[TylerBakersGonnaBGreat]

Twitter:

UKCoachCalipari: Jodie called..He's keeping his name in the draft. He's excited and I'm excited for him. I wish I got the chance to coach him.

[flamesbball84]

Horrible decision all-around. Every single nba person that has seen him work out has told him that he's not at all ready for the NBA. He has worked out for every single team that would have considered drafting him in the first round, now he doesn't rank in each of those team's top 30. So he's not first round material, which means no guaranteed contract and no guaranteed money. So that most likely means, if he gets drafted in the second round, he's going to be headed towards the D-League. Problem is, he's already told teams that he'd rather go to Europe than play in the D-League. That's going to kill many of his chances o fgetting drafted in the second round. If he doesn't get drafted, which could very well happen the way it seems right now, he's never allowed to go through the draft process again and his only route to the NBA would be via free agency, which will get him a lot less money than being a potential first round pick in next summer's draft.

I don't know who in the world he's listening to, but unless some NBA scouts and execs drastically changed their mind over night, no one is currently going to take him in the first round.

[Ed Dantes]

Horrible decision all-around. Every single nba person that has seen him work out has told him that he's not at all ready for the NBA. He has worked out for every single team that would have considered drafting him in the first round, now he doesn't rank in each of those team's top 30. So he's not first round material, which means no guaranteed contract and no guaranteed money. So that most likely means, if he gets drafted in the second round, he's going to be headed towards the D-League. Problem is, he's already told teams that he'd rather go to Europe than play in the D-League. That's going to kill many of his chances o fgetting drafted in the second round. If he doesn't get drafted, which could very well happen the way it seems right now, he's never allowed to go through the draft process again and his only route to the NBA would be via free agency, which will get him a lot less money than being a potential first round pick in next summer's draft.

I don't know who in the world he's listening to, but unless some NBA scouts and execs drastically changed their mind over night, no one is currently going to take him in the first round.

I agree that it's a horrible decision, but to say that he has no options is fallacious. He could decide not to hire an agent, and if doesn't get drafted, he could still go back to school (yes, he will be a free agent, but this is the route that Randolph Morris (also a Kentucky alum) took. He went back to school and signed with the Knicks as soon as the season was over. His contract was approx. what a late first-rounder would get, and it was guaranteed. Plus, it was for two years, meaning he could sign a new contract earlier than the others who had been drafted in his class (as it turns out, he signed another two-year deal, this time with Atlanta, for the same price-ish).

If Meeks does sign an agent, he can go to Europe and get money, then sign as a free agent afterwards. It'll be for less money, but like I said, his second contract will come that much sooner -- and it's a guaranteed deal.

[flamesbball84]

Horrible decision all-around. Every single nba person that has seen him work out has told him that he's not at all ready for the NBA. He has worked out for every single team that would have considered drafting him in the first round, now he doesn't rank in each of those team's top 30. So he's not first round material, which means no guaranteed contract and no guaranteed money. So that most likely means, if he gets drafted in the second round, he's going to be headed towards the D-League. Problem is, he's already told teams that he'd rather go to Europe than play in the D-League. That's going to kill many of his chances o fgetting drafted in the second round. If he doesn't get drafted, which could very well happen the way it seems right now, he's never allowed to go through the draft process again and his only route to the NBA would be via free agency, which will get him a lot less money than being a potential first round pick in next summer's draft.

I don't know who in the world he's listening to, but unless some NBA scouts and execs drastically changed their mind over night, no one is currently going to take him in the first round.

I agree that it's a horrible decision, but to say that he has no options is fallacious. He could decide not to hire an agent, and if doesn't get drafted, he could still go back to school (yes, he will be a free agent, but this is the route that Randolph Morris (also a Kentucky alum) took. He went back to school and signed with the Knicks as soon as the season was over. His contract was approx. what a late first-rounder would get, and it was guaranteed. Plus, it was for two years, meaning he could sign a new contract earlier than the others who had been drafted in his class (as it turns out, he signed another two-year deal, this time with Atlanta, for the same price-ish).

If Meeks does sign an agent, he can go to Europe and get money, then sign as a free agent afterwards. It'll be for less money, but like I said, his second contract will come that much sooner -- and it's a guaranteed deal.

he could earn better money by going back to UK and improving the things he needs to improve - which are mosts of the things he'd be forced to improve in the dribble drive offense - and become a low lottery to mid first round pick next year. if he just improves his ball handling, passing, and decision making (which as I said he'd have to do under Calipari) he's a taller and more athletic version of Ben Gordon. That's going to get you in the lottery most likely.

[Ed Dantes]

Well, it depends on what kind of contract he can sign with a Euro team. Brandon Jennings cleared something like a million bucks when he skipped college to play pro in Europe... Josh Childress got $20 million (after taxes). Meeks would probably be closer to the former.

That being said, this brings up an interesting discussion... The entire prospect of 'Europe' as a destination gives players tremendous leverage during the draft. If it looks like they'll go to somewhere they don't want to go, they'll refuse to sign with that team. In turn, those teams will refuse to draft them.

Look at baseball -- teams like the Pirates draft players based on 'signability', instead of talent. And so, the draft, which was specifically designed to help lousy teams (by allowing them to draft earlier) in turn, perpetuates the problem. Those Scott Boras clients won't sign a deal with Pittsburgh, but when Chicago or New York or Boston comes a-callin', they'll ink the deal.

(note: in baseball, it's a little different, because MLB does not set caps on rookie contracts. So a player can theoretically fall to 30 and still get paid as much as someone taken in the top 5).

But in basketball, there is a precedent for a player who fell because of 'signability' issues. Back in 1996, the New Jersey Nets wanted to take some kid from Pennsylvania, but that kid said he wouldn't sign with them. So, the Nets picked Kerry Kittles... and passed on Kobe Bryant. (The Hornets, on the other hand, knew that Kobe wouldn't play for them -- so they picked him anyway, and worked out a sign-and-trade with Los Angeles).


The solution is, of course, obvious. Any team who cannot sign a draft pick gets a compensation selection in the following year's draft at a position one slot lower than their previous draft position. But what do I know....

[flamesbball84]

allegedly two scouts are saying that meeks is a first rounder, and the hawks are allegedly considering him with the 19th pick. not sure how true that is though given the secrecy that goes along with scouts and the nba draft...