Going Pro | Syracusefan.com

Going Pro

pfister1

2023-24 Iggy Winner ACC & OOC Record
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Does a college kid have to declare for the draft in order to sign a pro contract or could he skip the draft and act as a free agent and pick the team he wants to sign with? Not everyone would be in a position to do that, but some kids are good enough that every team would sign them, if they could.
 
How do they handle foreign players that may not go through the US college system, but may have played in some obscure foreign professional setting. Do they also have to declare and go through a draft before they can sign with an NBA organization?
 
How do they handle foreign players that may not go through the US college system, but may have played in some obscure foreign professional setting. Do they also have to declare and go through a draft before they can sign with an NBA organization?
They find them. It's tough to be real good and people not know. I had a friend that was a good shooter in high school. And he used to bristle when they would say that some guy was the best shooter in high school America. I had to tell him, if it was you, everyone would know.
 
They find them. It's tough to be real good and people not know. I had a friend that was a good shooter in high school. And he used to bristle when they would say that some guy was the best shooter in high school America. I had to tell him, if it was you, everyone would know.

My question is if they played professionally overseas do they still have to go through the draft once or are they a free agent?
 
My question is if they played professionally overseas do they still have to go through the draft once or are they a free agent?

I’m 92% sure it’s age-based. There is a cutoff age. Under it, the European player is automatically entered in the draft when some team decides to draft him. Over it, they are a free agent and can sign wherever without entering the draft.
 
The bottom line is there is no path to the NBA that doesn't include the opportunity for teams to draft you. If there was, Rubio would have found his way to NY.
 
The bottom line is there is no path to the NBA that doesn't include the opportunity for teams to draft you. If there was, Rubio would have found his way to NY.

There’s no realistic path. The theoretical path would be to hide until you’re 23, then sign with the team of your choice.
 
I don't think that's true. There have been 23 yo players coming into the league before. They have to come through the draft regardless of age, I am pretty sure
 
Does a college kid have to declare for the draft in order to sign a pro contract or could he skip the draft and act as a free agent and pick the team he wants to sign with? Not everyone would be in a position to do that, but some kids are good enough that every team would sign them, if they could.

You can't play in NBA summer league, NBA preseason games or NBA games until you became eligible for the draft. Your draft year is based on a) end of college eligibility, 2) age (for internationals) or 3) early declaration for the NBA draft. Once you pass through your first draft and go undrafted, you can then sign with anybody.

Let's use the example of Cole Swider and say he had not declared for this draft. On June 27, 2022 he could have decided to quit Syracuse and go the pro-route and play internationally. However:
1) He would only be eligible for the 2023 draft.
2) He could not play in NBA summer league or NBA preseason or even be around an NBA team in any capacity until the completion of the next NBA draft.

Its part of the reason so many fourth year seniors had to declare early for the NBA draft this year, because technically their college eligibility had yet to end

Not being able to play summer league is a big deal. Summer league serves multiple purposes -- it is not only a scouting ground for NBA teams, but moreso its exposure to international teams.
 
How do they handle foreign players that may not go through the US college system, but may have played in some obscure foreign professional setting. Do they also have to declare and go through a draft before they can sign with an NBA organization?

They don't have to declare for a draft per se, but they have to pass through one annual draft process before being declared a free agent.

I may have the ages wrong by a year, but the process is as follows for an international
1) Once turned 19, An international can declare himself as an early entry for an NBA Draft.
2) If an international does not early declare for the draft, they are automatically placed into the NBA Draft at the age of 23.
 
I don't think that's true. There have been 23 yo players coming into the league before. They have to come through the draft regardless of age, I am pretty sure

An international becomes automatically eligible for the draft at 23.

A player from the NCAA, can be older than 23 before they become automatically eligible for the NBA Draft as it only automatically occurs once your eligibility ends.

Not sure what the rule is for an American player that does not go to college. My guess is that is the same 23.

I believe Carl Krauser was 32 when he became eligible for the NBA draft after his decade long run at Pitt.
 
An international becomes automatically eligible for the draft at 23.

A player from the NCAA, can be older than 23 before they become automatically eligible for the NBA Draft as it only automatically occurs once your eligibility ends.

Not sure what the rule is for an American player that does not go to college. My guess is that is the same 23.

I believe Carl Krauser was 32 when he became eligible for the NBA draft after his decade long run at Pitt.
Wait, he's not at Pitt anymore!?!?
 
Since I no longer follow the NBA, can someone tell me how many underclassmen left college to enter the draft the year. I know in years past there were more underclassmen entering than draft positions. Are they doing so to meet the NBA requirements even if they realistically aren't going to the NBA but just want to make a living playing ball.
 
Since I no longer follow the NBA, can someone tell me how many underclassmen left college to enter the draft the year. I know in years past there were more underclassmen entering than draft positions. Are they doing so to meet the NBA requirements even if they realistically aren't going to the NBA but just want to make a living playing ball.

This year is not really a good comparison if you want to look at trends because this was a unique year and the early entrants were way up. A 4th year senior in normal years becomes automatically eligible for the NBA draft as their college eligibility has expired. However this year such players were not deemed automatically eligible for the NBA Draft because they were all granted a one time additional 5th year of eligibility by the NCAA.

Therefore they had to declare as early entrants even if they had zero expectation of being drafted. NBA summer league is a key part of exposure for players not only to NBA teams as an undrafted player, but to professional leagues outside of the US. And you can't get into summer league unless you early declare for the draft.
 
This year is not really a good comparison if you want to look at trends because this was a unique year and the early entrants were way up. A 4th year senior in normal years becomes automatically eligible for the NBA draft as their college eligibility has expired. However this year such players were not deemed automatically eligible for the NBA Draft because they were all granted a one time additional 5th year of eligibility by the NCAA.

Therefore they had to declare as early entrants even if they had zero expectation of being drafted. NBA summer league is a key part of exposure for players not only to NBA teams as an undrafted player, but to professional leagues outside of the US. And you can't get into summer league unless you early declare for the draft.
Any idea what percentage of guys thaf go undrafted get the opportunity to play summer league?
 
Any idea what percentage of guys thaf go undrafted get the opportunity to play summer league?

A very high % of those that are at least legit decent college players and not just some chump benchwarmer . There are 360 players in summer league (30*12) so there is lots of spots for teams to take looksies at undrafted players.
Boeheim. Boeheim and Swider all have a chance in summer league for example this year... most of our undrafted seniors did as well before.
 
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