NCAA proposal for NBA draft would allow players to return to school

The NCAA men’s basketball oversight committee has proposed a new rule that would allow players to keep their college eligibility even after declaring themselves eligible for the NBA draft.

Committee Chairman Dan Guerrero, who also serves as UCLA’s athletic director, confirmed the proposal Wednesday to ESPN, saying there’s a chance it could be adopted ahead of the 2016 NBA draft if it’s approved by NCAA membership in January.

The proposal would allow underclassmen to attend the NBA’s draft combine in May and decide whether or not to return to school after receiving evaluations by NBA team personnel. The allowance would help college basketball players better gauge their draft stock before making a final decision on their NBA aspirations, supporters say.

Players would then have up to 10 days before the draft to make a final decision, as stipulated by the collective bargaining agreement.

“This is a positive development for student-athletes exploring their professional dreams,” Dan Gavitt, NCAA vice president of men’s basketball, told ESPN. “This would give prospects and their families more appropriate time and unbiased info from the NBA to make important decisions.”

Under current rules, underclassmen who declare for the NBA draft forfeit their remaining eligibility. The proposal also would presumably help colleges hold on to more of their underclassmen.

The proposal is the latest in a series of recent moves the NCAA has explored and enacted in men’s college basketball. Earlier the month, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved a 30-second shot clock as part of a series of rule changes aimed at speeding up the game.