NBA and players association resume talks to end one-and-done rule

The NBA and the NBPA have resumed discussions to end the one-and-done rule. The league would lower the minimum age to 18 and no longer require prospects to be a year removed from college. The intentions are to wrap up discussions quickly, in order to meet their intended deadline of the 2022 NBA draft.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony, the biggest hangups between the NBA and the players association are mandates that require prospects to produce medical information for teams and participation in the pre-draft combine.

Commissioner Adam Silver hopes to close the deal with the union in order that would allow high schools seniors to be eligible for the 2022 draft. NBA teams are interested in an official timetable for when the age limit would be lowered, in order to make necessary preparations.

The lower age would vastly increase the number of talented, draft eligible players who no longer need to attend a year of college. Because of this, NBA teams have placed a high priority on collecting draft picks for the first year of the new era without one-and-done.

Since there’s now the possibility of high school seniors in the 2022 draft, the NBA has allowed teams to begin scouting Team USA’s 16-under camps starting in May. Previously, scouts were only allowed at the 18 and under level.

While it hasn’t been an extremely long time since the one-and-done rule came into existence, it’s still been over a decade. With how the league has transitioned, the number of high school players entering the draft will be much greater than before. This will surely affect coaches like Calipari, who rely on the top talent attending college for one season.

They’ll have to figure out a new approach to their recruiting process.