Former UCLA star and former high school teammate of Bronny James, Amari Bailey is only 21 years old, and he wants to become the first player to play again in the NCAA after playing games in the NBA. To do this, he hired an agent and a lawyer to convince university authorities of his eligibility.
Drafted in 2023, at 18 years old, Amari Bailey played 10 matches with the Hornets, via a “ two-way contract », and his horizons blocked in the pros, he wishes to resume his university career. “Today, I would be a senior at university”he recalls. “I’m not 27 years old… Without criticizing those who do it because everyone has their own journey, I went to the pros, I learned a lot, I went through a lot of challenges. So why not me? »
His approach constitutes a major new legal test for the NCAA which is trying to prohibit former professional players from returning to universities. The president of the NCAA, Charlie Baker, warned in December that the authorities would not grant any eligibility to a player who signed an NBA contract. Except that Charles Bediako, who had signed a “two-way contract” without playing in the NBA, challenged NCAA rules in state court and obtained an injunction allowing him to play with Alabama.
NCAA legal limits put to the test
“The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to players who have signed an NBA contract”warned Tim Buckley, vice-president of the NCAA. “Congress can strengthen the NCAA rules so that professionals cannot return to competition against student athletes through legal action. »
This same NCAA, however, authorized James Nnaji, also drafted in 2023, to return to the NCAA. He had not signed in the NBA, but in Europe. For Amari Bailey and his lawyer, the fact of having played a few minutes in a limited number of NBA games at the end of his rookie season does not justify different treatment.
“We have a young person of university age who wants to return to university, and a system which tells him: “Too bad, you played in another league, so it’s over forever,’” said Elliot Abrams, Amari Bailey’s lawyer. “I don’t see any real justification for this. »
Amari Bailey considers the five-year limit fair, but he believes it might be more realistic to ban the return of players who signed a guaranteed NBA contract or were selected in the first round of the Draft. His only professional contract, a two-way contract, was worth $565,000, and he points out that many college players today earn similar or even higher amounts.
Two-way contract : Designed to create a new bridge between the NBA and the G-League, this type of contract allows each team to secure the services of two or three additional players, to play them mainly in their affiliated development league franchise but also for up to 50 matches in the NBA.
