What would you do.

[Wildcats1st]

Those of us who have grown up Kentucky fans I have a simple question. You’re 18, you go to play for UK on a basketball scholarship every Kentucky loving kids dream. You ball out and wow after 1 year they say you will be a top 10 pick. At the same time you know you can make comparable money by staying at your dream destination. We can all relate being UK fans. What do you do? Do you split for the nba or stay at Kentucky another year earning comparable money? Everyone know what this is about I just want to see what blue blooded hard core UK engrained fans would do. After all we are discussing a specific family with even stronger ties to our program but this isn’t about what they should do the question is what would you do?

 

[mcnicKY91]

Those of us who have grown up Kentucky fans I have a simple question. You’re 18, you go to play for UK on a basketball scholarship every Kentucky loving kids dream. You ball out and wow after 1 year they say you will be a top 10 pick. At the same time you know you can make comparable money by staying at your dream destination. We can all relate being UK fans. What do you do? Do you split for the nba or stay at Kentucky another year earning comparable money? Everyone know what this is about I just want to see what blue blooded hard core UK engrained fans would do. After all we are discussing a specific family with even stronger ties to our program but this isn’t about what they should do the question is what would you do?

If I knew for sure I would be a lottery pick, but at the same time bleed UK blue, I will go balls to wall to try and secure a championship for the university, the state, and all of BBN....for my one yr in school.

After that, I am gone to the NBA to begin my professional career. Simple as that.

 

[TCurtis75]

Pick 10 is roughly $14 million for 3 years. NIL money isn't close to top 10 draft pick money unless you get multiple national NIL deals. If it is solely about money, I am going to the NBA.

 

[bucsrule8872]

I stay home. But I’m the guy that went to WKU so I could commute and be home every night for mom’s home cooked meals.

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

If you’re a basketball player with a chance to go lottery, make $15M, one year closer to bigger contract a year earlier / gotta go. I’m a huge Kentucky fan, but I’m also smart. It could all be taken away with an injury. Can’t pass that opp up no matter how big a fan you are. Just my opinion.

 

[Wildcats1st]

I stay home. But I’m the guy that went to WKU so I could commute and be home every night for mom’s home cooked meals.

After seeing that picture of him and Jeff from last nights game I think he’s probably alot like you describe.

 

[JimBR]

So many one and dones do a lot of sitting on the bench or playing in the G league. Would my game be better staying or going? For a lot of young men getting good NIL compensation I think they'd do better returning. Improve their game and maybe their draft position.

 

[MdWIldcat55]

It is a flawed analogy when you say there is "comparable money" in NIL. Not only is the rookie contract for a lottery NBA pick much more than anyone makes with NIL, but it starts the clock ticking to the SECOND contract when guys sign, to take Jamal Murray as an example, five year $160 million deals.

So, assuming Reed succeeds in the NBA, waiting an extra year to get to that second contract could easily cost him $30 million three years down the road, not the $3-5 million for his rookie contract.

 

[ukcatz12]

It is a flawed analogy when you say there is "comparable money" in NIL. Not only is the rookie contract for a lottery NBA pick much more than anyone makes with NIL, but it starts the clock ticking to the SECOND contract when guys sign, to take Jamal Murray as an example, five year $160 million deals.

So, assuming Reed succeeds in the NBA, waiting an extra year to get to that second contract could easily cost him $30 million three years down the road, not the $3-5 million for his rookie contract.

Thank you. I've mentioned this a few times here and have broken it down in a table with projected earnings each year. An average NBA contract these days is around $10 million. If you look at Reed's next four years of earning potential, he makes a lot more by getting to that second contract a year early even if it's just an average contract. He makes more even if he comes back and plays himself into being a top 5 pick. And if he gets an above average contract he makes A LOT more.

And yes, he might not get a huge second contract. But things could also happen next year in college that negatively affect his draft position. And these guys don't make decisions based on the worst case scenario, they're always making a decision with confidence in themselves. Reed's going to assume he secures that second contract in whatever decision he makes.

