The NBA is going to change its draft system, ending the "one-and-done" era. That much is no longer being debated. When the league will make the change, however, has remained a mystery.
The reform may be further out than many expected. According to a new report from Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, the earliest the league would consider making a change is 2020.
Zillgitt sources the material from "a person with knowledge of the situation." Don't expect to see any change within the next two years—and it might take longer.
"There is no guarantee a new rule goes into effect in 2020, only that it won’t happen in 2019, the person said, adding further discussion needs to take place," Zillgitt writes. "The issue needs to be collectively bargained and agreed on between the league and players' union (NBPA). The league and union do not have to wait until the current CBA expires to negotiate a rule change."
The current system requires prospects to be at least one year removed from high school and 19 years of age in order to enter the NBA Draft. The "prep-to-pro" era began in 1995, when Kevin Garnett leaped from high school to the league. The era ushered greats like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Tracy McGrady into the league.
Then-commissioner David Stern and company changed the rule in 2005, creating the one-and-done era, which has led to current stars like Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and John Wall spending only one year in college. Numerous players around the league, including Durant, have called for a shakeup to the system.
