Return of High School-to-NBA Reportedly Inching Closer

The NBA Draft age could soon be lowered to 18-years-old, bringing on the impending "Double Draft."

The NBA Draft world could be getting shaken up soon.

Per a Monday report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the NBA and NBPA are further progressing in talks to reach a new collective bargaining agreement. One that could include lowering the NBA Draft age to 18-years-old.

As of 2006, high school players are no longer allowed to go straight to the NBA, as the minimum draft eligibility was raised from 18-years-old to 19-years-old. With a new CBA on the horizon, that could change sooner rather than later.

Passing that rule would send ripples throughout the NBA draft space, both now and in the future. The absolute soonest the rule would affect the draft would be in 2024. There’s been talk of a potential “Double Draft,” with both premier collegiate players who didn’t benefit from the rule and the nation’s top 18-year-olds would both be draft eligible.

Here is The Athletic’s excerpt regarding lowering the NBA Draft age:

“Lowering the age eligibility for the NBA Draft to 18 years old, which would effectively end the one-and-done system in college basketball. The NBA and NBPA have momentum on an agreement to terms that would lower the age to 18 for the draft, but sources say the union is pushing for conditions that would facilitate veteran players providing tutelage and orientation to the high schoolers entering the league. The players union wants to maintain the presence of veteran players and not allow newcomers to replace them, especially in the cases of teams with high school prospects who enter the NBA.”

Charania reported that the two sides “want to finish this deal soon,” supposedly before the March 31 deadline.

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