Who was the last NBA player drafted straight from high school?
The likes of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are some of the notable names who were NBA draftees out of high school. However, a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in 2005 prohibited the drafting of players straight from high school.
Since the 2006 NBA Draft, players who have not spent at least one year post-high school and are below 19 are not eligible for the NBA Draft. The last player who was drafted from high school was Amir Johnson before the rule regarding drafting high-school players was amended .
While many see the agreement as unnecessary, it has helped the general managers of franchises scout and properly evaluate prospects. Several prep-to-pro drafts failed to rise to the occasion in the NBA, which made the association to enforce the new rule.
Taking a look at Amir Johnson's career in the NBA
Although Amir Johnson was not the only player selected straight from high school in the 2005 draft class, he was the last. He was selected by the Detroit Pistons as the 56th overall, and was only 18 at that time.
The 6' 9" forward was straight out of Westchester High School in Los Angeles. Although he was a highly rated player out of high school, he did not find as much success in the NBA.
Johnson is now retired, having played 14 seasons in the NBA. Although he was drafted by the Pistons, he spent more time with the Toronto Raptors during his NBA career.
In his rookie season in the league, Johnson featured in only three games for the Detroit Pistons before he was sent to the NBA Development League. Although he impressed while playing in the D-League, it was more of the same in his sophomore year as he played for Sioux Falls Skyforce for the better part of the 2006-07 season.
The Detroit Pistons decided to re-sign Amir Johnson during the 2007 offseason on a three-year, $12 million contract. However, he spent only two seasons with the Pistons before he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, who sent him to the Raptors a few months later.
Although Amir Johnson was a rotation player for the better part of his NBA career, he was a valuable member of every team he played for, especially in defense. He ended his NBA career averaging seven points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and one block.
Of the nine players in the 2005 NBA Draft class who were drafted from high school, only Louis Williams is still active in the league. He recently re-signed a one-year $5 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks for the 2021-22 NBA campaign.