NBA, Union Have Not Yet Made Progress on Eliminating Draft Age Limit

The NBA and players’ union have not yet made progress on eliminating the age limit for the annual draft, per Jonathan Givoney of ESPN, via RealGM.

Players currently have to be one year removed from high school and turning 19 to be draft-eligible. Otherwise, they need to spend a year playing in college, internationally or in the G League (or spend the year training individually).

The age limit was expected to be dropped in the next collective-bargaining agreement, or at least, that seemed to be the direction in which things were headed. It still might — but again, that discussion has yet to gain any steam, it seems.

Instead, there appear to be “significant hurdles” remaining before players can again enter the draft straight out of high school, as relayed by RealGM.

For the record, NBA commissioner Adam Silver has stated he would prefer the rule be changed to allow such players to be eligible to be drafted, though that alone wouldn’t be enough to get the rule changed.

NBA legends such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett are among those who have entered the draft straight out of high school.