Kentucky’s Johnson, Andrew Harrison Land in NBA D-League to Begin Season, More High-Profile Names Likely to Follow

While 21 former Kentucky players will start the 2015-16 season on NBA rosters, one-third of the six Kentucky players drafted in June will begin the year in the NBA D-League.

Andrew Harrison and Dakari Johnson have signed NBA D-League contracts with the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder, respectively. Both players agreed to play in the D-League while their teams retained their rights, a source said.

Harrison was chosen at No. 44 by the Suns but dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies, while Johnson, a Brooklyn native, was taken at No. 48 by the Thunder.

“I hope some of these college guys who are considering jumping to the NBA this year follow their story and reconsider coming out,” said one NBA scout, who cannot comment publicly.

Yet the good news for players like these is that 30 percent of current NBA players — 132 total players — have spent time in the D-League.

More than 40 percent of the last five NBA Draft classes have honed their skills in the NBA D-League, including 15 2014 first-round selections.

Aaron Harrison, who went undrafted, is on the inactive list for the Charlotte Hornets, along with former Kentucky standout Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who is injured.

The fact that at least one Harrison and Johnson are starting the year in the D-League doesn’t come as a surprise to many NBA folks.

“I doubt they were ignorant of the risks,” said NBA scout No. 2. “Neither were projected to be drafted high.”

A year ago, Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller both said the Harrisons should remain at Kentucky for another year.

“I don’t think you should leave college if you’re not going to be a first-round draft pick,” Barkley said in March. “I do not believe that.

“I wish we could make all these kids stay in school at least two years, but I don’t think they should come out unless you’re going to go in the first round. I mean, you’re contract’s not even guaranteed.”

Miller said of the Harrisons in March: “I think they should stay. I think Aaron’s probably a little bit more ready than Andrew, but if they want to be a package deal and come out together, then they both should wait.”

Of course, the Kentucky guys aren’t the only former college standouts headed to the D-League.

NBA D-League rosters won’t become official until Nov. 11, but several NBA scouts said they expect other players listed as inactive to start the NBA season to end up in the D-League.

The group of inactive players includes Boston’s James Young (Kentucky), Golden State’s Kevon Looney (UCLA), Indiana’s Rakeem Christmas (Syracuse), the Clippers’ Branden Dawson (Michigan State), Memphis’ Jarell Martin (LSU) and Jarnell Stokes (Tennessee), Milwaukee’s Tyler Ennis (Syracuse), Minnesota’s Tyus Jones (Duke) and Portland’s Cliff Alexander (Kansas).

Aaron Harrison ($75,000), Alexander ($100,000) and the 76ers’ Christian Wood (UNLV) all went undrafted but made opening day rosters. All three were given some guaranteed money to come to camp, a source told SNY.tv. Harrison stands to make $500,000 if he stays on the team.

Meantime, the D-League has become an increasingly popular way to train players who may not quite be ready for the NBA.

“Most of these kids need the D-League and only the scouts who cannot talk publicly would tell them the truth,” NBA scout No. 3 said. “Boys are not ready for the men’s league.”

“Kids develop better when they play, not sit the bench,” NBA scout No. 2 said. “Anyone not good enough to earn minutes right away, we now send to the D-League.”

The scout pointed out that with Tuesday’s announcement that the Charlotte Hornets have acquired the right to own and operate an NBA D-League team that will begin in the 2016-17 season, 20 NBA teams now own a D-League team.

There are currently 228 D-League spots (including 2 inactives per team), but that number will increase to 240 when Charlotte joins the fray.

Said NBA scout No. 2: “That number will go up even more over the next few years.”