Quick Take on Tyus Jones Declaring for the Draft

I, for one, will be happy to see Tyus Jones out of the ACC.

Dude's clutch.

Luckily, he's taking his Luck of the Irish talent to the NBA, and the Hoos won't have to see any of him next year.

We'll all hear about how, coming off a National Championship, Tyus figured that there's nothing left for him to accomplish in college basketball and decided to declare. But really, it all comes down to cold, hard cash


Value of a College Education
 
Some people want college basketball players to stick it out for all four years. Those same people would talk about the value of a college education. Here are a couple estimates on the value of a college education:

$650,000 over a 40-year career (Pew)
$830,000; retiring at 67 (Forbes)

That's a lot of money. But that's just the difference between an average college graduate and a high school graduate's lifetime earning. And these are conservative estimates. But Tyus is forgoing a DUKE EDUCATION. Fine.

Let's say that a Duke education is worth twice as much as a Forbes's admittedly conservative estimate. Tyus would be forgoing about $1.5 million (lifetime) to not get his degree.

VALUE: $1.5 million


Value of an NBA Rookie Contract

So, is it really a good idea for Tyus to forgo all those potential career earnings to go pro at age (almost) 19? Abso-freaking-lutely!

Here's the minimum salary for an NBA rookie:

$507, 336

At this rate, he'd only have to stick in the league for 3 years to recoup the value of a Duke bachelor's degree. And Tyus isn't a longshot to make the NBA.

Jones is ranked No. 23 in our Top 100. In the 17-25 range. RT @GoodmanESPN: Tyus Jones is headed to the NBA, Duke announces.
— Chad Ford (@chadfordinsider) April 15, 2015

If he is drafted in the 17-25 range, his first year salary will be:

$1,395,400 - 17th
$1,075,300 - 23rd
 $991,000   - 25th

Not too shabby, considering that the first two years of his contract as a first-round pick will be guaranteed. That $1.5 million Duke education isn't looking that impressive anymore.

Factor in the injury risk of returning to play another unpaid year of college basketball, and the decision is a no-brainer. Good luck in your travels, Tyus. 

VALUE: $2 million to ALL THE MILLIONS