How to Sign Up for the NBA Draft

For players who have played basketball at a high level of competition in high school and college, the ultimate goal is to play professionally with a National Basketball Association, or NBA, team. To do that, except in rare cases such as free agent signings, you must go through the NBA Draft, an event held every year to allow NBA teams to select and potentially sign the best players from the college basketball ranks. Certain eligibility requirements must be met to qualify for the draft.

Instructions

    • 1

      Verify that you meet the requirements to be eligible to participate in the NBA Draft; eligibility requirements include being at least 19 years old during the calendar year that the draft is held; having graduated from a four-year U.S. college or university with no intercollegiate eligibility remaining; having been enrolled in a two- or four-year U.S. school with no intention of furthering your college education; or having graduated from a U.S. high school with no intention of enrolling in a U.S. college or university.

    • 2

      Send a letter to the NBA headquarters, located at Olympic Tower, 545 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10022, addressed to the Salary Cap Administration department, which oversees all aspects of the player draft for the league. State that you meet the draft entry requirements as laid out in the current collective bargaining agreement.

    • 3

      Fill out the NBA Draft Early Entry Application form as well as the Authorization for Release of Academic Information Form as required by the league. Provide copies of all college or high school transcripts, as well as copies of two forms of identification that have been notarized.