Should the NBA raise the age limit to 20 for draftees?

No, there should be no age limit.
Though, as a former poster on these forums who was banned(EVOL) recommended, put a two year pro limit on players before entering the NBA.

They must have at least two years of high level orgranized/pro ball experience, whether it be over seas, NBDL, college.
Sorry, but the current league + Stern will only continue to go downhill unless issues like this are addressed.

 

OveRRated, interesting idea, but I don't like anything that exploits players like that. The NBDL simply cannot pay those guys enough. Look at Tsika at age 19: Didn't he have a multimillion dollar contract to buyout? At what age did he sign a big contract with Bennetson? The NBDL can't pay them like that, nor can the NCAAs, only the NBA and top Euro leagues can.

Your idea is equivalent to just forcing these players to take less pay than the market supports; thus, exploiting them.

I agree they should play ball rather than sit on benches or be ordered by the fans to play too soon...but surely the contracts in Europe for the 16-19yrs are paying them bucks before they can compete. Isn't it true to say guys like Tsiki are anything other than projects at age 18, even in Europe. Tsiki got less minutes on Bennetson last year than he gets on Denver now. Boki was their main star.

I don't really see what the problem is. Why is the NBA hurting Hilario, Amare, Curry and Chandler more than Tsika?

If not playing hurts them, or playing hurts them (contrary to your notion that playing with bigger pros is helpful to them in Europe), then I say just let the NBA assign non-active roster players. They still get drafted; they still get the bucks; but they can be assigned to another league.

imo, that solves everything, except for the fact the NCAAs would hate it.

 

Exactly, will never hold up in court.

 

Isn't that exactly what they do in the NFL? You have to be 2 years removed from high school, no matter what?

 

HP,

I don't think players playing in the Developmental league is being exploited. Most professions "exploit" the inexperienced as "cheap labors" while they learn the trade. If you are not proven to be ready to be a pro, why are you supposed to be paid like a pro?

The whole idea of the NBA rookie contract is like that. Though I don't agree with it's details, I agree with the general spirit. You come in cheap. Spend a few years to prove that you belong. Then you get paid for what you're worth. Fair enough for me.

Without the rookie contract agreement, unproven players often tried to force the team to pay them big money by holding out. The NFL used to be like that. About 70% first rounders couldn't be signed when training camp began. That's very bad for the league.

 

I said the NCAA exploits players as much as any league, not the NBDL. It didn't use to, but now I think they do. Not a great deal, but more than other leagues, on par. "Come to our college instead of Duke, and we will let you do your thing to blow up your numbers to get draft recognition." I also believe they let them get away with more irresponsibility that a working-for-money environment would allow.

my idea is to let NBA teams reassign non-roster players to other leagues while still paying them and having control over calling them up...just like Major League Baseball except that we'll never get NBA teams to actually buy NBDL teams...not right away, at least.

 

Umm, I thought you said this:

Anyway, I agree that the NCAA is the most hypocritical of all. And I am for the minor league system. They should draft players fairly early (around 14-15 yrs old). You weed out those who have no potential early so that they can get on with other things in life. Millions of high school kids think that they will one day play in the NBA. They end up with no other useful skills to make a living.

I know this has the risk of missing some great talents who are late bloomers. But I think it's worth it. And for those who are NBA material, they will be a lot more ready when they final get to the big league at around 20.

 

college they dont get payed money but most of the team get scholarships. its not good for all players good percent get a good deal. I think there are to many projects these days that are 3-4 years away from being solid contributers entire league will be better off the teams at bottom of draft and at the top of draft
I dont see whats so exciting about watching a player develop,
its more frustrating than anything.