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What are the NBA draft eligibility rules, and how old do you have to be?

By McKinley Malbrough III, J.D., MS-HRM · Certified WNBA player agent · Former certified NBA agent

Published October 19, 2026. Last updated October 19, 2026.

Draft eligibility is set by Article X of the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, not by the NCAA. The NCAA's own clock for how long a player can compete in college is a separate rule, covered in the five-for-five eligibility guide. The other ways into the league are in the guide to professional basketball paths.

Who is eligible for the NBA draft, and how old do you have to be?

A player must turn 19 during the calendar year of the draft and, unless he is an international player, at least one NBA season must have passed since his high school graduation, per Article X, Section 1(b)(i) of the 2023 CBA. That is the NBA draft age limit: 19 is the floor, and the wait after high school is a second test. A player must also meet one of the paths below.

A player cannot sign or play in the NBA until he has been eligible for at least one draft, and he can be eligible for no more than two, per Section 1(a).

Can a high schooler enter the NBA draft, and what is the one-and-done rule?

No. A player who is not an international player must wait until one NBA season has passed since his high school graduation, under Section 1(b)(i). The plain reading puts the earliest draft about a year after his class graduates. People call the wait the one-and-done rule, because many top prospects spend that year in college before entering. The term is not in the CBA, and the CBA does not require the year to be spent in college.

The year can also be spent with a professional team. The NBA G League's Ignite team ended after the 2023-24 season, per the G League. A player who plays professionally and later returns to college faces a separate question, covered in the G League and college article.

Agents notice that families treat 19 as the date a player can declare, when the one-year wait after high school is what sets the earliest draft. Check both tests before planning a timeline.

Who gets automatic eligibility for the NBA draft?

Players on the first five paths in the table, under Section 1(b)(ii), meet the CBA's eligibility test without filing an early-entry notice. That covers a college player with no eligibility left, a player four calendar years past high school graduation, a professional who is 22 and an international player who is 22. The CBA does not use the word automatic. Early entry under Section 1(b)(ii)(G) is the separate path for a player who meets none of the others yet.

How does draft eligibility work for international players?

An international player needs only to be 19 in the draft year, then either files early-entry notice or waits until 22. The CBA defines an international player as someone who has lived outside the United States for at least the three years before the draft while playing as an amateur or professional there, who has never enrolled in a U.S. college and who did not finish high school in the United States, per Section 1(c).

The one-season wait after high school does not apply to a player in that group. In 2026, 11 of the 71 early-entry candidates were international players, per the NBA. A player who signs overseas after being drafted deals with club rules covered in the overseas contracts guide.

What is the NBA draft early entry deadline, and when can a player withdraw?

The early-entry notice must be received by the NBA at least 60 days before the draft, per Section 1(b)(ii)(G). A player who files can withdraw by written notice received 10 days before the draft, and he cannot withdraw from more than two drafts, per Section 8(c). An NBA draft combine invite adds a duty: a player who fails to fully participate can be ruled ineligible for that draft, per Section 9.

In 2026 the draft was held June 23 to 24 and the NBA's withdrawal deadline was 5 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, June 13, per the NBA. The league listed 71 early-entry candidates in April, and 38 had withdrawn by May 28, per its withdrawal release. The sources reviewed for this article do not list the 2027 dates, so check the NBA's draft page after the lottery.

Agents notice that families count the early-entry notice as the decision, when the withdrawal deadlines are where the decision is made.

Can a college player withdraw from the NBA draft and keep college eligibility?

Yes, if he withdraws by the NCAA's deadline, which in 2026 was Wednesday, May 27, per the NBA. That was 17 days before the NBA's own June 13 deadline, so a player who misses the NCAA date can still leave the NBA draft but cannot count on keeping his college eligibility. Representation matters in that window, as the NCAA agent certification guide explains.

A player who has signed an NBA contract is in a different position. A court denied a preliminary injunction on February 9, 2026 to a player who had signed an NBA contract and asked to return to college, per Front Office Sports. That was a local ruling, not a national rule.

What should families plan for on the timeline?

Work backward from the draft. Two tests set the earliest year, the early-entry notice is due 60 days before the draft, and the NCAA withdrawal date comes weeks before the NBA's. A player who goes undrafted can still sign an Exhibit 10 contract or a two-way contract. A player who is drafted signs on the scale in the rookie scale guide.

The lottery that sets the top of the draft changes with the 2027 draft; the 3-2-1 lottery post explains the new rules. Injury cover is covered in the loss-of-value insurance guide. The rules say what is allowed; they do not say what is wise for one player.