The 2020 NBA Draft was originally supposed to be held on June 25. However, the league of course didn't expect to be shut down due to an ongoing pandemic. For that reason, it was unknown what exactly the 2020 draft would look like.
Well, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recently held separate conference calls with team owners and general managers to discuss a plan for the return of the postponed season. According to Sam Amico of Sports Illustrated, the league is targeting a September 25 date for the draft. This comes after July 31 was penciled as the ideal return resumption of play.
While none of these dates are final, it's clear that the league is taking great strides in ensuring the return of basketball. Additionally, the June 3 date for early entry candidates to withdraw has also been pushed back, though the new date has not yet been announced.
If the draft does return in September, it's unlikely that things will be done as they normally are. Per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the league has also discussed the possibility of starting free agency before the draft.
Along with the draft, the league office has also postponed the draft lottery and the annual NBA Combine — both of which were originally scheduled for May.
Other leagues like the NFL have had to alter their draft due to COVID-19 as they held their draft remotely from various locations across the country rather than in person like its usually done. It's unknown whether the NBA will adopt a similar approach when approaching the draft.
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