Can you go to the NBA out of high school? Understanding rules of entry in the league

Some of the greatest players in the history of the NBA, including LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady, were all high school draftees.

However, it is no longer allowed in the league due to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that the league and the National Basketball Players Association established in 2006. The agreement prohibited the drafting of high school players into the NBA since 2006.

So, simply put, you cannot go to the NBA directly out of high school.

The agreement also mandated that players must be at least 19 years of age and have been one year removed from high school graduation in order to be eligible for the draft. This gave birth to the term "one-and-done," where players would attend college for a year and then enter the draft.

The ban on high school drafting was imposed to raise the level of play in the league. The NBA also believes that success in high school basketball does not necessarily equate to success in the league and that it is easier to predict a player's future in the league after evaluating their performance in college.

Recently, the league proposed lowering the age requirement from 19 to 18, but the proposal has yet to be approved.

The Birth of the “one and done” in the NBA

Several NBA legends such as LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett have previously made use of the rules to join the league straight from high school. The league and the player’s association were in serious negotiations regarding the rule.

While it is unclear why such negotiations took place, the logic behind the rule is clear. The league decided to introduce the current system in 2006 because it wanted the league to be more competitive. Players in high school tend to be unpredictable with respect to their potential, and untimely growth spurts also give specific players an advantage over others.

Hence, players now need to complete at least one year of college or professional experience before being allowed to join the league. Of course, even when such a rule existed, teams were generally reluctant to draft players straight out of high school for similar reasons. It was only when the player had crossed an obvious threshold that they were able to generate interest from teams.

The likes of Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were all such players who obviously looked ready to take on the league. Hence, even if such negotiations are successful, teams might be reluctant to draft high schoolers.