When the new CBA deal was announced, a big question was whether or not the NBA would begin allowing players to enter the draft straight out of high school. Colloquially known as ‘prep-to-pro' pipeline, this process of team building was allowed until 2006, when players were required to be at least one year removed from high school.
However, while this was a popular route for draft prospects like LeBron James and Kevin Garnett, teams had understandable concern about drafting players who weren't physically or mentally ready for the NBA.
Regardless, with the way that basketball development has changed and how the draft process has been affected as of late, many believe that the league will eventually allow players to enter the draft straight out of high school again.
Including Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, per Dana Scott of the Arizona Republic.
“I think most kids are still finding their way out or they’re not even going to college and their spending a year removed training somewhere at a prep school or something of that such… So with the NIL, I think that’s a step forward… that’s really important. But we’ll see. I think it will eventually get back to no college.”
Booker spent just one season at the University of Kentucky and didn't start a single game but still declared for the 2015 NBA Draft. Selected with the 13th overall pick, Booker averaged 13.8 points per game as a rookie a year after averaging 10.0 points per game as a freshman in college.
He’s averaged least 22 points per game in every season since.
Although Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari is one of the best coaches in college, one does has to wonder just how much Booker even needed to make the stop at college first.
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