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The NCAA approved the extra year of eligibility
in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The NFL approach
to the eligibility shift was to expand the opt-out window for
players who have declared for the draft until March 1 (Monday).
According to ESPN, the NBA requirement was approved by the
league office because the NCAA's new approach changed the
definition and application of "eligible players" for NBA draft
consideration.
Current NBA collective bargaining agreement language grants
graduating college seniors who exhausted their NCAA eligibility
automatic entry into the following year's draft.
ESPN reported the NBA plans to increase communication with its
college basketball counterparts, including players considering
entering the draft, to include direct evaluations of prospects.
The goal is to arm prospects with a complete and honest
evaluation before May, when the NBA pre-draft process typically
ramps up, with prospect camps and the annual combine. Those
events, of course, could be canceled due to the pandemic.
In 2020, 163 underclassmen submitted for entry into the NBA
draft, which includes only 60 draft picks over two rounds.
Players drafted in the second round receive non-guaranteed
contracts.
More is left to be sorted out for the NBA with regard to the
entry deadline and any option for players to remove themselves
from draft consideration.
The NBA draft date, traditionally the last Wednesday in June,
has not been set because of a fluctuating game and playoff
schedule. Commissioner Adam Silver has said he would like the
league to return to the customary offseason schedule as soon as
possible.
--Field Level Media
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