By Yoon Chul
Staff Reporter
The Korean Basketball League (KBL) finally announced rules for an ethnic-Korean draft Monday.
The order, the most controversial issue, will be decided by a lottery pick, like the rookie draft.
Two rival factions have been created among the 10 professional teams. One side has insisted that the four lower teams get priority in the ethnic-Korean draft pick, with the other siding with the decision of the KBL.
Teams can possess only one ethnic-Korean and all picked players get the same salary as a rookie, ranging from 45 million to 100 million won.
But because the rule for ethnic-Koreans sees teams pick by draft instead of through selecting free agents (FA), They have the chance to sign a contract with the same team twice in a period of three years, similar to the rule governing import players.
That means, if they play for three years with one team, they should move on to another outfit instead of signing an extension or getting FA status.
The problem with teams having ethnic-Koreans in the same situation will be resolved later.
Ethnic-Koreans are eligible for the draft when they acquire South Korean nationality, or either of their parents is a Korean.
The draft will be held before the rookie draft on Feb. 3, 2009, but the schedule has not yet been specified.
As of Tuesday, only five candidates ― Eric Sandrin, Anthony Galloway, Jarod Stevenson, Gregory Stevenson and Tony Akins ― had submitted applications for the draft.
The application deadline is Dec. 31.