The NBA's new CBA may include a two-and-done rule

Quite often in the world of sports you come across a topic of discussion where the two sides of the argument are so passionate and steadfast in their belief that no amount of compromise will close the gap between the two sides.

One of those arguments is the designated hitter rule in baseball. Another is the helmet-to-helmet hit rule that the NFL instituted this season. A third is whether or not we should pay college athletes.

In the college basketball world, one of the great debates involves the NBA Draft. When should kids be allowed to enter? Should there be no restriction? Should they implement the baseball rule, where you can go straight from high school to the pros but must stay in college for three years? Should there be a one-and-done rule or a two-and-done rule? Which is best for the kids? Which is best for the game of college basketball?

The ironic part?

The NCAA has absolutely no say in the decision. The NBA may listen to what NCAA president Mark Emmert wants and what his institution recommends, but at the end of the day the decision lies in the hands of the folks that create the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement.

I'm bringing this up now because, with the NBA's season coming to a close and a potential lockout looming (and looking more and more likely), a new CBA is going to have to be written. Yahoo!'s NBA reporter Marc Spears wrote that it is very possible that the NBA will end up implementing a two-and-done rule:

Several high-ranking NBA team executives told Yahoo! Sports they wouldn’t be surprised if the age limit in the new CBA is pushed to two years in college and 20 years old by the end of that calendar year. One NBA general manager says about two-thirds of teams are in favor of that change.

If this were to happen, the effects on the college game would be interesting.

On the surface, it looks spectacular.

Can you imagine what Kevin Durant would have down with a second year of college? Think about how good Kentucky would have been this season if the four freshmen picked in the first round of the 2010 draft with on the UK's 2011 Final Four team. Think about how good they would be next season with Terrence Jones, Brandon Knight, and Doron Lamb being joined by Calipari's latest loaded recruiting class. And if North Carolina were to get Harrison Barnes back, the Tar Heels may actually be better than Kentucky next season.


For the fans and the writers (and the folks at CBS and the NCAA that cash the checks), this is would be great.

Like it or not, forcing these kids to spend a year, or two years, on campus is a good thing for college basketball. The NCAA needs stars, because people want to watch the stars. People like me -- and likely anyone that reads this blog -- will watch college hoops and the NCAA Tournament regardless of who is playing. But the casual fan? They need a reason to pay attention to the college game instead of the NBA, the NHL, or the start of baseball. The best way to do that is to audition the next crop of NBA talent.

This season's national title game had an enormous fan backlash. It was an ugly game, especially on the offensive end of the floor, and one that needed a critical eye to behold its defensive beauty. Most fans don't have that critical eye. They want to see talent. They want to see future superstars playing like future superstars. By keeping those future superstars on campus for an extra season, college hoops will only draw more eyeballs and more interest.

The question, however, is the cost of making such a move.

Will it persuade more players to head to Europe or the NBDL? It could. Pro teams may be more willing to sign american high school players if they know they are going to be getting a two year commitment out of it. It may also open the door to more fierce recruiting battles. What are coaches going to be willing to do to get two years out of players like John Wall or Kyrie Irving?

There is only one certainty in this equation -- if the NBA does decide to make collegiate hoopers wait two years to enter the draft, we will only hear the rumblings of discontentment over the inability for these kids to profit off of their talents grow louder.