In Reply to: Re: I really like Trent posted by TheHappyBurgermeister on January 12, 2026 at 10:04:06
I think the key difference now is that, back then, players were trying to get paid as quickly as possible. With NIL, for most guys the smarter financial decision is to stay in college. The G League minimum is around $40,000, while it’s been reported that Trent earned close to $1 million this year.
Bailey was just one of many who left too early. I’ve mentioned before how disappointed I was to see Bernard leave in pursuit of a possible second-round pick. That obviously didn’t materialize, and he’s since been bouncing around the G League. But that brings us back to the larger point: NIL has fundamentally changed this landscape. As Dr. noted, the reasons a player might leave are very different now. There’s no real reason to think Trent is considering the draft, which narrows the question to whether he could be poached or whether he’s unhappy with his situation.
If I put myself in Trent’s shoes, the choice seems fairly straightforward. He can be the starting point guard at UCLA, in a system where he knows what’s expected of him, where his game has clearly improved, and likely with a significant raise, or he can roll the dice somewhere else for potentially more offensive freedom. Who knows what he’s thinking, but given how things are trending, I’d take the more certain option, especially if the money is comparable. Now, if someone comes along with a $3 million offer and UCLA can’t match it, that’s a different conversation.