Adam Silver: Raising NBA age minimum to 20 'would make for a better league'

NBA commissioner Adam Silver continues to campaign for a higher age minimum. 

Silver has been talking about raising the minimum since taking over the commissioner role in February, and has made it no secret that it's something he'll push for when collective bargaining opens up again, likely in the summer of 2017.

He explained his position further in an interview with GQ.com published on Monday. Asked what he'd unilaterally change about the league if he could, he specifically mentioned a harder salary cap and the age minimum being raised from 19 to 20:

Their principal argument is that it's a restriction on players. And as a philosophical argument, I totally understand that. Of course it's a restriction, in the same way a draft is a restriction. But our view is that it would make for a better league. You'd have more skilled players, more mature players. The draft would be better. It would be better for basketball in general. Strong college basketball is great for the NBA. And we know those players are eventually going to come to the NBA, whether they are 19 or 20 or 21.

As recently as 2005, players could enter the NBA directly out of high school. That was bargained out, with the league since requiring players to be one year removed from high school to enter the league.

There are arguments to be made for both sides. Players currently in the union may be inclined to approve such a change, because it means more roster spots for the current membership. At the same time, it lowers the long-term earning potential of all future players by pushing free agency to a later age. The net effect on total salaries would be zero, so it's a tough matter to evaluate for the union.

As Silver outlines, for the league it means more established brands and more game-ready players entering the league.