The History of the “One-And-Done” Era

Since recently taking over for the retired David Stern NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver has been adamantly clear that increasing the age limit for the NBA Draft is his top priority. In 2006 the league made high schoolers ineligible for the draft, requiring them to be at least a year removed graduation before being able to declare. This led to the creation of the term “one-and-done” to describe players who only attended college for a year before leaving for the draft. It’s important to note that prospects had the option to go to the D-League, like Latavious Williams did, or play overseas, which Brandon Jennings and Jeremy Tyler chose to do, rather than going to college. However, the vast majority took the NCAA route.

In the latest round of collective bargaining the league and player’s union discussed changes, but ultimately decided to put them off until further research was done. Now, a certain increase is on the horizon.

Below you will find some of the most relevant data on how the one-and-done era has gone, including career earnings, draft range selected, team history and much more so that you can see what is influencing the league to make this change. Note: Data ranges from 2006-2014:

• 63 freshmen (one redshirt) have declared

• 51 were selected in the first round, 8 in the second, 4 went undrafted.

• 9 former draft picks are no longer in the NBA (Tyrus Thomas, Shawne Williams, Javaris Crittenton, DaQuan Cook, Donte Green, Bill Walker, Daniel Orton, Hassan Whiteside and Josh Selby)

• 6 others have never played a game (Tiny Gallon, Grant Jerrett, Nate Miles, Tommy Mason-Griffin, Jereme Richmond, Roscoe Davis). Only Gallon and Jerrett were selected, both in the second round.

• 8 have made All-Star appearances (Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Kevin Love, DeMar DeRozan, Jrue Holiday, John Wall, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis). Of the All-Stars none have left via free agency, yet. Only one, Holiday, doesn’t play for the team that he was originally drafted by. He was traded by the 76ers on draft night last year.

Freshmen drafted by year (Player – selection):

2006 – 2 (Tyrus Thomas* – 4th, Shawne Williams – 17th)
2007 – 8 (Greg Oden – 1st, Kevin Durant – 2nd, Mike Conley Jr. – 4th, Brandon Wright – 8th, Spencer Hawes – 10th, Thaddeus Young – 12th, Javaris Crittenton – 19th, Daequan Cook – 21st)
2008 – 12 (Derrick Rose – 1st, Michael Beasley – 2nd, O.J. Mayo – 3rd, Kevin Love – 5th, Eric Gordon – 7th, Jerryd Bayless – 11th, Anthony Randolph – 14th, J.J. Hickson – 19th, Kosta Koufos – 23rd, Donte Green – 28th, DeAndre Jordan – 35th, Bill Walker – 47th)
2009 – 4 (Tyreke Evans – 4th, DeMar DeRozan – 9th, Jrue Holiday – 17th, Byron Mullens – 24th, undrafted: Nate Miles)
2010 – 10 (John Wall – 1st, Derrick Favors – 3rd, DeMarcus Cousins – 5th, Xavier Henry – 12th, Eric Bledsoe – 18th, Avery Bradley – 19th, Daniel Orton – 29th, Hassan Whiteside – 33rd, Lance Stephenson -40th, Tiny Gallon – 47th, undrafted: Tommy Mason-Griffin)
2011 – 6 (Kyrie Irving – 1st, Tristan Thompson – 4th, Brandon Knight – 8th, Tobias Harris – 19th, Cory Joseph – 29th, Josh Selby – 49th, undrafted: Roscoe Davis, Jereme Richmond)
2012 – 9 (Anthony Davis – 1st, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – 2nd, Brad Beal – 3rd, Andre Drummond – 9th, Austin Rivers – 10th, Maurice Harkless – 15th, Tony Wroten – 25th, Marquis Teague – 29th, Quincy Miller – 38th)
2013 – 8 (Anthony Bennett – 1st, Nerlens Noel – 6th, Ben McLemore – 7th, Steven Adams – 12th, Shabazz Muhammad – 14th, Archie Goodwin – 29th, Ricky Ledo – 43rd, Grant Jerrett – 40th)

*Redshirt freshman

Freshmen Selected by pick:

No. 1 – 6
No. 2 – 3
No. 3 – 3
No. 4 – 4
No. 5 – 2
No.6 – 1
No. 7 – 2
No. 8 – 2
No. 9 – 2
No 10. – 2
No. 11 – 1
No. 12 – 3
No. 14 – 2
No. 15 – 1
No. 17 – 2
No. 18 – 1
No. 19 – 4
No. 21 – 1
No. 23 – 1
No. 24 – 1
No. 25 – 1
No. 28 – 1
No. 29 – 4
No. 33 – 1
No. 35 – 1
No. 38 – 1
No. 40 – 2
No. 43 – 1
No. 47 – 2
No. 49 – 1

Total freshmen drafted by team:

