I mean there's no way to tell for sure, but scouts like to see guys elevate the team. Look at Thornwell. He wasn't on anyone's draft radar going into this season. USC was picked mid-pack or lower in the SEC. But his stock has skyrocketed because of the success of the team. And he's not much different size-wise from Leslie, but Leslie was MUCH more explosive. There's no comparison there. And Leslie shot for a higher % than Thornwell has, fwiw (both for his career and each year).

If they had come back, that team would have won 20 or maybe 25 games, and both of their stocks would have shot up much like Thornwell's has. And even if their pro careers hadn't been much different, they would have earned a lot more because of that first contract. At that level, just 5 or 10 draft positions makes a big difference. In the NBA, for most guys it's all about that first contract.



[Post edited by RedDawg at 03/24/2017 1:53PM]