High School Players Should be Able to Join NBA – Emmert

There should be a route for high school basketball players to join the NBA, according to NCAA president Mark Emmert.

Speaking at his annual news conference at the Final Four on Thursday, Emmert outlined his preference for a system in which players could turn pro straight after high school.

Emmert also said that the Commission on College Basketball would issue recommendations on amateurism and other issues in April.

Currently, players can only join the NBA draft at 19 years old and one year removed from high school graduation. This rule was implemented in 2006, before which it was possible for players to join the league straight after highschool.

This rule has led to many “one-and-done” players who leave after their freshman year in college to join the NBA. Commissioner Adam Silver recently discussed the possibility of lowering the age cap to provide young players with more experience.

Speaking in February, Silver said:

“Are we better off bringing them into the league when they’re 18, using our G-League as it was designed to be as a development league, and getting them minutes on the court there.”

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After and FBI probe into the NCAA which prompted criticism of college basketball, Mark Emmert is exploring new options.

“I personally think that there needs to be more room for individuals who want to pursue professional sports to be able to do that, particularly in basketball,” he said. “There needs to be the ability for a young person and his family to say, ‘You know, what I really want to do is just become a professional ballplayer.’ And they ought to be provided that opportunity if they don’t want to go to college.”

Parallels have been drawn with professional baseball. In baseball, players have the choice of joining a pro team after high school, or spending multiple years in college. However, Emmert doesn’t see this system working in basketball, due to the relative inferiority of the G League.

He said “it’s up to the NBA” to enhance the G League. Adding that it needs to be a more attractive option for high school talent.