The long-standing one-and-done rule in the league is being challenged by the National Basketball Association and the National Basketball Players Association.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, as part of the new collective bargaining agreement, both sides are anticipated to agree to reduce the draft eligibility age from 19 to 18. As a result, athletes may join the NBA right out of high school. The modification might take place as soon as the 2024 NBA draft.
Since 2006, players have had to be 19 years old and at least one year removed from high school to be draftable. This ushered in an era of college basketball known as “one-and-done” where many players perceived as NBA-ready spent a token year in college waiting for their chance to be drafted. Many people have criticized the rule saying it undermines the education portion of college athletics and that other sports like baseball allow high schoolers to be drafted.
Prior to 2006, over forty players had been drafted directly from high school including players like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Many players were not successful in making the jump which is what some people theorize was the real reason for the rule in the first place.