As the NBA grapples with how best to resume the 2019-20 season, it is also concerned with how the coronavirus pandemic will impact next year.
Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported the draft is expected to be held sometime in September. Pompey also reported the board of governors will discuss whether to hold free agency ahead of the draft:
Several league sources said the 2020 draft is expected to be pushed back from June 25 to early September. Two of the sources also said the board of governors would also discuss whether the upcoming free-agency period should be moved ahead of the draft. Free agency for the 2020-21 season will be moved from the scheduled start of 6 p.m. June 30.
There have been discussions about experimenting with having free agency before the draft this offseason. The National Basketball Players Association would have to agree to such a move, according to a source.
Such an experiment would seem fitting for the upcoming offseason, particularly considering NBA scouts simply have not been afforded the opportunity to scout prospective draftees.
Plenty of NBA teams rely on postseason play to inform their opinions of collegiate players. But with the cancelation of both conference tournaments and the NCAA Tournament, front offices have had to rely on prior game tape.
Additionally, there is an ability for teams to host potential draftees for individual workouts. Perhaps most consequently, the NBA might not be able to hold the draft combine.
Holding free agency ahead of the draft might give front offices the chance to plug positional needs, given there is a certain feeling of “blindness” entering this draft.
But at the same time, the salary cap for next season has yet to be determined, and most teams will likely enter the summer with little cap space.
There are plenty of logistical details that still must be sorted out.
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