Julius Randle doesn't want NBA age minimum raised: 'Everybody should have free choice'

Kentucky product Julius Randle is just over a week away from joining an NBA team, set to become a lottery pick in the NBA Draft on June 26.

Going forward, commissioner Adam Silver wants to eliminate one-and-done prospects like Randle. In that scenario, Randle would have been forced to spend another year in Lexington.

Randle doesn't believe the proposed change of the age minimum from 19 to 20 for players entering the NBA Draft would be helpful to players like him.

"I think everybody should have free choice, whether it's [going to the NBA after] high school, college, four years of college," Randle said, via ESPN. "Who is going to tell the kid when he's ready? So I think everybody should have a free choice, but I know the commissioner and he's done a great job so far, and I think he'll do what's best for the league."

The age minimum has been a major point of contention for Silver since taking over for David Stern as the league's commissioner.

Randle added that he did not attend Kentucky with the intention of attending for just one season. However, the opportunity to make the jump to the professional ranks was just too good to pass up.

"My biggest thing was I wanted to be a college student and enjoy college," Randle said. "I loved Kentucky. Of course, you're going to love the basketball, but just the state, the people, my academics. I loved it. I miss it, of course, seeing everybody go back to school, and I just kind of miss that brotherhood that I had with those guys. But I knew that the next step was what's best for me and my family."