An Empirical Study of Marginal Value Obtained Through Additional Years of College in Professional Basketball Players

The NBA instituted a new policy in 2006 mandating that players wait one year after graduating high school before declaring themselves eligible for the NBA draft. Since the rule’s creation, there has been constant debate over whether this policy is beneficial for the players. One side argues the extra year of school allows players to further mature and develop prior to signing a professional contract, while the counterargument claims the extra year is a waste of time and resources for a player who will enter the draft within a year anyways. The intent of this paper is to ascertain which factors, outside of on court performance, contribute most to a player’s value in terms of salary and determine the appropriate circumstances in which it is favorable for an athlete to leave school and pursue basketball professionally