How NCAA's NIL boom has affected ... the Miami Heat

"Domestically, you can be eligible if you 1.) are one year removed from high school and 2.) 19-years-old in the same calendar year as the draft. Even if underclassmen attend the draft combine, they can also return to college roughly one month before the draft; typically, there's a set date (this year, it's May 27). There's also a different set of rules for players who come internationally - and, within the last year, some pros overseas have found loopholes to play in college after going through the draft process (i.e., James Nnaji)."

"NIL has significantly decreased the number of early entrants: Players who are fringe top-20/25 picks now have the option to either return to school for seven figures or risk dropping in the draft. In 2025-26, the No. 25 pick had a first-year salary of nearly $3 million. Most power programs can afford that for a top-2/3 player on their roster, which these players, in most cases, would be."

"The 2025 NBA Draft was a premier example. The talent was expected to be far deeper than it was the previous year, although 50 early entrants - such as Labaron Philon, who returned to Alabama, and Yaxel Lendeborg, who transferred to Michigan - withdrew their names; 109 total initially declared, and less than 50 remained (excluding upperclassmen). Betting on yourself doesn't always work, but for those two players, it did."

Name, image, and likeness has expanded across college athletics, affecting current and future student-athletes. NBA draft eligibility differs from the NFL, with domestic players needing to be one year removed from high school and 19 in the draft year, and underclassmen able to return to college shortly before the draft. International players follow different rules, and some have used draft-related pathways to play in college after entering the process. NIL has also reduced the number of early entrants by making it financially attractive to return to school rather than risk a draft drop. Recent draft classes show fewer declared players and a thinner pool than expected, even when withdrawals occur.

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