There's a lot of money on the line. Honestly, I'm surprised that the NBA hasn't ensured that all teams have a G-League team as well. They would essentially be able to double-sell their product. Granted, it would be at a lower level, but they could still get paid.
NCAA is in a tough spot. They can't look like they're trying to financially influence players to choose their school, but they're the same as everyone else (like you said). So it comes down to location, preference, and side perks. The side perks and special treatment can cause entitlement issues which don't make for great classmates. They're probably better off in a one-and-done school or the G-league, because it would keep them insulated from the general population. (Really it would protect the regular people from getting crushed by their egos.)
It will be interesting to see how they develop the G-league, particularly if some agreement comes that enables more college athletes to test the waters.
That's true. They could have some sort of "physical education" track where the students are getting credits for hands-on experience (through playing) and when they get done with 2 years, they could have an Associate's Degree or something. Then they have some education under their belt. If there are real classes as a part of that, they might even have real-world skills.
You know what would be really cool? Having them take business and financial management classes while they're in the G-league. As part of their degree, they would be getting an education on how to invest their money, be smart with their earnings, and maximize their personal brand. Then they could be equipping the students (athletes) to succeed, rather than just giving them millions of dollars when they have no clue how to use it wisely. Just a thought.