The NCAA and NBA have indefinitely postponed the early entrant withdrawal date for draft prospects, the NCAA announced in a statement. It was originally scheduled for June 3.
Usually, it’s the date that college underclassmen would need to withdraw their names by in order to retain NCAA eligibility. Typically, it falls 10 days after the draft combine. With the combine postponed indefinitely, the news doesn’t come a major shock.
“This modification is being made with the health and well-being of our student-athletes in mind, along with their ability to make the most informed decisions during this uncertain time, and is based on the recent announcement by the NBA to postpone the 2020 NBA Draft Combine,” NCAA senior VP of basketball Dan Gavitt said in a statement.
The NBA’s own withdrawal deadline falls 10 days before the draft and had been scheduled for June 15. That date, which is generally the one to watch for international prospects, will presumably be pushed back indefinitely as well.
The league still hopes to hold a combine, whether it’s an in-person or virtual event. The NBA has also postponed the draft lottery, but hasn’t yet officially moved back the June 25 draft.
As everything basketball related is unconventional due to the coronavirus situation, I think this is the one year that the draft should be shelved and just make every player that is eligible for the draft (the seniors and declared underclassmen), make them all free agents available for any team to sign. Keeping salary caps as they are projected, no team could just sign the top five players available – not enough money for that and no agent will want their top player “sharing” money with several other rookie signees.
Eligible players could even be financially “tiered” based on their draft rankings and have their salaries allotted accordingly. Ex. Players ranked 1-5 are eligible for “x amount” of money over 3 years plus a team option. Players ranked 6-12, 13-20, each tier gets a lower salary slot. 21-35 maybe 2 years and an option. 36-45, 1 year and an option. 46 and on, contract almost like a typical undrafted free agent… partial guarantee or non-guarantee, etc…
Of course, this won’t happen. But, if there was any year it could (and should) be considered, its this one.