2020 NBA Draft: Date, time, pick order, top prospects and all you need to know about first-ever virtual NBA event
It is officially offseason mode for the NBA right now. The Los Angeles Lakers trounced the Miami Heat and took home the trophy. It was a different sort of season, not just for the NBA, but for the sports tournaments across the world due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. While the normal timeline has seen a major shift, the order of proceedings leading up to the new season will go as usual. The draft will take place first and will be followed by the free agency.
The 2020 NBA Draft will kickstart the much-anticipated new season and here's everything we know so far.
When is it?
The 2020 NBA Draft will be held on November 18. This is the first time the draft will be held later than June. ESPN and the NBA announced that ESPN’s Bristol, Conn. studios will host the virtual 2020 NBA Draft on November 18, Wednesday at 7 pm ET. The event will air live on ESPN, ESPN Radio, and the ESPN App.
How does it work this year?
Aside from the fact that it is a virtual event. The rest of the format remains the same. The Draft will comprise of two rounds with 30 picks each and the first 14 are reserved for teams that did not make the playoffs in the recently concluded season. The rest of the first round will then have an order that is based on teams' records the previous regular season. There is also no lottery process for the second round and the order is strictly based on the last season standings on the points table.
Minnesota Timberwolves have the No. 1 Pick
The Timberwolves have the top pick by winning the 2020 Draft Lottery back in August. This is the second time in franchise history that they have had the No. 1 overall pick. The last time it happened in 2015, they selected two-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns.
Complete order
First-round
1. Minnesota
2. Golden State
3. Charlotte
4. Chicago
5. Cleveland
6. Atlanta
7. Detroit
8. New York
9. Washington
10. Phoenix
11. San Antonio
12. Sacramento
13. New Orleans
14. Boston from Memphis
15. Orlando
16. Portland
17. Minnesota from Brooklyn
18. Dallas
19. Brooklyn from Philadelphia
20. Miami
21. Philadelphia from Oklahoma City
22. Denver from Houston
23. Utah
24. Milwaukee from Indiana
25. Oklahoma City from Denver
26. Boston
27. New York from LA Clippers
28. Los Angeles Lakers
29. Toronto
30. Boston from Milwaukee
Second-round
31. Dallas from Golden State
32. Charlotte from Cleveland
33. Minnesota
34. Philadelphia from Atlanta
35. Sacramento from Detroit
36. Philadelphia from New York
37. Washington from Chicago
38. New York from Charlotte
39. New Orleans from Washington
40. Memphis from Phoenix
41.San Antonio
42. New Orleans
43. Sacramento
44. Chicago from Memphis
45. Orlando
46. Portland
47. Boston from Brooklyn
48. Golden State from Dallas
49. Philadelphia
50. Atlanta from Miami
51. Golden State from Utah
52. Sacramento from Houston
53. Oklahoma City
54. Indiana
55. