Williams Chooses D-League Over China
There is another high school player who has skipped college to play professionally. It seems this one has skipped Europe too.
Latavious Williams from Rivals.com
Latavious Williams made history Thursday when he became the first high school player ever to jump straight to the NBA D-League.
The Tulsa 66ers chose Williams with the 16th overall pick. Tulsa is an affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
His high school coach said Williams turned down a $100,000 guaranteed contract to play in China in favor of entering the NBDL Draft because he felt it gave him a better shot at reaching the NBA. The average D-League salary is between $35,000-$40,000.
“He had a contract on the table that could’ve paid him $100,000 or better in China but he had to weigh the pros and cons,” said Carlos Wilson of Humble (Texas) Christian Life Center. “It came down to taking the money and getting some financial stability for now, but still you’re a long way from the NBA when you’re in China. Or taking the least amount of money and being a step closer instead of four steps closer.”
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