The road to the NBA is transforming, as it has throughout its history. The NBA Draft once spanned many rounds and allowed high school prospects, before it switched to 60 picks and the one-and-done rule. An international pool of athletes joined the Americans, before the 2016 draft opened up to college players interested in testing the waters with the possibility of going back.
This year, the NBA announced that 233 players declared — including 58 from the international pool — with the added ability to hire and agent and still maintain college eligibility. That number capped the rapid growth of entrants, from 161 in 2016, to 182 in 2017 and 236 last year.