Under new NCAA rules, players are allowed to return to school if they go undrafted by the NBA.
Players can now participate fully in the predraft process and, if they aren’t taken, tell their athletic director by 5 p.m. the Monday after the draft that they would like to return to school.
In theory, the rule change is a nightmare for coaches like Miller — even though it could mean getting a talented player back on the next season’s roster. Miller would, in theory, have to hold one of his scholarships open for that player until nearly July, making it extremely difficult to find a high-level replacement in the event that the player is drafted or chooses to play professionally overseas.
In reality, Arizona’s NBA prospects won’t be on the fence that long.
Five UA players — Brandon Ashley (2015), Kobi Simmons (2017), Chance Comanche (2017), Rawle Alkins (2018) and Allonzo Trier (2018) — have turned pro early only to be passed over in the NBA Draft.
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All five signed with agents, however, and made it clear they would not return no matter what happened. (Alkins tested the draft in 2017 and opted to return to school by what was then a late-May deadline.)
The introduction of two-way contracts between the NBA and the G League offer another incentive for players to stick in the pro game, since they can earn between $75,000 and $275,000 depending on the amount of time they spend in the NBA.
Simmons, Alkins and Trier have all signed two-way deals, while Ashley has split time between the G League and Europe. Comanche spent last season with the G League’s Memphis Hustle.
