Yes and no.

You have to be good enough to GET that second contract. Some players need an extra year to develop and learn. I know what you're going to say:

"NBA develops better! Year round! No restrictions!"

Yes and no.

No restrictions means your body has to stand up to a great deal more punishment. Sometimes a 19 year old's body just isn't ready for that. It also means that no one is holding your hand. You better get up and get going, or you'll get gone. The league chews up and spits out dudes left and right.

They have just as good of coaches in the NBA to teach!

Yes and no.

Some of them do. But I'd put Self, Coach K, Pitino, and maybe a few others up there with the best NBA coaches. And sometimes what you learn in college you simply can't learn in the NBA when you're a top lottery pick. Things like leadership. How to constantly prepare as a winner. How to win with a target on your back. How to get up for games when you are the favorite.

Most of these guys are going to dogshit teams that either have a lack of talent, chemistry issues, a revolving coaches' door, or all this and more. They won't have strong voices to guide them. They won't learn how to be leaders. John Wall gets his numbers. Boogie Cousins gets his numbers. Neither really understand how to be a leader for their team.

If a player isn't smart (see: James, Lebron) and tenacious (see Bryant, Kobe), then they might never turn to veteran guys for guidance. They will simply be 25 year old versions of their rookie selves. Sure, they'll make money. But transcendent talents - the real money makers - their the ones who WIN. They become icons.

Embiid, Wiggins, Parker... they won't be making a mistake by going to the NBA. But they wouldn't make a mistake by sticking around, learning some more, and being ready to LEAD that dogshit team that drafts them.

I honestly think Marcus Smart did the right thing by coming back. He didn't cost himself more than a couple hundred grand. He'll still be a top 7 pick. And when he goes to the Kings, he won't feel like a Freshman. He'll have at least another year of confidence so he can actually lead. Wiggins has spent a year feeling like a Freshman. Next year he will as well. Sometimes it pays to have a couple years of distance between rookie years, so that your mentality is one of confidence and leadership.

How much money is that worth?

Victor Oladipo was the #2 pick last year and is guaranteed $9.741 mil over 2 years with team options the next 2 years after that are worth a total of $11.744 mil. http://hoopshype.com/salaries/orlando.htm

Giannis Antetokounmpo was the #15 pick last year and is guaranteed $3.665 mil over 2 years and with team options the next 2 years that are worth a total of $4.948 mil. http://hoopshype.com/salaries/milwaukee.htm

+1. Perfectly stated.

Don't let facts stand in the way of hope.

$6.076 million is a LITTLE bit more than a few hundred thousand. And that's just the guaranteed money. And both of those are more than he would make playing for free.

They do get free meals and rooms in college though.

Other than dominate nearly every game he played in the process of helping KU have another very good season, then yeah he did nothing, troll.

This thread has more Aids than The Owen Clinic.

Perhaps, but Smart's game was completely picked apart this year (despite being one of the best players in the NCAA). While he became a better player in several areas, he also became a lightning rod (granted, some of this was his doing). There are now seemingly more questions about him now than if he had just come out in the first place. He's still going to go pretty high in the draft, but there was always the potential for a bigger drop than that.

If any one of those three (Wiggins, Embiid, Parker) choose to return, they're going to be under an even greater microscope than they were before. And if they don't improve their weaknesses, there will be more questions about whether they'll ever be able to. And that isn't even mentioning the injury risk. Considering the money at stake, I think it's in their best interest to take the shot while it's there because you never really know if they'll get the same shot again.

Cant believe how much KCC and PB obsess over the Flopper...

We don't really need to get into your history with Smart on this board, do we?

I don't believe any of that stuff about being "exposed" if you stay. NBA scouts are the best in the business and they are not fooled all that easily. Smart provided them 35 game films last year alone and the questions about his game are exactly as they are today: questionable outside shot and out of control going to the hole. Wiggins will have the same questions about his ball control and his jump shot whether he goes now or later.

Sure, why not... Bring it... Let your obsession flow.

He has nothing to do with Kansas, the present or future of Kansas...

He is a flopping "Piece of crap" Opps that is a racial slur, now I am really in trouble by the Smartypants police...

That's not quite what you said. You can run from your actual comments but you can't hide.

Bawhahaaha, Really?

You are the biggest coward on this board, you calling out anyone for hiding is pricless.. You are awful brave now that your idol just passed away...

If he doesn't develop his game at all in the next year as a college player, he will obviously carry more questions with him as a result. Now in Wiggins' particular case, his potential would remain so high that it wouldn't affect his draft stock much, but there's obviously more downside than upside there. Injuries are the real concern obviously.