NCAA drains French basketball youth, and the LNB is powerless

French basketball is at a turning point. Long praised for its ability to develop young talent, with an unequivocal slogan (« revealing French basketball »), the LNB sees its model challenged by an evolving NCAA. Thanks to NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) and complete freedom on transfers, the North American university championship is attracting more and more French prospects. The trend is well underway, and the consequences for French clubs could be major.

The NIL revolution: millions for student-athletes

Until 2021, the NCAA prohibited its athletes from being paid. But since then, everything has changed. Students can now profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL), with commercial deals potentially reaching several million dollars. This system, combined with total flexibility offered by the transfer portal, has transformed the NCAA into a true eldorado for young players. And this, without European clubs, or even the NBA or FIBA, being able to legally intervene.

A simple example: Yohan Traoré has played at three different universities in three seasons. This kind of path illustrates the fluidity of the American system, much more flexible than the European contractual environment, often rigid and poorly paid at this career stage.

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A massive exodus from LNB to NCAA

The phenomenon is accelerating. In 2025, the list of confirmed departures to the United States is dizzying:

• Ilias Kamardine (Dijon)

• Roman Domon (Gravelines-Dunkerque)

• Wilson Jacques (JL Bourg)

• Evan Boisdur (Gravelines-Dunkerque)

• Clarence Fondeur Massamba (Monaco)

• Yohann Sissoko and Paul Mbiya (ASVEL)

And the wave could continue with potential departures for:

• Illan Pietrus and Brice Dessert (Strasbourg), before Maxence Lemoine in 2026?

• Nathan De Sousa (Cholet)

• Mathis Courbon (Roanne)

• Mohamed Diakite (Saint-Quentin)
• Alexandre Bouzidi (already in German D3)

Clubs can’t do anything about it. The NCAA, not affiliated with FIBA, doesn’t require a letter of clearance to qualify a player, even if under contract. Result: French development clubs lose their best elements for free.

Agents, a logical role in a favorable dynamic

In this context, agents are fully playing their role. Their mission being to best serve their clients’ interests, it’s perfectly logical that they direct young players toward opportunities as attractive as those offered by the NCAA. Especially since the NIL system proves advantageous for them too, with commissions ranging between 10 and 20%, higher than the 8 to 10% generally practiced in Europe (and that’s without foreign intermediaries). An ecosystem that naturally encourages representatives to push their prospects toward the United States.

Toward questioning the French development model

This tidal wave could push LNB clubs to revise their approach. Why invest in development if talents leave before even contributing to the sporting project? The risk is clear: offering cut-rate training, inexpensive because unprofitable in the long term. A trend that could eventually impact the LFB as well, if women’s NCAA follows the same evolution.

NBA Draft also impacted

The phenomenon also has repercussions on the NBA Draft. In 2025, only 106 players registered for early entry, the lowest number since 2015, compared to 363 in 2021. Students stay longer in university, well paid and well supported, instead of trying the pro adventure in precarious conditions.

The NCAA thus becomes a royal path, not only for development but also for enrichment. A well-supported player, good on the court and active on social media can sign deals with Nike, Amazon or T-Mobile. To the point where a late pick NBA player could earn less than a star player at Kentucky or Texas.

What can the LNB do? Not much… alone

Faced with this wave, the LNB is powerless. No contractual clause, no training compensation, no legal recourse can slow this movement. Unless the NBA, seeing part of its talent pool stabilize in NCAA instead of arriving prematurely in its league, decides to intervene in turn.

I’ve been warning about this for years. The Kamardine and Domon cases are even worse than I imagined. Even with pro contracts we are ruined…. now the girls will follow it’s dramatic for French basketball https://t.co/Qk5fBugU5n

— Remy Delpon (@RemyDelpon) April 30, 2025

Because today, the NCAA is no longer the amateur sanctuary of the past. It is a market in its own right, with its codes, its agents, its millions. And France, former leader in basketball development in Europe, might just become a mere supplier, without retention power.