NBA commissioner Adam Silver projects that the "one-and-done" rule could become a thing of the past by the 2022 Draft. While speaking at an event Thursday in Washington, D.C., Silver acknowledged that even though the league and Players Association have been involved in "active discussions" about this matter and a variety of other issues, he thinks both sides are still "a few years away," The Oregonianreports.
Silver believes the tentative 2022 Draft deadline allows for the NBA to work with the Players Association, USA Basketball, among others, to work closely with young players, so that they are better prepared if they do consider making the leap to the league. Silver also recognized that pushing the projected date up any sooner would be unfair to the teams that previously made trades involving draft picks.
Silver admits that about only half of the league's teams are receptive to the idea of welcoming players coming straight out of high school. "You could argue that in the pure self-interest of the NBA, we're better being at 19 or 20," he said. "If you ask an NBA GM who has to scout those players and make a really difficult decision on who they should draft, in many cases, they would much rather see that player having competed against top-notch competition in college for two years or even three years than just in high school, where it's more difficult to tell."
However, Silver understands the hypocrisy in requiring a player to take a semester worth of classes, instead of preparing that individual for a decision that could alter their life financially. "It's hard, I think, if you're that parent or guardian to say to that player, it's more important that you go to three more classes as opposed to prepare for a really important decision," he said. "I think that's where the hypocrisy lies."
