I have been meaning to start a thread on this since the new NBA commish, Duke alum Adam Silver, is strongly advocating an increase in the current 19 year old/one year removed from HS graduation age limit.
"At the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston a few weeks ago, NBA commissioner Adam Silver raised some eyebrows when he declared that raising the age limit for the NBA draft from 19 to 20 is a matter of great importance on his agenda."
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10...playoffs-draft
ESPN.com has been really digging into the topic over the past few days with point/counterpoint takes of all kinds.
While Silver hasn't fully outlined his vision, it seems to be heading this way:
-If a kid goes to college, he has to stay 2 years
-If a kid doesn't go to college, he could go straight to the D-League for a year, but not the NBA. He would be eligible for the NBA draft at 19.
One would assume this would make college more attractive because the D league doesn't pay much and the opportunity to "brand" oneself is greater with the national TV exposure that college programs get, plus all of the oft stated positives of the college experience (great coaching, atmosphere, classes and campus life).
But, there is also a huge push for every team in the NBA to have their own D-League team in order to create a true, 30 team minor league system. This could eventually make the D-League a more formidable competitor, as if the "get drafted at 19" lure isn't attractive enough.
Obviously, the players association will have something to say about it, but the D-League option makes it seem like this idea could really fly in the near future. What do you guys think?