 

[CincinnatiWildcat]

Depends on who is around me probably. If i love my teammates and they are all coming back I would probably run it back. If someone I knew from high school and good friends with was coming I may want to play a year with them (No idea if Reed and Travis Perry have a relationship at all). If all my friends were leaving I may leave too and start my career. I don't think people who use the strictly money argument take into account the value of being a lifelong basketball legend in KY and the monetary value that can come with that.

 

[CincinnatiWildcat]

Thank you. I've mentioned this a few times here and have broken it down in a table with projected earnings each year. An average NBA contract these days is around $10 million. If you look at Reed's next four years of earning potential, he makes a lot more by getting to that second contract a year early even if it's just an average contract. He makes more even if he comes back and plays himself into being a top 5 pick. And if he gets an above average contract he makes A LOT more.

And yes, he might not get a huge second contract. But things could also happen next year in college that negatively affect his draft position. And these guys don't make decisions based on the worst case scenario, they're always making a decision with confidence in themselves. Reed's going to assume he secures that second contract in whatever decision he makes.

NBA contracts last 10 years. NIL in state of Kentucky if you are a basketball legend is for life.

 

[ukcatz12]

NBA contracts last 10 years. NIL in state of Kentucky if you are a basketball legend is for life.

No matter how much of a legend he is he's not making lifetime NIL deals in Kentucky worth what he'd earn in the NBA if he gets even an average second contract. 10 years in the league as a journeyman sixth of seventh man would probably approach $200 million given the way those contracts are trending.

 

[CincinnatiWildcat]

Well you aren't not making any of that NBA money, You would just be taking the very last year off because everything would be pushed back one year...

 

[rodserling]

I've thought about what I would do . But, if I was born and raised in KY, ( I was), and I was a Kentucky legend and my mom and dad were Kentucky legends. and playing at UK was my dream goal, I'd stay and try to win a 'ship.
Also, if they still played real basketball in the NBA and i was a lottery pick, I might go. But they don't. They walk, double dribble, palm the ball and whine. So again I stay to enjoy my life.

 

[sportspm]

Ask Demarcus Cousins or John Wall if they had more fun in college or NBA. I know fun and money are 2 different things but money is not everything to everyone

 

[UKBB4Ever]

Those of us who have grown up Kentucky fans I have a simple question. You’re 18, you go to play for UK on a basketball scholarship every Kentucky loving kids dream. You ball out and wow after 1 year they say you will be a top 10 pick. At the same time you know you can make comparable money by staying at your dream destination. We can all relate being UK fans. What do you do? Do you split for the nba or stay at Kentucky another year earning comparable money? Everyone know what this is about I just want to see what blue blooded hard core UK engrained fans would do. After all we are discussing a specific family with even stronger ties to our program but this isn’t about what they should do the question is what would you do?

My answering now is that I would stay at UK until they made me leave.

I wanted to go play for UK. Joe B didn’t agree.

But to answer as an 18-19 year old?

I think I’m NBA bound.

But NIL wasn’t a consideration when I was that age.

As I said in another thread, if the decision is about money then the NBA is a no brainer. But there’s more to a decision than money.

I make less money now than I could if I worked more. It’s a choice to not work more.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

I'd go pro.

The wishful thinking and drinking on here about a certain players draft decision is over the top. At least the OP admits if he returns its for the money.

 

[ukfan1622]

If it's only about money you go but for some there are other considerations. Education for one and another is it's far more glamorous to be a UK star than a guy playing in the G League.

 

[JFCats22]

They are all going pro. Anyone who says otherwise is full of shit. Nobody is passing lottery pick money to return to UK, even Reed. 0.0% chance he returns

 

[BBBLazing]

If it's only about money you go but for some there are other considerations. Education for one and another is it's far more glamorous to be a UK star than a guy playing in the G League.

