Hmm, well, let's see . . .
Year --#1 pick --Players who would have gotten a bigger contract under your plan
2002 -- Yao Ming -- point is moot because China was determining Yao's salary anyway
2003 -- LeBron James -- Darko Milic, Mickael Pietrus, Zarko Cabarkapa, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Boris Diaw, Zoran Planinic, Carlos Delfino, Leandro Barbosa
(I should just stop right here, but . . . )
2004 -- Dwight Howard -- Andris Biedrins, Viktor Khryapa, Sergie Monia, Sasha Vujacic, Beno Udrih
2005 -- Andrew Bogut -- Yaroslav Korolev, Johan Petro, Ian Mahinmi2006 -- Andrea Bargnani (guess he would have been eligible for really big money)
2007 -- Greg Oden -- Marco Blinelli, Rudy Fernandez (oh, that would have helped team unity), Tiago Splitter, Petteri Koponen
I don't see a single international player who deserved to get more money than the #1 pick. And the guy who presumably would have gotten the biggest contract of any rookie in the past six years under your plan would have been . . . Andrea Bargnani.
So, no not all #1 draft picks are hits. Just the ones you would stiff with your plan. Excellent idea.
