NBA, USA Basketball Reportedly 'Blindsided' by NCAA's Rule Changes
The NBA and USA Basketball were reportedly "blindsided" by rule changes the NCAA made Wednesday in response to the FBI's probe into corruption and bribery in college basketball, according to ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Specifically, Wojnarowski reported USA Basketball "doesn't have the infrastructure, nor interest" in choosing which "elite" high school prospects can be represented by agents before their senior year begins. Instead, USA Basketball "prefers that the NBA make those decisions."
The NCAA's proposed change will not go into effect until the NBA eliminates the one-and-done rule. And while NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has said he is prepared to eventually allow prospects to join the league straight out of high school, that policy is not expected to be enacted until 2022 at the earliest, per ESPN.com's Jonathan Givony.
"We could've done a little better job of communicating today's news with [USA Basketball]," NCAA men's basketball vice president Dan Gavitt told CBSSports.com's Matt Norlander. "I'll just leave it at that."
The NCAA also announced new NBA draft guidelines.
According to Wednesday's release, "players who request an Undergraduate Advisory Committee evaluation, participate in the NBA combine and aren’t drafted can return to school as long as they notify their athletics director of their intent by 5 p.m. the Monday after the draft."
Additionally, college players will be allowed to be represented by an agent after any season as long as they have already requested an evaluation from the advisory committee. That change is effective immediately.
"We will review the NCAA's planned reforms and continue to assess, along with our Players' Association, the potential for any related NBA rules changes," NBA spokesman Tim Frank told Wojnarowski.
