Report: NBA looking at ways to work with elite high school players
The NBA and commissioner Adam Silver aren't oblivious to the controversies plaguing college basketball, whether it be the FBI's investigation into corruption or the fact that its players don't receive financial compensation.
With the goal of improving the conditions for young basketball players, the league is in the process of finding a way to work with elite high school talent again, providing an avenue for them to develop skills, earn some money, and potentially enter the league without playing in college, sources told ESPN's Brian Windhorst.
"We are looking at changing the relationship we have with players before they reach the NBA," one high-ranking official told Windhorst. "This is a complex challenge, and there's still a lot of discussion about how it's going to happen, but we all see the need to step in."
In 2005, former commissioner David Stern implemented the rule that players must be at least 19 years old or one year removed from graduating high school to be eligible to play in the NBA. However, Silver said over All-Star weekend he was "conflicted" about the one-and-done rule.
While the commissioner has had meetings with the NBPA over age-limit changes, his vision is reportedly "much more comprehensive" than that.
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According to Windhorst, the league is looking at two periods in which they have little contact with prospects: When the player is in high school, and the period between graduating and when the player is ready to make the leap to the NBA.
The idea of creating academies to house and train high school players - similar to how European basketball and soccer franchises operate overseas - has been tossed around by league officials over the past year. That's a path the NBA has reportedly elected not to go down at this time, though.
A concrete plan could be presented by Silver in the next few months. The league is reportedly biding its time until the Commission on College Basketball presents its report this spring.