Tom Haberstroh predicts that if the Sacramento Kings win the NBA Draft lottery, AJ Dybantsa may refuse to join the team, similar to Eli Manning's situation. This year's draft is highly anticipated due to the talent of the prospects available.
Credit: Aaron Baker - USA Today; Sacramento Kings; Yahoo Sports
The NBA Draft lottery is this weekend, and it is one of the most highly anticipated in recent memory, given how strongly regarded this yearâs crop of prospects is.
From Cameron Boozer to Darren Peterson to AJ Dybantsa and beyond, some analysts believe the draft has several players who would be worthy of the No. 1 pick in other seasons. That means the pressure is on teams to make the most of their pick, provided they can get lucky at the lottery.
Looking ahead to Sundayâs drawing, Yahoo Sports NBA analyst Tom Haberstroh went out on a limb to predict that if the Sacramento Kings win the lottery, whether they target projected top pick Dybantsa or any other prospect, that player will âpull an Eli Manningâ and refuse to report to the team.
âI would go so far as to say, if the Kings win the lottery, I think he will pull an Eli Manning,â Haberstroh said on The Kevin OâConnor Show.
âThis is a guy that went to BYU, got the money and all the power and all that at BYU, made the choice himself. And all of these athletes in the NIL era are used to having that agency. They are used to making that decision for themselves. In years past in the NBA, this was not the case. It was not the case that these players were getting paid and had the chance to make the decision for themselves and dictate where they were gonna go.â
Haberstroh continued by arguing that since college basketball stars now make more money and have greater autonomy, we are bound to see one of them make this bold move. And he believes the Kings are the most likely organization to end up on the receiving end.
âNow in this era, we are headed toward a situation where you cannot be an incompetent organization and just luck your way into the No. 1 overall pick and not [have] that variable looming overhead,â he said. âAnd I think if itâs AJ Dybantsa or Cam Boozer, whose father played a long time in the NBA, I think the dynamics are shifting, and I would not be surprised at all if whoever [goes to] the Sacramento Kings if they win the lottery is gonna have a hard time convincing that player to stay with that organization.â
It means that Dybantsa may refuse to report to the Sacramento Kings if they select him, similar to how Eli Manning refused to play for the Chargers after being drafted.
The lottery is significant because this year's draft class is highly regarded, with several prospects considered worthy of the No. 1 pick.
Top prospects include AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and Darren Peterson, among others.
If the Kings win the lottery, they will have the opportunity to select a top prospect, but they may face challenges if that player refuses to join the team.
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The general shape of Haberstrohâs argument is reasonable, but if the Manning path was as likely as sports analysts make it seem, we would have a newer example to point to. Before Manning there was John Elway, but while commentators have pointed to Caleb Williams and others as risks to âpull an Eli,â none have.
When ESPN reported on the mechanics behind these situations in 2024, it found that many athletes do work behind the scenes to go to their preferred destination, but that full-on refusing would likely damage their reputation and brand image too strongly. Plus these days, rookie wage scales in the NFL and NBA ensure that players are compensated equally no matter where they land. And while NIL has altered the landscape and given college athletes more control over their lives, itâs not as if athletes were not getting compensated or catered to before.