How to Enter the NBA Draft

The dream of most high school and college basketball players is getting drafted by their favorite NBA teams. This vision of a successful and lucrative career as a professional basketball player can be dashed without proper preparation. The elite players who are drafted by NBA teams are put through rigorous tests and interviews before draft night. Every player who seeks entrance into the NBA draft needs to get ready for months of stress and physical duress.

Things You'll Need

• Sports agent
• High school diploma

Instructions

1. Pass your 19th birthday before attempting to enter the NBA Draft. The NBA has prohibited high school players from entering the draft since the 2006-2007 season due to a glut of young players failing to find positions in the league.

2. Attend a university with an excellent history of turning out professional basketball players in preparation for the NBA Draft. Elite NBA players like former University of Texas guard Kevin Durant attend school for one year to play against strong competitors and fulfill the league's age limit for players.

3. Send a letter expressing your interest in entering the NBA Draft to the league's New York City headquarters. The NBA's general counsel will send a response with an attached application for entry in the NBA Draft.

4. Fill out the NBA Draft Application Form completely to ensure a fair hearing from the league's general counsel. This application form requires players to submit academic information, criminal histories and other information that are used by NBA scouts. Complete the application and accompanying forms at least 60 days before the NBA Draft to get on the list of players available to drafting teams.

5. Consult with your coach, parents and fellow players about the pros and cons of signing with an agent. Entrants in the NBA Draft cannot return to play in college after they have hired agents due to the loss of amateur status. Players who are projected in the first round should sign with agents quickly to negotiate contracts and take sponsorship offers.

6. Attend pre-draft camps held by the NBA to show off your skills to professional coaches, general managers and scouts. Players can participate in the NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando as well as the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in Virginia ahead of the July draft. There is a pre-draft camp for the NBA Developmental League for players who want to break into basketball through its minor league system.

7. Coordinate individual workouts and interviews with NBA teams with the help of your agent or adviser. These workouts are favored by coaches and general managers who want to meet with prospective players outside of the camp environment.

8. Express willingness to switch positions, come off the bench and change training habits when meeting with prospective NBA teams. The issue that many players face as they leave college is finding their ideal positions in the NBA. A player who shows flexibility and the drive to improve may leap over players with questionable character in the draft.

Tips & Warnings

• Examine professional options in Europe, the Middle East and Asia before declaring for the NBA Draft. Basketball players like Josh Childress have opted out of the NBA in favor of multi-million dollar contracts from professional teams outside of the United States. The level of competition varies from league to league, but there are lower barriers to entry than the NBA.

• Avoid burning bridges at your college when declaring for the NBA Draft. There are dozens of players each year who return to college after finding out that the competition is high in a particular draft class.

• Stick to your decision about the NBA Draft to avoid ineligibility at the college and professional level. A player who drops out of the NBA Draft in consecutive years cannot declare again for the draft.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Sports Management Worldwide
• NBDL Predraft Camp