from what i recall (haven't played in two years), in htt you had the option to have an academy for younger talents.
you controlled the team of the academy and you needed to add it to private academy leagues.
the players from the academy were entirely separate from the active roster. the only way to get them was to sign them permanently to the big league.
however, this system in htt was the only way that younger players got in the game. no draft is available. this is basically the same way younger players get in big soccer clubs. there is no drafting in soccer, at least outside US. i don't know in the us system
personally i would prefer such a system, and it would be a bit D-league like since you could wait a bit longer to promote then to your first team.
If it really the target of a BB manager to train the self drafted talent, it had several advantages:
- you could impact how your future star looks like, and build him withhim your need. Even when you are still talent driven, is your youth squad star a 2.20 Center you couldn't make him a Guard.
- it fit better in the league structure, the draft is designed to let the bottom teams catch in the NBA but here it gives the team who relegates something like an head start.*
- also it makes it possible to get the top talent also to the top teams.*
* as pini would mention here right this is also to mine advantage, so properly totally pointless even when it is reasonable
For the realism freaks, this system also exist in the most pro club of the world ;)