In Reply to: I'd guess Brandon too, even with his potential to be very good posted by traprh on April 24, 2024 at 15:09:26
unless Cronin really believes in their potential (Mara, maybe Mack and B Williams) or, perhaps more significantly, NIL money runs out.
Given how the NIL and transfer portal system currently works, I think it'll be better off for most of these talented young players who will not get PT to go to another smaller or lower-tier school to develop, then transfer back to UCLA (or similar level institutions) after demonstrating their potential. The only case where they should stay is if they feel they will develop significantly more under Cronin and/or they are only being offered similar NIL money elsewhere.
Even with the latter case, I don't think it'll be good for the player's career if Cronin feels blocked by them not leaving. I'd be very curious to see what the budget and payroll breakdown looks like right now with all of these transfers. Does Cronin get to decide how much each player gets paid?