Mavericks owner Mark Cuban doesn’t mind lowering the minimum draft age from 19 to 18, but points out that it creates another set of issues, as he explained to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.
Cuban notes that most players out of high school don’t have general life skills, such as writing a check or signing a lease. He also sees the influence of AAU coaches and teams becoming even more pervasive if the age minimum drops.
“The really bad unintended consequence is you’re going to see AAU programs and parents push harder to get kids featured, maybe at the expense of their education, maybe at the expense of really learning how to play basketball because they’ve got coaches that are telling him, ‘Yeah, he’s got a chance to be a ‘none-and-done,'” Cuban said.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- League executives are already dreading the extra time, money, and analysis it will take to scout high school prospects, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer writes in a lengthy piece on the pros and cons of reducing the draft age minimum to 18. Eliminating the one-and-done prospects could make it tougher for lottery teams to land a marquee player, since there will likely be more steals and more busts in the draft. A system that would allow players to be selected in the draft without losing college eligibility could help the process, O’Connor adds.
- French point guard Theo Maledon, a Tony Parker protege, could be the top international prospect in the 2020 draft. ESPN’s Mike Schmitz takes a closer look at next year’s international group and notes that the 17-year-old Maledon is now the starting point guard for ASVEL, the club Parker oversees as president. ASVEL is the first-place team among 18 in France’s top league. Maledon could become the second-ever 18-year-old EuroLeague starter, following in the footsteps of Luka Doncic, when ASVEL moves up to the prestigious league next season, Schmitz adds.
- The NBA 2K League will begin its 18-week season on April 2 and conclude with the Finals on August 3, according to a league press release. All regular-season games will take place at the NBA 2K League Studio in Long Island City, New York, and will be live-streamed on Twitch.
Cuban is 100% correct.
Players, if the market is there, should be able to be drafted after their high school eligibility expires.
The presence of a market force does not mean that a commodity will not be exploited and its sustainability not abused.
Fur traders respond to the market, but what happens when the population becomes extinct? Before it’s all gone you will see dwindling quality of product as the traders become ever more desperate to find anything that might fetch a market price. Chasing dollars with foolishness begets even more foolishness.
Going to college for a year to do nothing but play basketball and be pampered doesn’t teach these guys any life skills.
I am one of those who believes that they should increase the age limit to 20 not lower it to 18. These ball players are coddled from an early age, they do not take school seriously & when the bubble bursts & they don’t make the NBA& they didn’t finish college, they have nothing. It’s not a great a way to start adulthood, unemployed & uneducated.
Or schools could let them continue to play on a scholarship if they don’t get drafted rather than monopolize on the fact they have to wait a season. I mean since you preach how important freshman courses in undergrad are.
People are allowed to go to college at any age. If basketball doesn’t work out there is no reason they cannot continue their education. You have your whole life to learn, you only have about 15 years to play competitive sports.
marc cuban’s facing sexual assault charges in portland, oregon – he felt up a drunk girl in a bar
Who cares? This is a Hoops Rumors site, not America’s Most Wanted!
I like going to HS games, but… What a grind for a scout. Agree, AAU leagues will become at least as important as HS ball.
As it has evolved, some volleyball players don’t even bother with HS teams. College recruiters appreciate it when they join “junior olympics” teams so they can see multiple prospects at once, and against better competition.
I don’t see basketball as a reason to not allow 18 year olds a shot at turning their skillset into money. There’s zero logic in saying someone of age shouldn’t be allowed to do it, just because it’s in a sport with an existing rule against it.
But then again, this is in a country where players go and make their college millions of dollars, but aren’t allowed any of it for themselves. And fans are conditioned to think that’s okay.
The issue is whether kids are able to handle the responsibility, pressure and opportunity that comes when millions of dollars are presented. There are the predators and opportunists who will try to take advantage, and there are party people and revellers who will take the kid away from what will bring him success.
Perhaps the players union will make a more concerted effort to educate and guide young players, because you can’t just trust player agents to help each kid. Then again it should be remembered that older players will lose out on this, as more kids taking roster spots means fewer opportunities for older players, which means they may be out of work or feel pressured to take less money and maybe a less guaranteed contract to stay in the league. Why will they want to help the snotty, unprepared children get paid for as long as possible?
Adults aren’t even ready for that responsibility. Look at lottery winners and their stories.
Honestly it should be why established agents and not family members should handling business.
I get the point where some kids that are nba ready out of high school should go pro but how many top prospects a year don’t put up the numbers we expect in college now those kids are getting drafted yea they’ll get a check but no skills besides basketball to live life off of
I’m pretty sure a nba salary is way more beneficial than starting college at 18/19. Besides that what happens if s player gets injured in college and was a potential pick for high school? Should he risk injury when doing something he could get paid for as an adult?
Perhaps we need to raise the minimum age to 39, then it could be a Senior Circuit.
I would love to see Charles Barkley and Kevin Garnett back in the NBA.
Then we could also have an NBA-HS league, and one for precocious toddlers as well, would make for adorable Facebook posts.
Khris Middleton was still drafted, because college ball film was available.