With multiple weeks to decide whether to stay in the draft or withdraw, a whopping 195 players have filed as early-entry candidates for the 2024 NBA draft.
There are 60 total picks in the NBA draft, with second-round selections signing non-guaranteed contracts.
Players who have applied for early entry maintain the right to withdraw from consideration no later than 5 p.m. ET on June 16. Under NCAA rules, in order to retain college basketball eligibility, college players who have entered the draft face an earlier deadline of May 29.
Seniors are listed with early-entry prospects because of the existing COVID-era eligibility rule granting players an additional season if they were enrolled during the pandemic.
It’s not uncommon for large numbers of players to “test” the draft process with plans to return.
College basketball All-Americans in 2023-24 — Zach Edey (Purdue), Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois), Kyle Filipowski (Duke) and Jamal Shead (Houston) — were in the 2023 NBA draft class one year ago, but all opted to return to college before the May deadline and helped their teams to the Sweet 16 in the 2024 NCAA tournament.
Among the list of early entrants this year is freshman Bronny James (USC), the son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
Shannon used his COVID year of eligibility last season and is not among the early-entry prospects.
The first round of the NBA draft is scheduled for June 26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The second round will be June 27 at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York.
