disturbance in the balance of the draft by eliminating possible selections the solution, though a little intricate can be accomplished where it is a win-win-win situation for all.  The third win mentioned includes a third party not always mentioned in regards to this subject, the CBA.

THE SOLUTION

     First the NBA should (with it's revenues from it's vast marketing and television contracts) form a alliance with the CBA and the NBA's Developmental League making them a virtual MINOR LEAGUE to the NBA which it currently tries to be.  This would allow a Team through restructuring of the current players agreement (Benefits will be stated below for the players union) through their union, to be sent for further development if necessary, to any club (Govern though the CBA) to rehab or develop further the skills needed to be productive in the NBA.  The NBA would also give an additional roster spot or two for draftees, only with defined allotments (for time a person can be sent down, and total amount of times a player can be sent down thoughout  any season with a maximum of a two year window). 

     This would give the NBA teams flexibility with their rosters and add insurance in the case of an injury to a draftee.  It also allows the CBA a financial windfall to help stabilize their league and would increase attendance whenever high draft picks are intergraded within, improving their leagues skill level and interest in it as well.

     Second the NBA would have to stucture a first signing formula that would be beneficial to both the teams and the players without causing the PLAYERS UNION to balk.  This would also place flexibility in the Salary Cap within the league and for teams.

     A workable example is as follows:

     First year signings would be for no shorter than four  years, and no longer than six.  This would ensure a player who if he doesn't work out some years of financial security to either return to college or to persue another way of live. 

     Upon signing, what ever the amount the following structure of the contract would be as follows: 

     The amount of the contract would be split in half with the first half being paid out as follows: 

     The NBA would structure a four year payment increments for the amount of the halved contract total with increases from the first to the secord and so on until the end of the fourth year.  Signing bonuses would be paid in full in his first year in addition to the halved contract amount.  Not only would this process insure financial security for the player for a minimum of four years regardless it he is cut or faced with a injury, it also relaxes any animousity  vertern players sometimes have with draftees who make more than they do or as much without ever dribbling a ball on the court yet.

     The remaining Half of the contract would be spilt again (making it quarters from the original contract and would be paid out as follows:

     One quarter would be place upon signing in a type of Taxfree IRA account for the player, this would insure some financial freedom for the player after the initial four years of the contract and assist in his future career or retirement.  This could only assist the PLAYERS UNION in the future as toward the possible assistance these players may need.

      The remaining quarter would be paid out in equal amounts in in the second thru four year of the contract.

     On a six year contract the original halved amount would follow the four year structure with the remaining two years paid in a 40/60 spilt in years five and six.

     After the fourth year any contract could be renegotiated where as the balance of any remaining year beyond the initial four would be paid in full upon the signing of a new contract.

EXAMPLE: 6 year 20 million Dollars, with a 2 millon signing bonus

First year say  $800,000.00 plus the 2,000,000.00 bonus total $2,800,000.00

Second year   $1,200,000.00 plus $1,000,000.00 (Balance of fourht Quarter of contract divided thoughout the second to sixth years) total $2,200,000.00

Third year        $1,600,000.00 plus $1,000,000.00 total $2,600,000.00

Fourth year      $2,000,000.00 plus $1,000,000.00 total $3,000,000.00

Fifth year          $2,160,000.00 (40% of the balance of the remainder of the initial halved contract) plus $1,000,000.00 total  $3,160,000.00

Sixth year         $3,240,000.00 (60% of the balance of the remainder of the initial halved contract) plus $1,000,000.00 total $4,240,000.00

     With the player also having a intrest incurring taxfree IRA started in his first year of $5,000,000.00 at say 13% annual rate would give him 5,650,000,00 toward his retirement or change in career collateral, after 6 years.

     This would give the NBA team flexibility with there roster without hindering themselves if a draftee is injured or needs further development.  When a team feels a draftee needs to develop or keep sharp his skills he can then be sent to the CBA/Developmental league to insure himself getting playing time.  It would help ease the Existing Salary Cap and allow for the existing 30 day signings, while a player is either recovering from a injury or "Sent down" (Draftees only) to get playing time or enhance his skills. 

     This would allow the existing age limit to continue and assist both the player, the NBA, and the CBA to thrive, without player development or financial concerns playing a part in the draft equation.

     A byproduct of this may probably actually keep student atheletes in school longer if they feel that they would more then likely be playing in the CBA then on the bench in the NBA, hence the player would rather hone his skills at their repective Universities.  Of course where financial straights prevail to some students with talent this would be beneficail to ensure financial securety for them regaurdless where they play.