Is The NBA Finally Ready To Change The One-and-Done Rule?

[Tugg Speedman]

Nothing decided on what to do but it sounds like they want to give players the option of going right out of high school and then "two-and-done" if they do to college.

If that is the way they do, they still have issues to work out, namely what happens to a high school player that declares and is not drafted?  Can they still go to college?

The NFL rule is a player is eligible for the draft 4 years after his high school class graduates.  So many football players redshirt and are injured (sometimes in addition to redshirting) which is why top players in the NFL draft they are juniors, and occasionally sophomores, when they declare.



Everyone seems to agree one-and-done is bad, but will it finally change?
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/19562936/the-conversation-one-done-rule-happening-again

College coaches have adapted to the turbulence that accompanies the one-and-done culture. Many would prefer more year-to-year stability, even if that would demand reopening the pipeline of high school athletes to the NBA, an idea Silver seems willing to analyze. That's why Silver said he wants college coaches to participate in the upcoming conversations about changing the rule.

"They're not happy with the current system," he said. "And I know our teams aren't happy either, in part because they don't necessarily think that the players coming into the league are getting the kind of training that they would expect to see among top draft picks in the league."

[DJO's Jaw]

I hope so. If a kid is good enough to play in the NBA, let him make his money. Don't force them to enroll in 3/4 of a year of college.

While we're at it, the NCAA needs to let players make money off of their own likeness too. I'm not sure they necessarily need to be paid, but at least let them have some sort of financial earnings.

[Tugg Speedman]

I hope so. If a kid is good enough to play in the NBA, let him make his money. Don't force them to enroll in 3/4 of a year of college.

While we're at it, the NCAA needs to let players make money off of their own likeness too. I'm not sure they necessarily need to be paid, but at least let them have some sort of financial earnings.

I think they should adopt a baseball approach ... let them hire an agent, get drafted (or not), play in the summer league and then decide before the end of August to go pro or come back to school another years.

Why they force them to make a decision with incomplete information when it is not necessary is baffling.

---

What about the old Larry Bird rule using a modern example ...

When couldn't the Pistons draft Henry, give him a couple of Shekels and then send him back to MU for a season or two (The Celtics drafted Bird after his junior year and then sent him back to school for another year).

[GGGG]

Here is my solution:

Players can declare out of high school and be drafted, but then the pro team has a choice. Either sign them to a contract immediately, or have them enroll in college for a two year time frame. The NBA team still retains the rights to the player, but can no longer sign them to a contract for two years. At the end of the two year frame, if the team and player agree on a deal...bye bye. If not, the NBA team loses the rights and the college player can either continue with college, or he can reenter the draft. If he chooses to reenter at this point, or after his junior year, then he forfeits the rest of his eligibility. (Just like now.)

[Pakuni]

Here is my solution:

Players can declare out of high school and be drafted, but then the pro team has a choice. Either sign them to a contract immediately, or have them enroll in college for a two year time frame. The NBA team still retains the rights to the player, but can no longer sign them to a contract for two years. At the end of the two year frame, if the team and player agree on a deal...bye bye. If not, the NBA team loses the rights and the college player can either continue with college, or he can reenter the draft. If he chooses to reenter at this point, or after his junior year, then he forfeits the rest of his eligibility. (Just like now.)

They should just do what the NHL does. Everybody is draft eligible if they turn 18 before the Sept. 1 of the draft (i.e. a player who turns 18 on Aug. 27 this year is eligible for this year's draft).
If you get drafted, you can still go to college if you don't sign a pro contract. The team that drafted you retains your rights until mid-August of the year your class graduates or, if you leave early, the fourth June 1 after your were drafted.

[Dawson Rental]

I hope so. If a kid is good enough to play in the NBA, let him make his money. Don't force them to enroll in 3/4 of a year of college.

While we're at it, the NCAA needs to let players make money off of their own likeness too. I'm not sure they necessarily need to be paid, but at least let them have some sort of financial earnings.

Bitcoin? What?

[tower912]

The NBA needs to create a better minor league.   

[Skitch]

The NBA needs to create a better minor league.   

Isn't that what they're doing now with the improved salaries and two way contracts in the G (formerly D) League?

[MerrittsMustache]

The NBA needs to create a better minor league.   

I was going to say this same thing. Give an option to players who don't want to attend college but have the ability to make money professionally in the US. Unfortunately, the motivation to create a legit minor league system hasn't been there because of the free "minor league" known as college basketball. There's also the issue of the NBA supporting the money-losing WNBA.

