UCLA head coach Mick Cronin recently had some blunt thoughts about the NBA and when players should be eligible for the draft.
The man leading the Bruins in the Elite 8 appeared on ESPN Radio to discuss former UCLA recruit Daishen Nix going to the G-League instead of playing in college, and he thinks the league restricting access to the draft is absurd. Right now, you have to be a year removed from high school, but that rule is likely changing in the near future. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
Cronin said the following when asked if players should be able to jump straight from high school to the NBA, according to ESPN:
You should. It’s America. A guy can go to war when he’s 18. He can grab a gun and get killed for our country, but he can’t put his name in the [NBA] draft? Come on, man, it’s ridiculous. I just don’t like the two-faced lies and acting like we didn’t recruit the kid.
Whenever you can throw out a military example, you have to do it. I’m pretty sure it’s the law! It makes counter-arguments a lot harder.
Trust me, nobody loves throwing out military examples as a measuring stick like I do.
Cronin is also 100% correct. It’s ridiculous that high school stars can’t go straight to the NBA if that’s what they want to do.
This is America. If you think you have the skills to compete in the free market, then you shouldn’t be restricted from earning money.
Yet, the NBA 100% controls the entry gate to the league, and college basketball has operated as a free minor league system. Things are changing, but high school players should never have been stopped from entering the league as 18-year-olds.
Let us know in the comments if you agree with Cronin that high school players should be allowed to jump straight to the pros. I think most people will agree it’s the right call.