Testing the NBA Draft Waters in 2014

[OrangeXtreme]

There again appears to be quite a bit of confusion about the NBA's early-entry draft process among college players, college coaches, NBA personnel and media members, due to rule changes made by the NCAA in May of 2011 regarding collegiate eligibility.

To clear up some of the misinformation that is circulating, we've again collected all the appropriate information we think prospects will need in order to make an informed decision on whether or not to enter the NBA draft this spring.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Testing-the-NBA-Draft-Waters-in-2014-4412

 

[Dave85]

Is the last date they can go the 15th or the 27th?

 

[RF2044]

Is the last date they can go the 15th or the 27th?

I remember this discrepancy from previous years.

For NCAA eligibility, it's April 15th.

 

[wallacecuse]

Is the last date they can go the 15th or the 27th?

I think how it works is they have until the 27th to declare for the draft; they have until the 15th to withdraw in order to maintain NCAA eligibility. If they withdraw on the 16th, their only option is to play overseas or NBDL.

 

[Dave85]

I think how it works is they have until the 27th to declare for the draft; they have until the 15th to withdraw in order to maintain NCAA eligibility. If they withdraw on the 16th, their only option is to play overseas or NBDL.

Our tax laws are simpler to understand!

 

[ROCuse]

I remember this discrepancy from previous years.

For NCAA eligibility, it's April 15th.

It's a little confusing.

What's important to note (and has been widely misreported in the media), is that requesting an evaluation from the advisory committee does not constitute entering the draft. In fact, the application form explicitly states that “this application is not a declaration of eligibility for the 2014 NBA draft. A separate letter must be sent to Commission Adam Silver (received by April 27, 2014) declaring eligibility for the 2014 NBA draft. An application form for the 2014 NBA draft will be sent upon receipt of the letter of declaration.”

What that means is that, theoretically, a college player could still wait until April 27th to enter the NBA draft, as these are two separate deadlines, and there seemingly is no benefit at all to entering his name before, particularly since he will lose his NCAA eligibility if he does not remove it before April 15th.

For example, if a player seriously injures himself between April 16th and April 27th, but had already sent a letter to Adam Silver declaring their eligibility for the 2014 NBA Draft, that player would be ineligible to return to school.

While college coaches would obviously love to have all of their answers regarding who will or will not return to their team by April 15th, so they can start their vacation early or get an early jump on next season, realistically there is no reason why an underclassmen wouldn't continue to privately investigate their NBA draft stock until April 27th.

 

[RF2044]

It's a little confusing.

What's important to note (and has been widely misreported in the media), is that requesting an evaluation from the advisory committee does not constitute entering the draft. In fact, the application form explicitly states that “this application is not a declaration of eligibility for the 2014 NBA draft. A separate letter must be sent to Commission Adam Silver (received by April 27, 2014) declaring eligibility for the 2014 NBA draft. An application form for the 2014 NBA draft will be sent upon receipt of the letter of declaration.”

What that means is that, theoretically, a college player could still wait until April 27th to enter the NBA draft, as these are two separate deadlines, and there seemingly is no benefit at all to entering his name before, particularly since he will lose his NCAA eligibility if he does not remove it before April 15th.

For example, if a player seriously injures himself between April 16th and April 27th, but had already sent a letter to Adam Silver declaring their eligibility for the 2014 NBA Draft, that player would be ineligible to return to school.

While college coaches would obviously love to have all of their answers regarding who will or will not return to their team by April 15th, so they can start their vacation early or get an early jump on next season, realistically there is no reason why an underclassmen wouldn't continue to privately investigate their NBA draft stock until April 27th.

Good clarification.

 

[RichmondCuse]

I think the reality of the situation is that most (if not all) college players will announce their intention by April 15th. I doubt you'd see many instances of someone waiting until that final 2-week window to make their decision.

 

[wallacecuse]

I think the reality of the situation is that most (if not all) college players will announce their intention by April 15th. I doubt you'd see many instances of someone waiting until that final 2-week window to make their decision.

Correct, as far as college fans are concerned, its the 15th.

 

[cuseincincy]

Is the last date they can go the 15th or the 27th?

The last day they can go is the 27th. However, if they want the option to come back they have to have declared and rescinded that declaration by the 15th. I agree there is no purpose declaring at all if all you want is to have your draftability evaluated by the Advisory committee which happens by the 14th. The NCAA is makign thsi harder than it has to. I really don't see what is so hard about being consistent between sports other than trying to fit in hard and fast recruiting periods.

 

[RichmondCuse]

Correct, as far as college fans are concerned, its the 15th.

That said, Fair didn't announce his decision to return until April 24th last year. So he took the FULL time before making his decision. I could see Grant taking this long to decide. I think with Ennis we will know sooner because his draft status is more certain it seems.

 

[sufandu]

Is the last date they can go the 15th or the 27th?

From what I understand, a kid that has made himself eligible for the draft prior to the 15th has to pull out by then to remain eligible for college, but if a kid wants to declare after that, they still can. They just immediately lose their college eligibility upon doing so.

 

[Full_Rebar]

The NCAA needs to get with the NBA and make this process easier to understand. There is no reason to have two separate dates, or to make the process more confusing.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

The NCAA needs to get with the NBA and make this process easier to understand. There is no reason to have two separate dates, or to make the process more confusing.

The process is confusing by design.

The NCAA can't pass any rules which force kids to stay in school, and the NBA refuses to adopt a rule where kids can't be drafted until they've been in school for two years.

So the NCAA makes it as difficult as possible for kids "on the fence" to leave. A kid who knows he's a lottery pick will still go, but kids who don't have time to test the waters may be inclined to stay another year.

