The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association have resumed discussions in recent weeks about ending the league’s one-and-done rule and lowering the minimum age to 18, league sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony.
According to Wojnarowski and Givony, those talks have been infused with some urgency, since the league still hopes to change the rule in time for the 2022 draft. If the rule is changed for that year, there will be a greater influx of talent in the ’22 draft, with high school seniors and college freshman each getting their first chance to declare as early entrants. Those draft picks will, in turn, become more valuable.
“There was a run on trying to get 2022 picks at the trade deadline,” one GM told ESPN.
While both sides would like resolution, the NBA’s desire to convince the NBPA to make concessions on rules related to the availability of prospects’ medical information and combine attendance and participation have been obstacles, per ESPN.
The NBPA has felt pressure from the agent community to resist the NBA’s efforts to gain control of prospects’ medical information, sources tell Woj and Givony. Conversely, the league doesn’t want to lower the minimum age to 18 without some giveback from the players’ union.
As negotiations between the league and players’ union continue, the NBA and USA Basketball have reached an agreement to allow teams to begin scouting Team USA’s 16-under national camps this May, Woj and Givony report. Players at that camp could potentially be available in the 2022 draft. Previously, NBA teams were only permitted to scout 18-under camps and programs.
Medical records should be required to be eligible for the draft.
What a thrill for NBA scouts, 16 yos. :/
One-and-done teams have only won 2 NCAA titles– it’s not that big a deal. All of the 2019 final 4 teams were defensive-based, not diaperdandy-based.
There will be complainers & issues no matter what system is used.
League will likely deal with the two major flaws in the HS to NBA model that led to an “age limit” (1 year of college) in the first place. The control that the AAU-Apparel Company-Agent mafia had and has over elite HS players, and the lack of player developmental resources available to NBA teams for players they draft. Expanding the reach of USA BB (to provide better guidance to HS kids, skill-wise, and off the court as well) and the scope of the G-league have been discussed for awhile in this regard, and I think both make sense. But increasing the G-league’s importance won’t happen without some changes to the contract/FA rules applicable to young players who aren’t 1st round picks. The current (and prior) CBA rules discourage teams from investing development time (on either the NBA or G-league level) in raw players who aren’t 1st round picks.