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Report: NBA loosens restrictions on scouting high school players

Sam Wasson / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The NBA sent teams a memo announcing that it is relaxing the rules on scouting high school prospects, according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

Beginning in mid-December, NBA teams will be permitted to attend high-profile events featuring the top high school players in the United States who aren't yet draft-eligible.

These events include the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas later in December; the Spalding HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts, in January; and the Geico Nationals in Fort Myers, Florida, in March.

The change will allow players at standard American high schools to showcase themselves more directly to NBA personnel.

High school-aged players pursuing alternative paths such as the Overtime Elite league and the G League Ignite are already accessible to NBA personnel. NBA scouts were able to watch eventual lottery picks such as Jalen Green and Dyson Daniels up close for the Ignite in recent years, as well as top 2023 prospects Amen and Ausar Thompson in Overtime Elite.

Limited access to elite prospects has left teams lacking information on players who sat out their season prior to being draft-eligible. Other prospects have suffered injuries in their lone college seasons, such as 2020 No. 2 pick James Wiseman, who played in just three games at Memphis. Scouts hope to start evaluating prospects earlier in their careers to avoid being unprepared for these situations.

The NBA is not expected to lower the draft-eligibility age anytime soon, according to Givony. American players must be a year removed from graduating high school and be turning 19 in the calendar year of the draft in order to be eligible.

The league and NBPA could negotiate a lower eligibility age after the current collective bargaining agreement expires in 2024. Commissioner Adam Silver said earlier this year that lowering the age "would be the right thing to do."

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