How to get into the NBA draft?

Being one of the prestigious leagues of the world, many young lads dream to play in the NBA. The prestige and honor of sharing the locker rooms with the living greats and walking down the court where the greatest sports persons walked, is precious.

To be in the NBA, you need to earn the spot. This is because the competition to make into the drafts is high. Players from around the world compete to be in the NBA, the margin of error is zero and you have to be exceptionally talented to get picked.

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Your aim is to become valuable so could teams fight each other to get you in and improve their odds of winning. The NBA odds vary, especially if the news is related to the inclusion and injury of a player.

How does the draft system work?

The draft system in the NBA is purposed to make the playing field balanced. Instead of auctioning players and favoring teams with heavy wallets, the NBA draft is fair. This gives each team an equal opportunity at the championship.

The lowest-ranked teams get the chance at the first pick in the draft meaning they have a chance of picking the brightest prospect. The draft picks are sorted through a draft lottery that takes place between 14 teams including the teams that were unable to qualify for the playoffs.

By allowing the lower teams, the NBA draft levels the playing field and at the same time gives young athletes a route to become a professional player.

Who is eligible to be in the draft?

It is the Collective Bargaining Agreement that the NBA uses to negotiate with the players and decide the operations of the league. The CBA agreement is used in agreeing to the rules for player contracts, salaries, trades and the draft itself.

The first point of eligibility is, a player must be 19 years old in the year of the draft. If the player is not an international prospect then a year from high school is removed.

Automatic eligibility

For a player to be automatically eligible, the athlete needs to meet one of the following requirements:

  • Completion of four years of college
  • Graduated from high school in the U.S and not enrolled in college and four years have passed after graduation.
  • Signed a contract with a professional basketball team apart from the NBA and played under.

And for an international player’s automatic eligibility:

  • A player must be at least 22 years old during the year of the draft.
  • Signed a contract with a non-NBA team in the U.S and played under.

How to get drafted as an early-entry player?

The one-and-done procedure is too valuable for getting into the draft as an early-entry player. It is common for athletes to play basketball for one year in college and upon turning 19, a year is removed from high school and they become eligible for the NBA draft.

This is a preferred route for many professionals when they are not automatically eligible. However, the athlete must confirm their eligibility 60 days before the draft conditioned to the acceptance of the NBA.

For an international player to get drafted, an athlete must meet all the following criteria.

  • Must have resided outside of the USA for a minimum of three years before the draft.
  • Never enrolled in a U.S college or university
  • Never competed in a U.S high school.

What is the draft combine?

Once the draft lottery is completed, the NBA organizes a draft combine for the prospects. In the draft combine, the athletes go through several tests, they are measured for height, weight, and body fat percentage. In the event, several NBA scouts, coaches and reporters are present to overview the athletes. Prospects also partake in bench presses, squats, vertical, and other exercises before showcasing their talent.

It is a great opportunity for athletes to get picked way before the draft. A chance to express the skills and talent in a room full of NBA personnel is amazing.

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