Major League baseball eliminated this argument for high school kids by adding in their contracts that it will pay for college after you finish playing. The biggest problem with those that advocate staying is that they are looking at being a pro athlete like being an accountant. Pro athletes have a very limited shelf life, so you have to cut hay while the sun is shining. You don't just move your career back a year. For every year you are in college, you are eliminating one year of your career. Very few pro athletes retire because they want to. You can always go back and get educated.

 

[ukfan1622]

Major League baseball eliminated this argument for high school kids by adding in their contracts that it will pay for college after you finish playing. The biggest problem with those that advocate staying is that they are looking at being a pro athlete like being an accountant. Pro athletes have a very limited shelf life, so you have to cut hay while the sun is shining. You don't just move your career back a year. For every year you are in college, you are eliminating one year of your career. Very few pro athletes retire because they want to. You can always go back and get educated.

Like I said, if it's only about money you go.

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

They are all going pro. Anyone who says otherwise is full of shit. Nobody is passing lottery pick money to return to UK, even Reed. 0.0% chance he returns

Have to agree. No one turning down that money. No way, no how.

 

[Wildcats1st]

Have to agree. No one turning down that money. No way, no how.

If joe craft is gonna give you 6 mil a year to stay and play at rupp you’re leaving? Really? Maybe it’s me growing up around the program raised with season tickets but I wouldn’t think twice about leaving if I knew I would make even 3 mil playing for UK. Reed has UK guys all around him that’s his entourage. The thing I fear is cal kicking him out and not allowing him back because reed like Oscar overshadow cal. Then we have the X factor of an early out and possibility of a new coach. Any early out I say no way for reed go out like that. He will be forgotten never have his jersey hang in rupp. Again priorities. Do you want to be the most beloved and possibly the best player in UK history while getting paid?

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

If joe craft is gonna give you 6 mil a year to stay and play at rupp you’re leaving? Really? Maybe it’s me growing up around the program raised with season tickets but I wouldn’t think twice about leaving if I knew I would make even 3 mil playing for UK. Reed has UK guys all around him that’s his entourage. The thing I fear is cal kicking him out and not allowing him back because reed like Oscar overshadow cal. Then we have the X factor of an early out and possibility of a new coach. Any early out I say no way for reed go out like that. He will be forgotten never have his jersey hang in rupp. Again priorities. Do you want to be the most beloved and possibly the best player in UK history while getting paid?

This isn’t a real life situation. Craft ain’t giving Reed 6 Mil a year to stay. But in this bizarro world, maybe I’d think about it.

You know what, if JC decides to offer Reed 6MM per year to stay, I’d go ahead and say he should do it. Good? As long as it’s for a three year deal no matter what.

 

[Wildcats1st]

This isn’t a real life situation. Craft ain’t giving Reed 6 Mil a year to stay. But in this bizarro world, maybe I’d think about it.

You know what, if JC decides to offer Reed 6MM per year to stay, I’d go ahead and say he should do it. Good? As long as it’s for a three year deal no matter what.

Reed will have 5-6 million waiting for him if he wants it in nil. I was talking to the president of a large Kentucky bank today and he thinks it will be more. Whether it’s directly from craft or a group of boosters is irrelevant.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

I just think it's funny that we have two potential top five picks coming off our bench because a moron head coach wants to appease the emotions of two five star players.

 

[yabbadabbadoo]

I’d stay for obvious reasons, but otherwise just to piss CCC off.
Best and most fun years of your life. Never get those back. Stay a while, take out a policy.

 

[TankedCat]

I just think it's funny that we have two potential top five picks coming off our bench because a moron head coach wants to appease the emotions of two five star players.

Inside College Basketball on CBS were laughing about that. Only at Kentucky

 

[yabbadabbadoo]

I just think it's funny that we have two potential top five picks coming off our bench because a moron head coach wants to appease the emotions of two five star players.

Other 2 are 5 stars as well

 

[sportspm]

I’d stay for obvious reasons, but otherwise just to piss CCC off.
Best and most fun years of your life. Never get those back. Stay a while, take out a policy.

