LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 06: Willie Reed #35 of the Los Angeles Clippers during the game against the Golden State Warriors on January 6, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Hindsight being what it is, Salt Lake City Stars’ No. 1 draft pick Willie Reed said he would’ve gone to college coming out of Bishop Miege high school in 2008, even if it meant turning down $125,000 to play in the G-League.
But it’s a moot point anyway. When Reed finished up his high school career the G-League – back then known as the D-League – wasn’t throwing around that kind of dough. But it will next season, offering $125K contracts to “elite” 18-year-olds who want to play in the NBA ASAP.
This move figures to have a cooling effect on the NBA’s one-and-done policy.
Reed, who has played in more than 150 NBA games with stops in Brooklyn, Detroit, Miami and the L.A. Clippers, was eligible for the 2018 G-League draft and the Stars took him with the first overall pick.
“I would’ve gone to college anyway,” Reed said. “Obviously every player is different. I wasn’t a player who could’ve come right out of high school.”
Now part of the Utah Jazz system, the 6-foot-11 center will have a valuable opportunity to showcase his skills with the Stars. Because the Stars and Jazz share the same city, any call-up the Jazz might make will be a seamless transition.
Stars coach Martin Schiller said Reed can give a defensive presence and on the offensive end his screen-and-roll game is capable of putting pressure on an opponent’s interior defense.
“The third thing we’re asking him to give us is a presence in the locker room, helping the young guys,” Schiller said. “What we want to help him do is get back to the NBA as quickly as possible.”
“I was always a player that had a role,” Reed said. “Now I’m trying to work on being a leader, leading by example and being a vocal leader. If I can continuously do that I think I’ll have a shot (to return to the NBA).”
Reed certainly doesn’t lack for confidence in himself or his game.
“I think I’ll bring a lot of energy (to the Stars and/or the Jazz),” he said. “My nickname is ‘Showtime,’ it kind of speaks for itself.”
That self-assuredness is a natural thing, it seems. But Reed now has the opportunity to sharpen and refine it in the G-League, something he wasn’t ready for coming out of high school.
“I know I needed some time in college to develop, to get stronger,” he said. “I was 6-9, 170 when I left high school, so I needed to gain weight and work on some of my game.”
Reed acknowledged that an opportunity to jump to the NBA out of high school, with a hefty salary, “is big for kids nowadays.”
“The money is super attractive, so guys are going to be thinking of that,” Schiller said. “The tricky thing about it is these guys are going to be very exposed.”
Exposed?
“Because you can be as talented as you want (but) if you’re not LeBron, and you’re a really talented 18-year-old you’re still playing against a 27-year-old who has perhaps played in the NBA or overseas,” Schiller added. “You’re probably going to get hammered and then here goes the exposure. It will be really interesting to see what will happen; what the dynamic will be.”