NBA Draft 2020: 10 biggest pending decisions that affects 2020-21 season
The 2020 NBA Draft may be delayed but it’s still going to happen. Which players from college will have the toughest decisions to make?
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact on all sports but particularly with basketball specifically. The 2020 NCAA Tournament was canceled, while the NBA season has been indefinitely postponed, with the hopes that it’ll start up sometime in June or July. But the impact isn’t just on the court, with the upcoming NBA Draft also in flux.
Normally, the NBA Draft lottery happens in the middle of May, with the draft itself occurring in late June, just before the free-agent frenzy begins in July. However, the 2019-20 season still has yet to be completed. And the teams and front offices would prefer that the games get played out (if they can) before having a real offseason.
Reports and rumors that have come out already have a possible NBA Draft occurring in August, in a complete reordering of the league’s calendar schedule. That has a huge impact on players entering the 2020 draft, whether it’s seniors or underclassmen declaring early. Already, there are rules against having in-person workouts or combines, which are huge for those looking to rise up the big board.
Many players have already declared for the draft, some keeping their options open to return, while others have made it clear that they intend on staying. With this group being perceived as weak, some projected as top-60 or better prospects may have no choice but to stay in.
With so many new variables in play for the next few months (including a possible delayed deadline to declare), many talented NCAA Basketball players have decisions to make that’ll impact the 2020-21 college season. Here’s a look at the 10 biggest decisions that have to be made.