The 2023 NBA draft is upon us and the entire basketball world will be watching Thursday night as the Association gets its newest crop of players. These future stars come from all walks of life, whether it was college in America, overseas leagues or the developmental NBA G League.
However, the draft isn’t limited to just those avenues of basketball. Quite frankly, the NBA doesn’t limit it at all.
According to Article X, Section 1 of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement referenced by the Associated Press that will be in effect until July 1 (draft eligibility isn’t expected to change much), a player just has to be 19 years old during the calendar year of the draft and at least one NBA season has to have passed since the player has graduated high school to be draft eligible.
If those requirements have been met, all someone has to do is express interest to the NBA at least two months before the draft, forgo the rest of their college eligibility if necessary, and fill out paperwork. Things change if the player is from another country, but that’s the gist.
Yes, the bar isn’t particularly high which has led to random fans over the years actually entering the draft. This year alone, 18 people are actually draft eligible but the NBA has them on something it calls the B List for “unknown individuals,” per the AP. This has been done every year by fans who enter the draft with no real chance of being selected. It’s relatively harmless, but it shows that almost anyone can throw their name in this hat.
