Former Duke basketball great didn't hold back about players getting paid under new settlement

With the legal path for schools to pay players now paved, we will undoubtedly begin to hear the cheers -- and probably some jeers -- from former players. One such player is former Duke standout Nolan Smith, a member of the 2010 National Championship team.

Late Friday night after news broke that the settlement had been approved. Smith took to social media to express his joy (and a little bit of frustration), saying he was "beyond happy" that players can now be directly paid by schools, but wondering why the cutoff was 2016.

Under the new settlement, schools will be able to pay players dating back to 2016, which would leave Smith and hundreds of thousands of other players out of the money.

From ESPN: "The NCAA will pay nearly $2.8 billion in back damages over the next 10 years to athletes who competed in college at any time from 2016 through present day. Moving forward, each school can pay its athletes up to a certain limit. The annual cap is expected to start at roughly $20.5 million per school in 2025-26 and increase every year during the decade-long deal. These new payments are in addition to scholarships and other benefits the athletes already receive."

Other former players (and mascots) chimed in behind Smith, voicing some masked annoyance that they will be left out of the big payday.

Smith isn't giving up hope on one day cashing in, replying "Never say never, but don't hold your breath!"

The ripple effects of this settlement agreement are only now beginning to form, as we will likely see huge changes in recruiting as the final touches are put on the guidelines by the newly formed commission.