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The NBA is expected to allow teams to start interviewing prospects in mid-October ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Friday. The NBA had to push back the start date of the 2020 draft to a tentative date of Nov. 18 with teams wanting more of a normal pre-draft process. The pushed back date gives teams more time to conduct interviews with a potential combine to be held at some point before the draft.
The NBA tentatively expects to allow teams to begin conducting in-person interviews with 2020 draft prospects starting in mid-October, sources tell ESPN. For now, there are still no in-person workouts with prospects allowed by teams.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 11, 2020
The Minnesota Timberwolves won the rights to draft No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft Lottery last month. There are a few top prospects at the top of draft boards who could go No. 1 overall, including LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards and Obi Toppin. Along with the NBA draft being pushed back, free agency and the start of the 2020-21 season are both expected to be moved back from their initial projected dates.
There is still no clarity on when the 2020-2021 NBA season will start, but the league has told teams to expect an eight-week advanced notice of a proposed opening night of the season, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 11, 2020
Now Woj is reporting that even that Nov. 18 date could be pushed back depending on how things go. The plan is still to have a virtual draft similar to how the NFL handled things back in April.
The NBA is still tenatively targeting a Nov. 18 draft, but that date could still move, sources tell ESPN. Plans continue to center around a virtual draft setting that would allow teams to have "war rooms" at their facilities, sources said.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 11, 2020