NIL Money is Reshaping the NBA Draft: Fewer Early Entrants and Stars Leaving

Will Wade’s work building N.C. State into an immediate winner included the pursuit of an entrant in the NBA Draft, just in case he returned to college. It wasn’t a huge risk: With all the cash flowing in college, the number of early entrants to the NBA Draft has continued to shrink.

This year’s NBA Draft starts Wednesday night with its lowest total of those prospects in at least 10 years. “Now you can play the long game a little bit more,” Wade told The Associated Press, referring to how college players can look at their futures.

“Look, I can get paid the same I would get paid in the G League, the same I would get paid on a two-way (contract), some guys are getting first-round money.”