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COURSE CHANGES AT CAIRNS GOLF CLUB NBL ‘not a factor’ as G League grabs elite

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the potential negative impact on the NBL “wasn’t a factor” in his league’s decision to offer young elite players $US500,000-plus G League contracts as an alternative to playing in Australia.

American 18-year-olds Jalen Green and Isiah Todd announced in recent days they would join the NBA’s new G League development program in the US instead of playing a season in the NBL or US college competition.

It is a blow to the NBL.

The league received huge international exposure and record crowds when LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton, both expected to be top NBA Draft picks in June, played in the NBL last season.

“Frankly, it wasn’t a factor in terms of signing these two young players (Green and Todd) to the G League,” Silver told reporters when asked about the impact his new G League program would have on the NBL. “For us, we know these players – there’s a high likelihood they will come into the NBA.

“We saw it as an opportunity to work directly on their development as future NBA players.”

The NBA this week dramatically increased G League contracts for elite players coming out of high school from $US125,000 to $US500,000.

Silver said last year he was “a little jealous” when Hampton elected to play in the NBL rather than the G League.

Australian star Andrew Bogut believes the NBL’s Next Stars program will be reduced to “second-tier” talent and not draft-bound big names such as Ball and Hampton.

“I think it is going to be all the top-tier prospects, so your RJ Hampton and LaMelo Ball, I don’t think we will see those kinds of guys here again,” Bogut said.