:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67680570/1278490171.jpg.0.jpg)
On Thursday the NBA and ESPN announced that the details of the 2020 draft have been cemented. November 18. At ESPN’s studios in Bristol, Connecticut. And the most important part, presented by State Farm. Now you’re ready.
Commissioner Adam Silver and Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum will be on hand to rattle off the names. Those expected to be selected high in the draft will join the telecast virtually. Everyone else, well, I don’t know. There’s a finite number of Zoom boxes, I guess.
Now that we know when the draft is we can speculate when the next NBA season will commence.
A couple months ago, the Commish had this to say to ESPN’s Rachel Nichols:
“I’d say Dec. 1, now that we’re working through this season, is feeling a little bit early to me,” Silver said.
“I think our No. 1 goal is to get fans back in our arenas. So my sense is, in working with the players’ association, if we could push back even a little longer and increase the likelihood of having fans in arenas, that’s what we would be targeting.”
As early as November 18, the Phoenix Suns will have at least one new player if not multiple. They came out of last draft with FOUR new players (Dario Saric, Aron Baynes, Cameron Johnson and Ty Jerome).
It doesn’t end there. Oh no, it doesn’t end there.
Word out today is that Christmas, or earlier, is a very likely start date for the beginning of next season.
Full ESPN story on the NBA's push for a pre-Christmas start and plans for a truncated 2020-2021 schedule: https://t.co/psocV5gQBD
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 23, 2020
NBA and NBPA have been in conversations about the Dec. 22 proposal. It’s been important for teams and players to get back on a normal schedule, allow players to receive their summers. Dialogue will continue. https://t.co/EgHrlH2SrZ
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 23, 2020
Per Woj:
The NBA is pursuing a pre-Christmas Day start and a reduced regular-season schedule for the 2020-2021 season, abandoning plans to delay the opening with hopes of incorporating fans back into arenas, sources told ESPN.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA is proposing several changes to next season that include a 72-game regular season, a play-in tournament and the likelihood of no All-Star Game or All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, sources said. The league is considering a two-week break at the midway point of the season, sources said.
So here’s what they are working toward:
- November 18: Draft
- November 26: Thanksgiving holiday
- November 20ish to December 15ish: free agency?
- December 10ish: Training Camps?
- December 18ish: Warm-up scrimmages?
- December 22: Start of 2020-21 season (70 to 72 games)
When does free agency start then??!?!
Good lord this is going to be cray cray. Hang onto your butts!