 

[jncuse]

Correct, as far as college fans are concerned, its the 15th.

Incorrect. Zero benefit for a college player to declare before April 15. This was stated very clearly in the article.

A playerr can't test the waters between April 15 and April 27 anyway, even if they declared before April 15. Contact with NBA teams is not permitted during April no matter when you enter the draft. It is only allowed once the early entry list is finalized (in early May - once again per the article)

The only contact a player is permitted is with the NBA advisory committee -- and a player does not even have to annouce his intentions to enter to get that information.

The key date for Syracuse (or any team's) fans is clearly April 27, not April 15.

 

[jncuse]

The process is confusing by design.

The NCAA can't pass any rules which force kids to stay in school, and the NBA refuses to adopt a rule where kids can't be drafted until they've been in school for two years.

So the NCAA makes it as difficult as possible for kids "on the fence" to leave. A kid who knows he's a lottery pick will still go, but kids who don't have time to test the waters may be inclined to stay another year.

I am surprised the NCAA has not outlawed contact with the NBA advisory committee, using the excuse that it is a distraction from the player's examinations and academic pursuits during the month of April.

 

[jncuse]

The NCAA needs to get with the NBA and make this process easier to understand. There is no reason to have two separate dates, or to make the process more confusing.

The thing is the April 15 date is utterly meaningless. It could be April 27, and the NCAA would meet the exact some objective it really wanted -- it would still restrict players from testing the waters.

The April 15 date is purely the NCAA playing games. The use of the earlier April 15 only looks good as it support their agenda that they are looking out for the players academics (which is a lie). If they made it April 27, its harder to say the change was for academic reasons.

The key change that was made in 2011, was not pushing this "April 27" date back to "April 15". It pushed the date around for exiting the draft from around "May 20" to a date that is now before NBA contact is permitted.

 

[Moontan]

The key change that was made in 2011, was not pushing this "April 27" date back to "April 15". It pushed the date around for exiting the draft from around "May 20" to a date that is now before NBA contact is permitted.

The "April 27" date is an NBA deadline. The "April 15" date is an NCAA date.

The article was about "rule changes made by the NCAA in May of 2011 regarding collegiate eligibility". The NCAA has nothing to do with the "April 27" (NBA Draft Early Entry Eligibility Deadline) date.

I can see the NCAA's (and coaches') desire to tie the "April 15" date to the NLI date. It would appear that (without making other major changes) to give the players more time to get information that the easy way to do that would be to have the NCAA move the NLI date to coincide with the NBA's "April 27" date.

 

[Melancer46]

From what I understand, a kid that has made himself eligible for the draft prior to the 15th has to pull out by then to remain eligible for college, but if a kid wants to declare after that, they still can. They just immediately lose their college eligibility upon doing so.

This. Someone needs to pin this for everyone to see lol.

What you need to know is that our guys have until the 27th to declare.

 

[Cheriehoop]

Has to be difficult for coaches to recruit and plan effectively when they have players contemplating leaving early but are on the fence. Also has to be an issue for recruits... Not many programs except the most elite have the luxury of "plug n play" years.

 

[jncuse]

The "April 27" date is an NBA deadline. The "April 15" date is an NCAA date.

The article was about "rule changes made by the NCAA in May of 2011 regarding collegiate eligibility". The NCAA has nothing to do with the "April 27" (NBA Draft Early Entry Eligibility Deadline) date.

Since the principal party here (the players) are effectively working with the April 27 date, the NCAA date is meaningless and therefore unnecessary. As stated in the article players have no incentive to declare earlier, so the April 15 date does not help coaches for planning decisions or new recruits.

The NCAA has kept the earlier date merely as propaganda to show the reason they made the change was because of academics. It serves no other purpose.

 

[sufandu]

Since the principal party here (the players) are effectively working with the April 27 date, the NCAA date is meaningless and therefore unnecessary. As stated in the article players have no incentive to declare earlier, so the April 15 date does not help coaches for planning decisions or new recruits.

The NCAA has kept the earlier date merely as propaganda to show the reason they made the change was because of academics. It serves no other purpose.

It's not completely meaningless. Anyone declared as of the NCAA deadline is definitely not coming back. If guys could wait until the NBA deadline to change their minds, coaches could sign players thinking they have room, then end up over the scholarship limit when someone decided to stay in school.

 

[jncuse]

It's not completely meaningless. Anyone declared as of the NCAA deadline is definitely not coming back. If guys could wait until the NBA deadline to change their minds, coaches could sign players thinking they have room, then end up over the scholarship limit when someone decided to stay in school.

While your point is true, the players that declare before April 15 were never really on the fence anyway and were not difficult to plan around. I just can't see many guys that declared as of today, changing their mind. As you see below, if they are really thinking about coming back they would wait to enter the draft.

For a player on the fence: If you declare now, you force yourself to make a final decision by April 15. If you wait, you force yourself to make a final decision by April 27.

The on the fence players are the guys that impact planning, and most should be waiting until after April 15.

 

[sufandu]

While your point is true, the players that declare before April 15 were never really on the fence anyway. These are not the type of guys that impact planning.

If you are on the fence you are not declaring now. If you declare now, you force yourself to make a final decusuib by April 15. If you wait, you force yourself to make a final decision by April 27.

These are the guys that impact planning, and they are waiting until after April 15.

True, it can adversely impact a team because a kid can declare and leave a hole the coach may have been able to fill, had he known earlier. However, at least it won't leave teams over the scholarship limit, forcing coaches to make a kid transfer that would have otherwise been on the team. And at least a coach can still sign a player after April 26. It may not be exactly who he wanted, but he can fill a hole, if need be.