Players who skip Draft Combine won’t be drafted: NBA

The National Basketball Players Association and the Association have significantly changed the pre-NBA Draft process, according to ESPN.

Under the new system, all players invited to the draft combine must attend and participate.

If they do, they will be included in the draft if they fully participate in the first subsequent draft.

Those attending the Combine will have to undergo various tests, such as medical examinations, sharing medical history, and biomechanical and functional movement testing.

Players will not be required to compete in 5-on-5 scrimmages, but they will have to attend team interviews, media circuits, and player development sessions, among other assessments.

Reportedly, NBA teams have been pushing for these changes for years to prevent elite players and agents from hiding their medicals to avoid certain franchises.

Under the new system, the players will lose control of their medicals.

The changes that will go into effect in 2024, will also alter the draft eligibility for high school and college athletes who join other organizations like the G League Ignite or the Australian NBL.

Players will still have some flexibility, as they can decline invitations if they are physically unable to participate, playing for an in-season FIBA team, or dealing with a family death or childbirth.

However, approval from the medical director of the Combine will be necessary, and players will still be required to complete components of the Combine later.

These changes are expected to significantly impact how players approach the pre-draft process in the future.

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