Personally, I'd like to see each NBA have its own D-League team with 12-15 players on the roster whose rights belong solely to the parent team. Teach those players the system and bring them up when they're more ready as opposed to having them play "me ball" in the D-League or ride the bench in the NBA.

I'd also like to see the NBA expand the draft to at least 4 rounds. Many teams don't want their 2nd Round picks (and sometimes 1st Rounders because of the guaranteed contracts) so let teams draft players who they can stash in the D-League without taking a roster spot and salary cap hit. Teams basically do this with Euro players anyway. Why not let them do something similar with American college and HS players.

I also like the so-called "baseball rule," where a player can be drafted right out of HS and decide whether he wants to go pro or go to college and if he chooses college, he's got to stay there for 3 years (for the NBA, I'd go with 2 years).

[tower912]

Agreed.  Expand the draft, rights to a number of players, let the players improve in a developmental league, if they  don't  want a college degree.

[Pakuni]

The NBA needs to create a better minor league.   

Why create a minor league when they've got the NCAA with the development infrastructure (quality coaching, facilities, etc.) already in place and willing to do it for them?
I don't mean that merely as snark. Rather than setting up a crappy minor league with lesser coaching and facilities, or continuing to take part in the NCAAs' amateurism sham, why not blend the two into a system that works for everyone?
 Let kids who are good enough or who show enough potential be drafted. Give them a guaranteed future payout. Cash they'll get when their college career ends, whether they develop into a pro or not. Think of it as a rights fee for the drafting team.
Then, if they're not immediately ready for the NBA, let them play in the NCAA before signing a full professional contract if/when they're ready.
The NBA wins by being able to get the rights to potential players without having to commit significant cash or a roster spot immediately. The player wins by getting some guaranteed income plus a chance to develop under better circumstances or, if he's ready, to enter the league right out of high school. The NCAA wins because it will continue to get high-quality players and relevant basketball, with the associated revenues thereof.

[#UnleashSean]

What about the old Larry Bird rule using a modern example ...

When couldn't the Pistons draft Henry, give him a couple of Shekels and then send him back to MU for a season or two (The Celtics drafted Bird after his junior year and then sent him back to school for another year).

That would go against the nba minor league they are now building.

[#UnleashSean]

Personally, I'd like to see each NBA have its own D-League team with 12-15 players on the roster whose rights belong solely to the parent team. Teach those players the system and bring them up when they're more ready as opposed to having them play "me ball" in the D-League or ride the bench in the NBA.

This is currently being developed.

[wadesworld]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.  The NBA is doing just fine.  So is college basketball.

Only 5 guys are on a basketball court at one time.  Only 8-10 play meaningful minutes.  You don't need an entire minor league system like you do in baseball.

[Tugg Speedman]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.  The NBA is doing just fine.  So is college basketball.

Only 5 guys are on a basketball court at one time.  Only 8-10 play meaningful minutes.  You don't need an entire minor league system like you do in baseball.

Read the first link in the first post as it says Adam Silver and many college coaches actually this it is broke.

So they think it is broke, why do you think they are wrong?

[wadesworld]

Read the first link in the first post as it says Adam Silver and many college coaches actually this it is broke.

So they think it is broke, why do you think they are wrong?

Because the product has never been better and the money is all the proof in the pudding anyone needs.

[MU82]

Because the product has never been better and the money is all the proof in the pudding anyone needs.

Besides, if Smuggles can think he knows more about investing than Warren Buffett, why can't you know more about basketball than Adam Silver?

Seriously, though ...

I like Pakuni's idea, but I don't ever see the NCAA's school presidents agreeing to be officially regarded as a professional minor league. They like to pretend they are all about educating "student-athletes" like Derrick Rose.

As for whether this gets changed, Adam Silver and college honchos can't do it unilaterally. This is a collectively bargained issue.

The NBA Players Association is a very powerful union, and owners would have to give up something of significant value for the union to consider forcing young players to wait another year to get into the league. After all, as we discussed endlessly when Henry was at MU, the sooner you get to the league, the sooner you can score your huge second contract. Union leaders already feel they made a major concession to go from preps-to-pros to the current system several years ago. They won't be anxious to make another major financial give-back to a league that is swimming in money.

