UNDATED — The ability of college athletes to cash in on their collegiate fame has led to fewer players jumping early to the NBA draft.
Eighty-two players appeared on the list of early entrants primarily from American colleges along with other teams for Wednesday night's opening day of the 2025 NBA Draft. That's down from 162 in 2024.
Additionally, 46 early college entrants and international players stayed in the draft after withdrawal deadlines. That's down from 77 last year.
College athletes were permitted to profit on their name, image and likeness (NIL) in July 2021. This week's draft begins days before the start of revenue sharing for schools to pay athletes directly.
