Proposed NBA age limit would keep players from joining the league for two additional seasons, improve D-League

After years of debate, it looks like the NBA age limit could eventually be changing, but it’s not going in the direction that a lot of people had hoped. According to The Sporting News, a proposed NBA age limit would bar basketball players from joining the league until three years after their high school graduation, up from the current minimum of one year.

The NCAA has criticized the NBA’s age limit in the past, saying that it places the burden on colleges to be a de facto minor league system that takes away from schools’ educational purpose. For the NBA to raise the age minimum, it was clear that the league had improve its D-League. And according to the article, the proposal would address that.

The sources said that, in order to pave the way for raising the age limit, the league would be willing to expand salaries in the D-League, giving each team a salary cap and allowing executives with each team to sign players as they wish. Not only would that allow D-League teams to sign good young players, it would allow NBA clubs to size up young executives and player evaluators.

The D-League is theoretically an option for athletes right now, but it’s not as good of an option as college for players to showcase their skills. As The Sporting News points out, “domestic minor-league salaries are notably paltry - players get benefits, but generally earn between $18,000 and $24,000 per season.” Improved pay would give young prospects who don’t want to go to college a new option.

The new rule won’t take affect for awhile, as the NBA Players Association needs to hire a new executive director first.