Sacramento Kings – 5 (Spencer Hawes, Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins, Hassan Whiteside, Ben McLemore)
Memphis Grizzlies – 5 (Mike Conley Jr., O.J. Mayo, Xavier Henry, Josh Selby, Tony Wroten)
Cleveland Cavaliers – 4 (J.J. Hickson, Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, Anthony Bennett)
Oklahoma City Thunder – 4 (Kevin Durant, Byron Mullens, Steven Adams, Grant Jerrett)
Philadelphia 76ers – 4 (Thaddeus Young, Jrue Holiday, Maurice Harkless, Nerlens Noel)
Chicago Bulls – 3 (Tyrus Thomas, Derrick Rose, Marquis Teague)
Los Angeles Clippers – 3 (Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, Eric Bledsoe)
Boston Celtics – 2 (Bill Walker and Avery Bradley)
Detroit Pistons – 2 (Brandon Knight, Andre Drummond)
Golden State Warriors – 2 (Brandon Wright, Anthony Randolph)
Indiana Pacers – 2 (Shawne Williams, Lance Stephenson)
Miami HEAT – 2 (Daquan Cook, Michael Beasley)
Milwaukee Bucks – 2 (Tiny Gallon, Tobias Harris)
Minnesota Timberwolves – 2 (Kevin Love, Shabazz Muhammad)
New Orleans Pelicans – 2 (Anthony Davis, Austin Rivers)
Portland Trail Blazers – 2 (Greg Oden, Jerryd Bayless)
Washington Wizards – 2 (John Wall, Brad Beal)
Orlando Magic – 1 (Daniel Orton)
Brooklyn Nets – 1 (Derrick Favors)
Charlotte Bobcats – 1 (Michael Kidd-Gilchrist)
Dallas Mavericks – 1 (Ricky Ledo)
Denver Nuggets – 1 (Quincy Miller)
Los Angeles Lakers – 1 (Javaris Crittenton)
Phoenix Suns – 1 (Archie Godwin)
San Antonio Spurs – 1 (Cory Joseph)
Toronto Raptors – 1 (DeMar DeRozan)
Utah Jazz – 1 (Kosta Koufos)
Houston Rockets – 1 (Donte Green)
Atlanta Hawks – 0
New York Knicks – 0

Freshmen declared by university:

Kentucky – 10 (John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton, Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, Marquis Teague, Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Nerlens Noel, Archie Goodwin – does not include Enes Kanter, who attended, but never became eligible to play for Kentucky)
Ohio State – 5 (Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr., Daquan Cook, Kosta Koufos, Byron Mullens)
Texas – 4 (Kevin Durant, Avery Bradley, Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph)
Memphis – 3 (Shawne Williams, Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans)
UCLA – 3 (Kevin Love, Jrue Holiday, Shabazz Muhammad)
Georgia Tech – 3 (Javaris Crittenton, Thaddeus Young, Derrick Favors)
Kansas – 3 (Xavier Henry, Josh Selby, Ben McLemore)
LSU – 2 (Tyrus Thomas and Anthony Randolph)
Washington – 2 (Spence Hawes and Tony Wroten)
USC – 2 (O.J. Mayo, DeMar DeRozan)
Kansas State – 2 (Bill Walker and Michael Beasley)
Arizona – 2 (Jerryd Bayless, Grant Jerrett)
Oklahoma – 2 (Tiny Gallon, Tommy Mason-Griffin)
Duke – 2 (Kyrie Irving, Austin Rivers)
1 – North Carolina (Brandon Wright), Indiana (Eric Gordon), North Carolina State (J.J. Hickson), Syracuse (Donte Green), Texas A&M (DeAndre Jordan), Cincinnati (Lance Stephenson), Tennessee (Tobias Harris), Florida (Brad Beal), UConn (Andre Drummond), St. John’s (Moe Harkless), Baylor (Quincy Miller), UNLV (Anthony Bennett), Pittsburgh (Steven Adams), Marshall (Hassan Whiteside), Southern Idaho (Nate Miles), Midland JC (Roscoe Davis), Providence (Ricky Ledo), Illinois (Jereme Richmond).

Career Earnings:

$60 million-$70 million – 1 (Kevin Durant)
$50 million-$59.9 million – 1 (Derrick Rose)
$40 million-$49.9 million – 2 (Eric Gordon, Kevin Love)
$30 million-$39.9 million – 6 (O.J Mayo, Michael Beasley, Thaddeus Young, DeAndre Jordan, Tyrus Thomas, Michael Conley Jr.)
$20 million-$29.9 million – 5(DeMar DeRozan, John Wall, Greg Oden, Tyreke Evans, Spencer Hawes)
$10 million-$19.9 million – 13 (Anthony Davis, Tristan Thompson, Anthony Randolph, Kosta Koufos, Daequan Cook, Shawne
Williams, Jerryd Bayless, J.J. Hickson, DeMarcus Cousins, Kyrie Irving, Jrue Holiday, Brandon Wright, Derrick Favors)
$5 million-$9.9 million – 9 (Donte Green, Anthony Bennett, Byron Mullens, Avery Bradley, Eric Bledsoe, Xavier Henry, Brandon Knight, Brad Beal, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist)
$500,000-$4.9 million – 20 (Ricky Ledo, Archie Goodwin, Quincy Miller, Josh Selby, Hassan Whiteside, Shabazz Muhammad, Steven Adams, Marquis Teague, Tony Wroten, Daniel Orton, Ben McLemore, Bill Walker, Nerlens Noel, Cory Joseph, Lance Stephenson, Maurice Harkless, Javaris Crittenton, Tobias Harris, Austin Rivers, Andre Drummond)
$0 – 6 (Nate Miles, Tiny Gallon, Tommy Mason-Griffin, Roscoe Davis, Jereme Richmond, Grant Jerrett)

What are your thoughts on the data? Is the NBA making the right choice by increasing the age limit, or are they trying to fix what isn’t broken? Leave your thoughts below!

Basketball Insiders intern Jesse Blancarte also contributed to this article.