I wouldn't be stunned to see a two-year rule, but I wouldn't bet on it, either.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Because the product has never been better and the money is all the proof in the pudding anyone needs.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing,  but I hear all the time how much worse college basketball teams are now compared to the days of yesteryear. Personally,  I think there's just more parity which improves the product IMHO.

Id like to get rid of one and dones, if only for selfish reasons of knocking Kentucky down a peg. Not sure what the best system is but am open to trying new things.

[GGGG]

The NCAA presidents don't like the NBA's one and done rule.  However they have to understand that it may be in their best interests to work with the NBA on a solution.

[Pakuni]

Because the product has never been better and the money is all the proof in the pudding anyone needs.

The product at both levels has been better, and money and the quality of the product frequently are unrelated  (case in point: the Kardashians are fabulously wealthy and the 'Fast and Furious' franchise has generated more than $5.1 billion at the box office).

[MU82]

The NCAA presidents don't like the NBA's one and done rule.  However they have to understand that it may be in their best interests to work with the NBA on a solution.

Also, they have zero choice. Zero.

It is a collectively bargained issue between league owners and its players' union. The NCAA doesn't even enter into the conversation.

It would be like the NBA trying to dictate which courses a college student must take.

I'm not even sure how much influence the NCAA can possibly have. If NBA owners bring NCAA honchos into the conversation, it would only be as a courtesy.

[Tugg Speedman]

Because the product has never been better and the money is all the proof in the pudding anyone needs.

Wrong product, it is the college coaches that are pushing for the change and the NBA commish ageees with them.

[Tugg Speedman]

I'm not necessarily disagreeing,  but I hear all the time how much worse college basketball teams are now compared to the days of yesteryear. Personally,  I think there's just more parity which improves the product IMHO.

Id like to get rid of one and dones, if only for selfish reasons of knocking Kentucky down a peg. Not sure what the best system is but am open to trying new things.

100% disagree.  It is unbalanced teams that make it more popular.

It is perceisely because Cleveland with LeBron plays against Golden State with Curry and Durant every year (three straight so far and counting) that makes the product so popular.  The NBA is about stars playing stars.  It works best when realistically 5 to 10 teams have a legit chance for the finals and the rest play the role of the Washington Generals.

College basketball is similar.  It is becuase the national champion is passed among 4 or 5 teams (loaded with one and dones) that make it popular.  If true parity ever came, and 30ish teams had a legit shot at winning it all, the product would suffer.

The NBA/basketball is the opposite of the NFL.  Basketball works best when parity does not exist and football works best when it has lots of parity.

[Dawson Rental]

I'm not necessarily disagreeing,  but I hear all the time how much worse college basketball teams are now compared to the days of yesteryear. Personally,  I think there's just more parity which improves the product IMHO.

Id like to get rid of one and dones, if only for selfish reasons of knocking Kentucky down a peg. Not sure what the best system is but am open to trying new things.

If players have to stay two years it would end up with Kentucky being something close to a true juggernaut with five or more NBA quality players who have a year of Division I experience under their belt on the team every year.  Right now, Kentucky is losing that primo talent around the time they finally have Division I figured out.

[wadesworld]

100% disagree.  It is unbalanced teams that make it more popular.

It is perceisely because Cleveland with LeBron plays against Golden State with Curry and Durant every year (three straight so far and counting) that makes the product so popular.  The NBA is about stars playing stars.  It works best when realistically 5 to 10 teams have a legit chance for the finals and the rest play the role of the Washington Generals.

College basketball is similar.  It is becuase the national champion is passed among 4 or 5 teams (loaded with one and dones) that make it popular.  If true parity ever came, and 30ish teams had a legit shot at winning it all, the product would suffer.

The NBA/basketball is the opposite of the NFL.  Basketball works best when parity does not exist and football works best when it has lots of parity.

Wait, so in 1 post you're saying that I'm wrong that the product has never been better and then in the very next post you're claiming that exactly what is occurring in college and professional basketball is exactly when basketball is at its best?  Yeesh.  I'm not sure what you're trying to argue here...

If players have to stay two years it would end up with Kentucky being something close to a true juggernaut with five or more NBA quality players who have a year of Division I experience under their belt on the team every year.  Right now, Kentucky is losing that primo talent around the time they finally have Division I figured out.

Yup.  You nailed it.  Cal's had his best teams when he's had 1 and done freshman alongside guys who came back for a sophomore season and had that year of experience under their belts.  If you give all the talent to Cal for 2 years and then have him getting the best freshman to go along with the best talent that has already been there for a year they'd be winning titles left and right.