Dumb question: Do foreign players HAVE to enter the draft?

[Please_dont_ban_me]

Or can they just sign with a team as a free agent?

[spursbird]

Young players often enter the draft so they can develop in a team. Veterans often sign with a team as free agents, and they can hardly improve themselves.

[Please_dont_ban_me]

Who is a international free agent that just outright signed with a team? I was trying to think of one and couldn't.

[Kill_Bill_Pana]

If you are born in birth year 22 years before the draft year then yes. All foreign players are put in the draft without their permission or consent. Even if they ask not to be.

[draft87]

Who is a international free agent that just outright signed with a team? I was trying to think of one and couldn't.


i'm pretty sure oberto had to at some point register eligible for the draft but not sure when.

all players entering have to register eligible, right? then those undrafted can sign as free agents.

yah, summer of '05 we couldn't get scola out of his contract in europe so we found a way to sign oberto as a free agent.

[ploto]

Who is a international free agent that just outright signed with a team? I was trying to think of one and couldn't.

Oberto
Nocioni
Calderon
Hermann
Barea

[Please_dont_ban_me]

Young players often enter the draft so they can develop in a team. Veterans often sign with a team as free agents, and they can hardly improve themselves.


Oberto
Nocioni
Calderon
Hermann
Barea

Gotchya'.

So hypothetically, someone coming out of H.S who wants to avoid the Rookie contract could go overseas for a year, and come back over and sign a normal max deal?

[samikeyp]

When they reach a certain age, they don't have to enter the draft(as in go through a specific process) but they are eligible to be drafted.

[exstatic]

Gotchya'.

So hypothetically, someone coming out of H.S who wants to avoid the Rookie contract could go overseas for a year, and come back over and sign a normal max deal?

No. See: Jennings, Brandon in this year's draft. He went from HS to Europe because he didn't want to play college ball. He still had to apply for early draft entry.

If you want to enter the league early (younger than 22), you must apply for early entry into the draft. At the age of 22, ALL PLAYERS, whether foreign or domestic, are automatically entered into the draft. If undrafted in any draft year in which you applied or were automatically eligible at 22, you are considered a FA.

[BlackBellamy]

No. See: Jennings, Brandon in this year's draft. He went from HS to Europe because he didn't want to play college ball. He still had to apply for early draft entry.

If you want to enter the league early (younger than 22), you must apply for early entry into the draft. At the age of 22, ALL PLAYERS, whether foreign or domestic, are automatically entered into the draft. If undrafted in any draft year in which you applied or were automatically eligible at 22, you are considered a FA.

I didn't think that it was age specific, I thought that the rule was more vague. Three years in a Euro-league permits you to avoid the NBA's eligibility rules, right?

[lurker23]

A player can enter themselves into the draft if they are at least 19 years old during the calendar year of that draft, and if they are a U.S. player, at least one year removed from high school. If an international player does not enter themselves into the draft, then at age 22 they are automatically entered into the draft, whether they want to be or not. If you are not selected in the draft that you enter yourself into or are automatically entered, then you become a free agent and can sign with any NBA team.

[lurker23]

A slightly more detailed view of draft eligibility can be found here:

http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#Q48

[lurker23]

At the age of 22, ALL PLAYERS, whether foreign or domestic, are automatically entered into the draft.

If we're going to get very technical about it, this isn't necessarily true for domestic players. Automatic entry for domestic players is determined by high school graduation and NCAA eligibility. Using the link above, if a player wants to be entered into the draft as late as possible, then one of the following must be true to force him to enter:

* The player has graduated from a U.S. four-year college or university prior to or during the year of the draft, and has no remaining NCAA eligibility.
* The player is attending or has previously attended a U.S. four-year college or university, his original class has graduated prior to or during the year of the draft, and has no remaining NCAA eligibility.
* The player attended high school in the U.S., did not attend college, and four years have elapsed since he graduated (or his class graduated, if he did not graduate).


So, hypothetically, if you graduated high school at age 19 (perhaps you were held back a year or two), and then were part of a college basketball program for 5 years (perhaps you were redshirted or gained an extra year due to injury), you could easily be 24 (or older) before having to enter the draft.

[Please_dont_ban_me]

A player can enter themselves into the draft if they are at least 19 years old during the calendar year of that draft, and if they are a U.S. player, at least one year removed from high school. If an international player does not enter themselves into the draft, then at age 22 they are automatically entered into the draft, whether they want to be or not. If you are not selected in the draft that you enter yourself into or are automatically entered, then you become a free agent and can sign with any NBA team.

That's a bit odd.

Is that fair to a international player who does NOT want to be entered into the draft when he turns 22? Anyways, I understand the rule now at least. Thanks.

[lurker23]

That's a bit odd.

Is that fair to a international player who does NOT want to be entered into the draft when he turns 22? Anyways, I understand the rule now at least. Thanks.

Just because the player is drafted doesn't mean they ever have to play in the NBA. It just means their NBA rights are held by a certain team, but if they want to continue playing in the Madagascarian C League for the rest of their career, they're free to do so.

[Man In Black]

Just because the player is drafted doesn't mean they ever have to play in the NBA. It just means their NBA rights are held by a certain team, but if they want to continue playing in the Madagascarian C League for the rest of their career, they're free to do so.

Just ask Fran Vasquez:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran_Vázquez

Vázquez was selected 11th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. He made headlines when he announced that he would remain playing in the Spanish ACB league for at least the following season. This came as a surprise to the Magic, who expected him to join Dwight Howard in the front court for the 2005-06 season, and it enraged many Magic fans. Vazquez originally gave no indication that he would be returning to Europe after he was drafted and had indicated that he would like to join the Magic. The Magic retain his NBA rights indefinitely and thus potentially can sign him in some future season. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Vazquez wants to join Orlando for the upcoming season. However, it is uncertain as to whether FC Barcelona will let him out of his contract.