Adam Silver alludes to end of 1-and-done era in NBA: 'We are ready to make that change'
The one-and-done era in the NBA appears to be on its last legs.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver told reporters in Las Vegas on Tuesday that he believes it’s time for the league to welcome 18-year-olds who recently graduated from high school to apply for the draft.
“My personal view is we are ready to make that change,” Silver said.
Silver’s statement the latest sign pointing to end of 1-and-done
While Silver’s personal view isn’t enough to make the change so, it’s the latest and strongest sign that the league will end the rule that forces young NBA-ready players to play in college or go overseas before being draft eligible. The current rule requires that players to be 19 years old or have completed their freshman year in college to play in the NBA.
The rule was implemented in 2005 and has prevented young talent to join the league out of high school like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Moses Malone did. Players like Marvin Bagley III and Ben Simmons would have likely made the jump straight to the NBA rather than play at Duke and LSU.
National Basketball Players Association director Michele Roberts told the Washington Post’s Tim Bontemps earlier on Tuesday to “stay tuned” for news on subject of the end of the one-and-done rule.
On the subject of the age limit, Michele Roberts says, “Stay tuned.” Adds that she expects there to be some news in “the next few months” on the subject of it going away. That would seem to indicate things remain on schedule for the age limit to go away for the 2021 NBA Draft.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) July 10, 2018
Change could be made prior to new CBA
The current collective bargaining agreement doesn’t expire until 2024, but there is room to renegotiate draft eligibility rules before the next CBA according to a memo obtained by ESPN in June.
New rule would shift NBA and college basketball
An adjustment to the rule would change the landscape of the NBA as well as college basketball. Programs like Kentucky and Duke have thrived in recruiting elite players who might otherwise jump straight to the NBA, which could prompt a strategy change for coaches like John Calipari and Mike Krzyzewski.
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