Colaianni: Wright made right decision

You can’t convince me that Julian Wright is making the wrong decision by declaring for the NBA draft. It is not possible.

In this day and age, Wright could go from a top-10 pick to not even playing for some team in Greece with one disastrous play.

It seems to happen every year. A player goes up for a rebound and comes down awkwardly. That player tears every ligament in his knee and must spend more than a year rehabilitating and will never be the same player that he was the year before.

Wright’s draft stock cannot get much higher. He is going to be a top-10 pick. He is going to get a guaranteed contract. And he is going to sign a multi-million dollar endorsement deal with Adidas or Nike or any one of the big shoe companies. Wright is going to be able to make every financial worry he has ever had go away.

Wright will be able to set himself and his family up for the rest of his life. He will have a life that he could have never dreamed about, and he should take it.

Seriously, is there anyone on this campus who if told they could make $5 to $10 million next year would turn it down? I would leave Lawrence tomorrow if I was offered a job like that, and I love this place.

Kansas fans should not be upset with Wright’s decision to declare. They should understand the reasoning and the risk that Wright would be taking if he decided to return. He should not be viewed as someone who is not loyal. Instead he should be thanked for the two years of highlights that he provided to Kansas fans.

Sure, an argument can be made that he could get an insurance policy taken out that would pay him if he suffered a career ending injury at Kansas next year, much like Southern California quarterback Matt Leinart did. But that policy would not pay him for the rest of what could potentially be a 10 to 15 year career of making money in the NBA as well as the endorsement compensation he would receive during that period of time.

Players like Florida’s Joakim Noah and Louisiana State’s Glen Davis both elected to come back this year. Both were lucky and did not get hurt, but Glen Davis saw his draft stock plummet. He went from being a top-15 pick to now being projected as a late second-round pick by nbadraft.net.

Glen Davis had his draft stock as high as it could be after his Final Four run in 2006, but this season his team was not as strong and Glen Davis suffered nagging injuries, causing his stock to drop.

Joakim Noah’s stock did not drop significantly. He ran the risk of getting hurt when he returned to Florida, but was able to stay healthy and will be a top-10 pick.

Wright probably wouldn’t get hurt if he decided to come back to Kansas for his junior year. He would be able to experience the college life for one more year, the life that is so different from the day-to-day traveling that is life for an NBA player. But Wright needs to do what is best for himself, and what is best for his family. Right now, that is taking the money and beginning what he hopes is a long and prosperous NBA career. Even if his career is not successful, he will likely make enough money to create financial stability for his family for the rest of his life.

Colaianni is a McLean, Va., senior in journalism and political science.