The NCAA announced Wednesday that it has extended indefinitely the deadline for college basketball players to withdraw from the NBA draft and retain their college eligibility amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The deadline was June 3, but Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball, said in a statement that it will be extended “with the health and well-being of our student-athletes in mind, along with their ability to make the most informed decisions during this uncertain time.”
Gavitt said in his statement that a new withdrawal date will be set once the league determines a timeline for the 2020 pre-draft process.
The NBA has already postponed the draft combine, which gives potential draftees the opportunity to work out for teams in a group setting. The traditional deadline for withdrawing from the draft and maintaining college eligibility is 10 days after the combine.
On May 1, the NBA board of governors voted to postpone the combine and the draft lottery, both set for May in Chicago. The league hasn’t yet voted to delay the NBA draft set for June 25, but there is an increasing belief that it’s just a matter of time before that happens, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The league is still working on a plan for a potential resumption of play this season.
The NBA’s deadline for withdrawing from the draft and maintaining draft eligibility is currently set for June 15. That deadline is largely for international players.