Agree! If I could be a kid again and had a choice to play for UK for 5 mil or go to nba for 10 mil, I’m picking UK. Someone who didn’t grow up a UK fan probably wouldn’t understand that though

 

[Ima Alien]

I see a lot of dollar signs floating around in the replies here. It seems that most would not even think about it. It's da money! Take da money!

I am an old man now. I guess I feel a whole lot differently than a teenager or young man would. I have almost forgotten! Let me tell you a very, very quick story of my life. From then until now it goes basically like this:

I didn't have money, then I had a lot of money, then I didn't have money. Last period being now.

During the middle period, I had to do things like decide which car to drive to work, a sports car or luxury sedan, or even if I wanted to go to work. During that middle period I had lots of "things".

Maybe surprisingly to some of you, during the middle period, I was not one bit happier than I was from earlier years when I had a rented appt. and a single car for the whole family. Family was a beautiful wife who was also a great woman, and two beautiful little children.

During this middle "rich" period I lost something that was very, very important to me - more important than I even knew at the time. Far, far more important than even a thousand times all the money I had made.

This was a long time ago, and now I am back in the middle class.

Just a true cautionary tale from the real world.

 

[Mike-D]

I'm too biased to truly answer this question. Hopefully Reed and has family are too.

 

[CincyUKFan]

Pick 10 is roughly $14 million for 3 years. NIL money isn't close to top 10 draft pick money unless you get multiple national NIL deals. If it is solely about money, I am going to the NBA.

Yeah, the one constant in all of these discussions involving Reed Shepherd staying put is the failure to recognize the simple truth that the NIL money cannot compete with NBA contracts. NIL money doesn’t compete with the contract of the last pick of the first round, let alone lottery picks.

 

[SkyPrince1]

Reed will have 5-6 million waiting for him if he wants it in nil. I was talking to the president of a large Kentucky bank today and he thinks it will be more. Whether it’s directly from craft or a group of boosters is irrelevant.

Craft is not going to pay anything in that ballpark.
Matt Jones says that NIL numbers are way over inflated in the media and he would know better than I would.
Common sense tells you boosters are not going to put a heavy compensation package together every year to get a particular player( Oscar,Reed etc)
There's very little ROI for boosters to pay players.
I know of no accurate way to gauge a players NIL earnings unless they make it public themselves .

 

[BBBLazing]

If joe craft is gonna give you 6 mil a year to stay and play at rupp you’re leaving? Really? Maybe it’s me growing up around the program raised with season tickets but I wouldn’t think twice about leaving if I knew I would make even 3 mil playing for UK. Reed has UK guys all around him that’s his entourage. The thing I fear is cal kicking him out and not allowing him back because reed like Oscar overshadow cal. Then we have the X factor of an early out and possibility of a new coach. Any early out I say no way for reed go out like that. He will be forgotten never have his jersey hang in rupp. Again priorities. Do you want to be the most beloved and possibly the best player in UK history while getting paid?

This is really ignorant. First, if there are 2 people in all of college basketball get over $1M in NIL, I'm surprised. According to Google, there are only 2. To say Reed would get 6M is nonsense. Next, to say he could possibly be the best player in UK history shows that you must be 21 years old or younger. He is good, really good, but that is high cotton that he is not shitting in.

 

[BBBLazing]

I see a lot of dollar signs floating around in the replies here. It seems that most would not even think about it. It's da money! Take da money!

I am an old man now. I guess I feel a whole lot differently than a teenager or young man would. I have almost forgotten! Let me tell you a very, very quick story of my life. From then until now it goes basically like this:

I didn't have money, then I had a lot of money, then I didn't have money. Last period being now.

During the middle period, I had to do things like decide which car to drive to work, a sports car or luxury sedan, or even if I wanted to go to work. During that middle period I had lots of "things".

Maybe surprisingly to some of you, during the middle period, I was not one bit happier than I was from earlier years when I had a rented appt. and a single car for the whole family. Family was a beautiful wife who was also a great woman, and two beautiful little children.

