The NBA is moving toward ending the one-and-done rule that prohibits players from declaring for the draft straight from high school.
When will it actually happen?
Zach Lowe of ESPN:The NBA on Friday sent teams a memo indicating that “eligibility rules” for the draft may shift as early as 2021 (but no earlier) as the league reviews issues “related to player development and the corruption investigation in college basketball,” according to a copy of the memo obtained by ESPN.
The memo does not mention the one-and-done rule by name, but it is meant to remind teams the league and the players union could agree to scrap one-and-done before the expiration of the current collective bargaining deal in 2024 -- and perhaps well before then, sources say.
This will be a good change, whenever it’s made. It’s unfair to effectively force young players into the NCAA’s cartel system. They should have the freedom to pursue an NBA career after high school.
Teams must now plan for a stacked draft – in 2021 or whatever year the rule changes. That draft will include the top high schoolers from that year’s graduating class and the one prior. So, roster moves this summer should already consider the increased value of future draft picks at that point.
Though teams must still guess at the precise year of the reformatted draft, this is at least a major clue.
