Don't Expect an NBA Age-Limit Bump ... Yet

Earlier, the Charlotte News-Observer reported the NBA and NCAA will have a joint press conference Monday to announce a bump in the NBA's age-limit from 19 to 20 years old, and FanHouse's Sportz Assassin explained why he is in favor of the move here. However, don't expect this announcement to actually happen tomorrow. A few reasons:

1. The NCAA has nothing to do with the age limit. Myles Brand can wish wish wish to his heart's content, but he has no role in "negotiating" a bump in the age limit with the NBA. The rule is for the NBA and its player association to decide, just as it was in 2006. Which brings us to the real reason this isn't happening...
2. The NBA's collective bargaining agreement isn't up for negotiation until 2010-11. The bump in the limit will happen, I'd bet -- but not until 2011. It's an important issue to David Stern, but not one he'd be willing to trot out (as a controversial topic) on the eve of possibly the greatest postseason in modern NBA history. He could presumably have negotiated this into the CBA, but then the player's union would be a party to the press conference, not the NCAA.

My intuition tells me the announcement will instead be about a plan to retake youth basketball from the sneaker companies, which was reported by the Indianapolis Business Journal to be in negotiations in March. Announcing the formation of either a national youth organization run by the NBA and NCAA (or USA Basketball) or a major basketball academy for teenaged stars-in-waiting would provide a ton of great press on the morning of the National Championship game.