Gafford’s getaway

Basketball star’s early exit a slam dunk

One of the most talked about news stories this week was the announcement that Daniel Gafford, the University of Arkansas’ outstanding sophomore basketball player from El Dorado, would not only forgo his last two years of eligibility in college, but would also skip the Razorbacks’ appearance in the National Invitation Tournament. Gafford will hire an agent and declare himself eligible for the National Basketball Association player draft this summer. He’s expected to be chosen in the first round.

Arkansas fans had myriad reactions to the news that Gafford wouldn’t play in the post-season. Some understood completely. Others, while acknowledging the wisdom of Gafford’s choice to go pro after the season, complained that he was running out on his team before the year was officially done. And there are even a handful who trotted out the tried-and-no-longer-true lament that he should stay in college to get his degree so that he’ll have something to “fall back on” should pro basketball not work out for him.

But Gafford, unlike a fair number of his peers at the elite level of college athletics, appears to have been given some sound advice and followed it. Playing a few games in the NIT, even if he performs well and his team wins, is unlikely to improve his draft position come June, when NBA teams start picking new players. A serious injury, however, would seriously damage his prospects.

Gafford is projected to be chosen somewhere between 16th and 30th overall in the NBA draft. Most analysts project that he’ll go about 20th. Because of the way the NBA’s salary structure works, the pay ranges for the rookies chosen in the first 30 picks are established before the draft commences, and the contracts are guaranteed for the first two seasons. There’s a little room to negotiate — about 20 percent either way — but there’s no real mystery to what his contract will look like should he be drafted that high.

Based on what NBA first-round picks got last year, Gafford stands to make over the next two years — remember, the contract is guaranteed — between $3 million and $4.8 million.

Did we mention the contracts are guaranteed?

So he comes out of school early, gets drafted in the first round, signs an NBA contract and, even if he’s cut or injured, he earns $3 million to $4.8 million over the next two years. That’s a pretty soft pillow to fall back on, and that doesn’t include signing bonuses and endorsement deals. We’re pretty sure you can’t find any non-athlete sophomore engineering or business major who wouldn’t jump at that kind of opportunity. Why should we expect an elite athlete to respond differently?

If he’s smart — and Gafford has already shown that he is — he’ll have the money to go back to college whenever basketball is over for him, if that’s what he wants to do. As far as whether he’s running out on his teammates by skipping the consolation prize tournament, let’s consider this: No 8-year-old boy or girl dreams of making the last shot to win the NIT championship. Playing in the NCAA tournament would have been a whole different deal. Rest assured, had his team made the Big Dance, Gafford would still be wearing Razorback Red.

His teammates don’t seem too bothered by his early exit. They wished him well and then promptly won their first game in the NIT without him Tuesday night, 84-72, against Providence. They’ll play at Indiana today in the second round.

The best reaction for Arkansas fans is not to fret about why he’s leaving (the reasons are obvious) or whether he should stay and play (he really shouldn’t). The best reaction is to wish Gafford, who played two years for the Razorbacks with passion and grit, all the best as he transitions into a new chapter of his life. And then root for the Hogs to beat Indiana. That’s what being a fan is all about.