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Committee could study NBA draft rule

Derrick Rose played one college season before he was taken No. 1 in the NBA draft

The NBA and Players Association are discussing the formation of a committee to study the age minimum for the league's draft with the possibility that no immediate changes to the "one-and-done" rule will come in the finalization of the new collective bargaining agreement, a league official told Yahoo! Sports.

"Only the agreement to have the committee may be part of the new CBA," the source said. "I doubt it will have any affect on the 2012 draft."

This could mean the current class of star college freshmen, including potential No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis of Kentucky, will have the opportunity to enter the 2012 draft.

The draft's age rule is considered one of several "B-list" issues that were tabled in settlement talks, but must be resolved in negotiations before the league and players can get a signed agreement. The NBA and its players must still negotiate several more issues, including drug testing and NBA Developmental League assignments. The shelving of the age minimum debate buys the league more time to deal with the high-profile and impactful issue.

For now, the rule calls for American-born players to turn 19 during the calendar year of the draft and be one year removed from their high school graduating class. Since its inception, the rule has created an era in college basketball known as the “one-and-done,” where many top players have spent one year on campus before leaping to the NBA.

[ Related: NBA owners, players reach tentative agreement ]

Within the NBA, there’s a growing movement to create a rule similar to Major League Baseball, which requires college players to stay three years before becoming eligible for the draft. Some NBA teams have suggested a system in which the age minimum for the draft would be 20. Under that scenario, non-international players also would have to wait until two years after their senior high school class has graduated.

The proposed committee would look at a system that would permit high school players to declare for the draft, and if players aren’t selected, they can retain eligibility and still play college basketball. Those players would have to wait two years to re-enter the draft. And once any player enters college, he has to wait two years until he can play in the NBA.

Nevertheless, many league basketball executives are satisfied with the current "one-and-done rule." NBA rules allow players to enter the NBA Developmental League directly out of high school.

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