NBA expected to change draft age eligibility from 19 to 18

The NBA is set to make a big change to the league’s draft rules.

The NBA and Players Association have mutual options on Dec. 15 to terminate the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the two sides are set to meet this week to discuss some changes they would like to make to the CBA.

The players have a list of changes they would like to make, including the creation of a “mental health” designation for players being placed on the injury list.

There is one other change that is likely to go into effect.

The sides are expected to lower the minimum age for players to be eligible for the NBA Draft from 19 to 18. The rule placing the age of eligibility at 19 went into effect in 2005. While that helped avoid the problem of having too many young players who were not league-ready enter the draft and lose the ability to go to college, it had some other consequences. One, it hurt the college basketball product because it led to an influx of one-and-done players. Two, it prevented some NBA-ready high schoolers from being able to go straight to the NBA.

The new rule could go into effect for the 2024 NBA Draft.