College Stars Ink NBA Deals—Then Suit Up in March? The Rule That Has Coaches Fuming

The Night the Phones Wouldn’t Stop

At 11:07 p.m. last Tuesday, Arkansas assistant coach Kyle Roane was still awake when his group chat erupted. A screenshot circulated: projected lottery pick Jalen Whitmore had just signed a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz—then boarded the team bus for the SEC tournament. “Is this even legal?” one assistant asked. By sunrise, the question had jumped from text threads to national radio, ESPN chyrons, and a Zoom call of frazzled athletic directors.

One Signature, Two Jerseys

Welcome to 2024’s newest loophole. Under current NCAA rules, a player can accept an NBA contract, retain college eligibility, and keep suiting up if he never hires an agent and the deal is classified as a “summer contract” that technically begins after the season. The result: All-America guards cashing signing bonuses on Friday and diving for loose balls on Saturday.

“We’re asking 19-year-olds to choose between a seven-figure check and a classroom seat—they’re choosing both,” said one Big 12 coach.

Coaches Draw a Line in the Paint

Seventeen Division-I head coaches told this reporter the rule warps competitive balance. Their argument: schools with wealthy boosters can steer “summer contracts” to their stars, effectively turning college gyms into NBA tryouts subsidized by NIL collectives.

• Kansas State’s Jerome Tang: “We’re not a farm system—pay for play needs boundaries.”
• North Carolina’s Hubert Davis wants an emergency vote to make any professional contract an automatic opt-out.
• The NABC plans to propose a mid-April deadline: sign with an agent or return to school—no middle ground.

The Players’ Counter

In a hotel lobby outside the Big East tournament, Whitmore shrugged off criticism: “I grew up broke. My family’s secure now. I’m still taking classes online—why is that wrong?” His teammates echo a generational refrain: if coaches can jump schools for buyouts, why can’t players double-dip while healthy?

What Happens Next

The NCAA Council meets April 18. Sources expect a narrow vote to shutter the loophole before the June draft. If it fails, the Player’s Association warns NBA teams will expand summer contracts, flooding campuses with short-term pros and accelerating the sport’s shift toward semi-pro status.

For now, the buzzer hasn’t sounded. Phones across the college landscape keep lighting up, each alert another reminder that the line between student-athlete and professional has never been thinner—or more lucrative.