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NBA sounds ready to move toward lowering draft age limit

2018 NBA Draft

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 21: Deandre Ayton poses with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted first overall by the Phoenix Suns during the 2018 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 21, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

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In recent years there’s been an increased amount of conversation regarding the NBA’s rules for draft entrants, with the requirements since the 2006 NBA Draft being that a player be at least 19 years of age (during the calendar year of the particular draft that they’ve entered) and stateside players also be one year removed from high school.

On Tuesday, both NBA commissioner Adam Silver and NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts discussed the age limit during their respective press conferences. And by the sound of things, the league appears to still be headed in the direction of lowering the minimum age to 18. While neither provided a date as to when the change could go into effect, according to Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post the minimum age to enter the draft could be lowered in time for the 2021 NBA Draft.

The 2021 timeframe doesn’t come as a surprise, as it’s been mentioned during multiple conversations regarding the NBA Draft age limit. The NBA has steadily made progress towards each team having its own NBA G-League affiliate, and it will be interesting to see if that comes to fruition by the year 2021.

Having a G-League affiliate allows NBA teams to use those franchise to help young players get the on-court reps they need to get used to the parent club’s system, especially if they aren’t getting many minutes in the NBA. And a “one-to-one” relationship would be key for the league if it’s to lower its minimum age requirement in the future.

As for how this impacts college basketball, while some have stated that the “one and done” era has hurt the sport, an argument can be made that it’s been more beneficial than harmful.

There are a number of elite players who during the current era would have never set foot on a college campus if there were no age limit. That season on campus also gives NBA teams the opportunity to further evaluate those talents before they become draft-eligible players. And from an academic standpoint, programs that land “one and done” talent consistently meet -- or exceed -- the NCAA’s requirements when it comes to Academic Progress Rate, whether or not one thinks that the APR is a sham.

It’s becoming more clear that the NBA is ready to make a change, and based upon Roberts’ quote a move could be announced in the very near future. While college coaches won’t have an impact on the final decision, they will have to be prepared for the trickle-down effect that’s likely to occur on the recruiting trail as a result of elite prospects not having to wait to enter the NBA draft.