Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.com is reporting that NBA Commissioner David Stern and NCAA President Myles Brand will today announce a new rule stating that players will have to spend two years in college before becoming eligible for the NBA.
The proposal would still need to be passed by the NBA Players Association.
“It’s a big step for the owners and the commissioner to say they’re ready to bargain in good faith to get the rule passed,” one college coach told Goodman. “The NBA is willing to give up something to get this rule passed; we just don’t know what it is yet.”
The NBA adopted a 19-year-old age limit through the collective bargaining agreement which expires in 2010-11.
Such a rule would eliminate “one-and-done” players like Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, although because it likely wouldn’t go into effect until 2011 or 2012, players like Derrick Rose, O.J. Mayo, Kevin Love and Eric Gordon could still jump after this year. Gordon and N.C. State’s JJ Hickson have already said they will enter the draft, and Kansas State star Michael Beasley is expected to join them.
Stern and Brand have a 1 o’clock press conference in San Antonio.