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May 12 (UPI) -- NBA Commissioner Adam Silver believes the "one-and-done" policy that prevents high school players from immediately joining the NBA could be abolished by 2022. "There are a bunch of issues that need to be worked through between us and the players association, so it's something we're in active discussions about," Silver told reporters last week in Washington, D.C. "It's a few years away, I think."
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The "one-and-done" rule means players must be at least 19 years old during the calendar year of the draft. Players who are not considered "international players," as defined by the NBA, must also be at least one year removed from the graduation of his high school class.
Elite high school players will often attend college for only one season before jumping to the NBA.
Silver said implementing a rule change before 2022 wouldn't be fair to teams that have made future draft picks. A sudden policy change also would not give the league enough time to work with players entering the league directly from high school.
"If the rules were to change, we and our players association, USA basketball, other groups would be working much more directly with these young players to prepare them for the NBA," Silver said.
The NBA has already reached an agreement with USA Basketball that allows front offices to scout the under-16 national camps.
The "one-and-done" policy has been in effect since 2006. Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James are among the players who were drafted straight out of high school.
The 2019 NBA Draft will take place June 20.