During this middle "rich" period I lost something that was very, very important to me - more important than I even knew at the time. Far, far more important than even a thousand times all the money I had made.

This was a long time ago, and now I am back in the middle class.

Just a true cautionary tale from the real world.

I realize money isn't everything, but believe me, if you can make enough of it by 25 to never have to dig a hole your entire life, you can have your beautiful wife and little children and enjoy the hell out of them, instead of leaving the house everyday at 7 and getting back home at 6 and getting to eat dinner and spend an hour or two with them before everyone goes to bed and does it all again. Most people, and I say this with all due respect, that continously say its not about money, have never had enough money to know what it feels like to not have to worry about money. If you have, then you are being hypocritical in thinking a kid should ignore the potential financial freedom so he can come back and entertain you for another year.

 

[Wildcats1st]

This is really ignorant. First, if there are 2 people in all of college basketball get over $1M in NIL, I'm surprised. According to Google, there are only 2. To say Reed would get 6M is nonsense. Next, to say he could possibly be the best player in UK history shows that you must be 21 years old or younger. He is good, really good, but that is high cotton that he is not shitting in.

It’s ignorant to not realize the unicorn potential in reed Shepard. You can’t compare him to anyone in cbb there isn’t any comparison for the top program in the country. You come up with some genz type takes for an old timer.

 

[BBBLazing]

It’s ignorant to not realize the unicorn potential in reed Shepard. You can’t compare him to anyone in cbb there isn’t any comparison for the top program in the country. You come up with some genz type takes for an old timer.

There is not enough money being thrown around in Kentucky to make him a unicorn. Maybe if there was as much support for UCLA now and he was in LA. We really only have 1 or 2 big boosters, and they are not going to just give Reed Shepperd a bunch of money just to stay. NIL wise, I compare him to Richie Farmer. If NIL was an thing, Richie could have made a bunch, especially knowing he was never going to make money playing basketball professionally. Reed can get paid playing professionally, and the NIL money that they would pay him to endorse their car lot or bank will still be there if he is playing for the Celtics. As far as the GenZ comment, I don't know the definition of generations, but I have a bunch of kids and grandkids that I hang out with and talk to daily, so maybe that is why.

 

[Wildcats1st]

Yeah, the one constant in all of these discussions involving Reed Shepherd staying put is the failure to recognize the simple truth that the NIL money cannot compete with NBA contracts. NIL money doesn’t compete with the contract of the last pick of the first round, let alone lottery picks.

Bronny is making 6 million. Why is it crazy to believe this perfect storm of home grown legacy from both parents, greatest program, a state that needs reed Shepard. It is a situation that isn’t comparable to anything. Whatever is invested into bringing reed back will repay itself 10 fold. You don’t think if Jeff shopped him after the season he’s having he couldn’t secure millions in nil? Money is no issue. Hell oscar was looking at a big nil deal if he returned. Now would it disrupt chemistry? Maybe but I think everyone would understand this is the hometown hero.

 

[BBBLazing]

Bronny is making 6 million. Why is it crazy to believe this perfect storm of home grown legacy from both parents, greatest program, a state that needs reed Shepard. It is a situation that isn’t comparable to anything. Whatever is invested into bringing reed back will repay itself 10 fold. You don’t think if Jeff shopped him after the season he’s having he couldn’t secure millions in nil? Money is no issue. Hell oscar was looking at a big nil deal if he returned. Now would it disrupt chemistry? Maybe but I think everyone would understand this is the hometown hero.

If Bronny is really making that much, it has to do with being in LA and his dad being Lebron James. Everyone in the world knows who Lebron James is. If you ask 99% of basketball fans outside of this state, they have no idea who Jeff Shepperd is. LA has money, Kentucky doesn't have that much money, and what they do have they are not spending it on a 19 year old playing basketball. Do you donate to the collectives? Most on here say they never will.