Commissioner Adam Silver says what is happening in NBA is rebuilding, not tanking

NBA age change winners
Plenty stand to benefit from potential increase in NBA's entry age
Updated: March 11, 2014, 4:26 PM ET
By Jay Bilas and Jeff Goodman | ESPN Insider
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Adam Silver
AP Photo/Bill Haber
Adam Silver has shown interest in working with the NBPA to increase the league's minimum age.
Each week during the college basketball season, ESPN Insiders Jay Bilas and Jeff Goodman will weigh in on the biggest questions of the sport. In a special edition this week, the duo break down the implications of a potential increase to the NBA's entry age.

The discussion: Whom do you see as the winners if such a change is enacted? Any losers?
Jay Bilas: If the NBA and National Basketball Players Association are able to agree upon a draft eligibility rule of 20 years old and two years removed from high school, it would be a positive for all levels of basketball, especially the NBA.

Right now, the NBA wastes money on the development of young talent that is simply not prepared to make an immediate impact. With another year added to the current age limit, the NBA will be able to make better decisions in scouting and drafting, and eliminate some significant risk. In addition, the players will be more mature and more prepared, on and off the court.

Debating the NBA age restriction

Tuesday, March 11
Chad Ford: The good, bad and ugly of increasing the NBA age restriction. Read

Jay Bilas/Jeff Goodman: Winners and losers of upping the age restriction. Read

Amin Elhassan: Why an age restriction works. Read

Kevin Pelton: How the NBA develops players better than the NCAA. Read

Wednesday, March 12
Tom Haberstroh: The case for one-and-dones. Read

Chad Ford: No-freshmen lottery mock draft. Read

Jeff Goodman: Projecting Duke, Kansas if their freshmen stay. Read

NBA teams will get more players who will be able to make an immediate impact, and it will preserve more veteran jobs. The quality of play in the NBA would improve, and roster spots would not be taken up by players who are not prepared to contribute immediately.

There would be no losers in this, just winners. Clearly, an increased age limit will benefit college basketball by keeping marquee talent in the college game for a longer period of time. There would be a greater degree of certainty on every level of the game. But, as a policy matter, it also greatly benefits the players.

For most young players, the college experience (not just in the classroom) is the best thing, and is far superior to the D-League or playing professionally overseas. Right now, the game has a wonderful opportunity for increased cooperation. With a new commissioner and a new head of the union, it is a perfect time to establish a dialogue and gain greater understanding among the different levels of the game. The NBA seems willing to make significant concessions to the players to get an increased age limit, and the NCAA would be well served to continue to search for creative ways to provide its players with incentive to stay in school longer. That includes finding creative ways to cooperate with the NBA on player development, if the NCAA truly believes additional years in school are the best thing for any player.

Instead of constructing barriers to players staying in school — such as limiting practice time outside of the season — we should be looking for creative ways to keep them in school. If progress is made in that area, there won't be any real losers to an age increase.

Jeff Goodman: It depends a bit on the specifics of the rule change, but it's a win-win for the game of basketball overall if the two sides can come to an agreement with the collective bargaining agreement and increase the minimum age limit in the NBA.

One issue is that many kids come into college nowadays with the thought that they will only be there for a matter of months, so they are more focused on their draft stock than how they fit into a team. A two-year minimum stay would alter that thought process. It would also help the NBA game because the league would get players who are more mature and already have built a "brand" for two full seasons in the college ranks.

However, we don't know whether high school players would be allowed to go directly to the NBA — as was the case years ago. There are a small number of players who are prepared to do so (e.g., LeBron James, Kobe Bryant), but there are also plenty of players who make mistakes. I would say that if they do opt to change the rule to one under which players can come out of high school or have to remain two seasons in college, we need to give those who do not get drafted an opportunity to still head to college. High school kids are not receiving the same level of quality information those in college are able to get. If we bar those kids from a shot at playing in college, they definitely would be on the losing end.

The winners in all of this? Just about everyone. The NBA gets kids who are far more ready than they are after just one year in college. The players are more prepared to go into the NBA — physically and emotionally — and also will be more than halfway (including summer classes) toward their college degree. The only ones I worry about are the high school kids who just don't have the proper information to make a well-informed decision, but that can be rectified by the NBA and the NCAA agreeing to give those kids a chance to still attend college.

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Jay Bilas
College Basketball analyst
Archive
College basketball analyst for ESPN and ESPN Insider
Played and coached at Duke
Practicing attorney

Jeff Goodman
ESPN Insider
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Joined ESPN as a college basketball Insider in June 2013
Previously wrote for CBSSports.com and FOXSports.com
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