Basketball Fans Won’t Be Happy About The One Rule That Reportedly Won’t Be Changed In The Next CBA

Getty Image


The NBA and NBA Players Association have reached a point of impasse.

Friday was the deadline for the two sides to agree to either a renewal or reconstruction of the current collective bargaining agreement, which runs through the 2024-25 season.

It does not appear that that is going to happen.

Which means, at least according to NBA commissioner Adam Silver, that the league could well be headed for a lockout.

Ultimately, it was always unlikely that players would agree to renew the current agreement. The league has continued to see skyrocketing revenues and players, understandably, want a larger slice of the pie.

One notable amendment that had been suggested was the ability for players to enter the NBA Draft directly out of high school. League superstars such as Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James all took this path.

But the last player to do so was Amir Johnson, whom the Detroit Pistons selected with the 56th pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. Following that year, the rule was amended to state that players needed to be at least one-year removed from high school before becoming draft eligible.

This sparked the one-and-done era, with players such as Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Joel Embiid and more going to college for just one season before moving on with their careers.

Lately, however, players have sought other options. Of the top five projected prospects in the 2023 NBA Draft, only one, Brandon Miller, attended college. The rest (Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson) either played overseas, in the G League, or for Overtime Elite.

Those changes led the NBA to explore returning to the prep-to-pro model. But now it appears that possibility is off the table.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that a change in the minimum draft age rule is off the table if the two sides are to come to an agreement.

And fans were not happy at all about that news.

Ultimately, neither players nor owners benefit from allowing high school kids to enter the NBA. So it’s not all that surprising to see the rule stay. But that doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. Unless, of course, you’re colleges and other pro leagues.