Yesterday’s NBA Draft quietly highlighted just how much the landscape of basketball is changing in the NIL era. Out of the 30 second-round selections, 29 of the picks being used were originally acquired through trades. The only team that actually kept and used its own second-round pick was the Toronto Raptors, who selected Jaden Bradley.

That statistic perfectly shows how aggressively NBA teams now value draft assets and roster flexibility, but it also reflects another growing reality: many talented college players simply are no longer rushing to leave school.

Before NIL, projected second-round picks or fringe first-round players often entered the NBA Draft as quickly as possible because there was little financial incentive to stay in college. Now, many of those same players can return to school and make millions of dollars through NIL deals while improving their draft stock in a less risky environment. North Carolina star Henri Veesaar could have stayed in college and made around $5 million through NIL deals, but instead he chose to pursue the NBA. Now, he’ll likely make closer to $1 million while bouncing between the NBA and G League early in his career after being drafted 52nd.

As a result, NBA teams are becoming more comfortable moving later picks around because draft classes are becoming way more top-heavy. Older, more experienced college players are staying longer, while teams continue to not to see impact players left in the 2nd round.

The NIL era has completely shifted the economics of basketball. For many players, staying another year in college can now be financially smarter than becoming a late second-round pick fighting for a roster spot in the NBA or G League. And yesterday’s draft made one thing very clear: the old system is gone.

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