I understand he loves this state and this program but why pass up a lottery pick? . At the end of the day Reed needs to do what is best for him and not be put into a bad situation. Why should he return? To save Cals legacy? It doesn’t seem fair to me……
Saving Cal's legacy ? Nobody is / has even suggested that. It will take a hell of a lot more than Reed Sheppard to "save Cal's legacy". Why should he come back ? Oh, I don't know, maybe to work on things that will have him playing in the G-League or worse, not playing much anywhere. IF he goes now, he might get a nice contract, but with the things he needs to get better at, the team who drafts him may not allow him the time to work on them. The NBA more so than ever, the front office people do not give players 2/3 years to get up to speed. If Reed struggles (he will), they will simply discard him and move on to the next prospect. The front office and coaches are under major pressure to win NOW, they will not give a guy (not just Reed) several years to "work it out". No way he can guard nor score on the guards in the league. I love Reed, but he is best suited to come back another year, work on his most negative flaws, then when he is more mature and has had time to work on the stuff he needs to, then he will have a lot better chance at seeing that second (beginning of real money) contract.
While Reed is a very good college player, there are just as many that was as good / better than him that are playing over seas. It might be harsh, but it is the reality of life in the NBA, you either sink,,, or swim. Reed is not ready to swim in the deep end, and I am worried that if he goes before ready, he may never get into the deep end.