G League offers $125K to elite recruits
The G League will begin offering “select contracts” worth $125,000 next year to elite prospects who are not yet eligible for the NBA, a move that could slightly lessen the handful of one-and-done players at the college level.
There is no determination yet on how players will be identified as potential targets for such a contract. The G League said yesterday that it is establishing a working group to develop that process and other criteria, and that there will be no cap on how many players could be signed to a select deal.
“We recognize that talent assessment is inherently subjective,” G League president Malcolm Turner said. “But as the name would suggest, this working group will be charged with identifying the relevant pool of players who may be offered a select contract. It’s not as if any player can unilaterally raise their hand and dictate that they will join the league playing under a select contract.”
Players will be eligible to sign the select deal if they turn 18 by Sept. 15 prior to the season that they would spend in the G League. The move follows recommendations released earlier this year by the Commission on College Basketball, a group that was chaired by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and was tasked with reforming the college game.
The commission report said “elite high school players with NBA prospects ... should not be ‘forced’ to attend college.”
Turner said the move addresses that concern.
“We’ve tried to answer the basketball community’s call for an alternative in a timely and thoughtful way,” Turner said.
Closing arguments
A lawyer for a longtime Adidas employee urged jurors to use common sense and evidence to conclude college basketball coaches like Bill Self at Kansas and Rick Pitino at Louisville knew shoe companies were paying money to families of elite athletes to steer them to their schools.
Attorney Michael Schachter, representing Adidas sports marketing manager James “Jim” Gatto, cited testimony and evidence that emerged during the fraud conspiracy trial of Gatto, aspiring sports agent Christopher Dawkins and Merl Code, a former Adidas consultant. …
Ashley Chesters was leading on 5-under 66 at the Andalucia Valderrama Masters in Sotogrande, Spain, when play was suspended because of darkness with 60 golfers yet to complete their weather-hit first rounds.
English journeyman Chesters collected six birdies and one bogey to take a 1-shot lead over Gregory Bourdy of France. Tournament host and defending champion Sergio Garcia was at 68.
Revs fall to RSL
Nick Besler, Sebastian Saucedo and Corey Baird scored in the first 30 minutes and Real Salt Lake eased past the Revolution, 4-1, in Sandy, Utah.
The Revs (9-13-11) haven’t won at Rio Tinto Stadium in seven meetings, going 0-5-2.
Kelyn Rowe scored for New England with a header in the 69th minute. …
Manchester United defender Luke Shaw signed a contract extension that ties him to the English club until 2023 after getting back in favor with coach Jose Mourinho. …
UEFA banned Russian league team Rubin Kazan from one season of European competition for breaking rules that monitor spending on player transfers and wages.
Serena Williams’ coach says in-match coaching should be allowed in tennis to help the sport’s popularity.
Patrick Mouratoglou, who admitted he used banned hand signals to try to help Williams during her loss in the U.S. Open final, wrote on Twitter that legalizing coaching and making it part of the spectacle would let “viewers enjoy it as a show” and “ensure that it remains pivotal in the sport.” …
John Isner was taken all the way by fellow American Bradley Klahn before a second-round victory at the Stockholm Open.
The top-seeded Isner toughed out a 7-6 (2), 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5) match.