The 2025 NBA draft will look quite different compared to previous years’ drafts. One of the main reasons for this change lies in the rapidly changing landscape of college basketball. The deadline for early entrants to enter the NBA came to a close on April 26th. Unexpectedly, a 10-year-old record was broken by the players who entered the draft pool. These drastic changes are being praised by many analysts as they believe that they will be beneficial to the players and the league in the future. 

A total of 106 players registered for the early entrants for this year’s draft. This is a very low total for the draft. This is the lowest number of early entrants in an NBA draft since 2015. According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, this is a drastic fall compared to 2021, when the number of entrants reached a record high of 353. Givony posted on X the news of this sharp decline by saying, “Only 106 players entered the 2025 NBA Draft, per the NBA. That’s the lowest number of early-entrants since 2015, down from a peak of 363 (mistype) in 2021, just before the NCAA’s NIL era officially started. Incredible boon for college basketball to retain so much talent.”

There are several reasons why there is such a big difference between the number of players enrolling for the draft, but the most discernible reason seems to be the major change in college basketball rules that was introduced shortly after the 2021 draft. The NIL rule came into effect in July 2021, allowing collegiate athletes to earn money based on their name, image, and likeness. This rule allows many of the best college players to earn massive amounts of money based on their marketability. Players like Cooper Flagg and JT Toppin secured multi-million-dollar deals while playing in college.

Myron Medcalf of ESPN reacted to Givony’s news by appreciating the impact of NIL rules and their impact on the league. Myron replied, “This is the real NIL story. Guys, knowing they don’t have to turn pro to make money. Top earners in CBB making money comparable to late first round picks. Players getting more time to develop. This is a great thing for everyone: players, teams, coaches and the NBA. This matters.” 

Medcalf believes that this change will allow players to have more time to fully develop, which in the end will be beneficial to the NBA. Players being able to earn more than many first-round picks will give them an incentive to stay in college, ensuring that they gain the confidence to keep playing at the highest level, and one day become confident enough to play in the league.

Even though this transformation will result in a longer journey to the NBA, unless you are a sure shot topic like Flagg, this structure will ensure better development for the players. Being able to grow as a player while earning a huge amount of money sure seems like a positive outcome caused by the reformation. 

NIL Rules Impel Texas Tech Star To Stay in College 

Texas Tech forward and the Big 12 Player of the Year 2025, JT Toppin, has decided to return to the Red Raiders next season. The 6-foot-9 forward managed to reach the Elite before losing to the eventual champions, Florida. His decision to come back to Lubbock strengthens a roster that had a great run last season. Even though it may seem like Toppin is just rejoining his team, there is a much bigger incentive behind his decision.

The Second-Team All-American forward is expected to receive around $ 4 million next season in NIL earnings, according to Matt Norlander of CBS Sports. Toppin’s expected payout harps on the growing trend of why basketball players are staying back in college. Toppin was expected to be a second-round pick if he entered the draft. Being a second-round pick, Toppin would have earned significantly less money as compared to his speculated deal in college. In previous years, players like Toppin would have been leaning towards staying in the draft for an expected second-round pick. However, the smart decision in today’s game is to make money in college and improve your stock as a pro player. 

There is a growing trend of more and more players like Donovan Dent, Ian Jackson, and Alex Karaban not opting for this season’s draft. This is seen as a big win for college basketball programmes and basketball in general. Being able to retain a player of JT Toppin’s caliber was considered quite difficult not so long ago. This transition will allow more players to spend necessary time developing their skills and increase their chances of being drafted early. We are likely to see lower numbers of entrants like this year in future drafts as players continue benefiting from NIL deals.