The NBA Looks to Reach Out to High School Players
The commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver, is looking to cultivate a more direct relationship between the league and elite high school players that might go on to be superstars. Silver is eager to offer more skill-based camps and other opportunities to instruct and develop the young players, on and off the court.
Silver has met with the National Basketball Players Association to potentially lower the NBA’s limit on age, which is currently set at a minimum of 19 years old. Further, the commissioner is looking for a means of bringing minor league (G-League) players into the fold by making contracts more attractive and giving players more time to split their play time between the leagues.
Some have raised eyebrows at the new initiatives in light of the FBI’s investigation into corruption at the college basketball level. Silver’s response has been to push the changes rapidly before the deal would be negotiated via collective bargaining. There are numerous factors for the commissioner and the NBPA to consider, and progress for now seems slow.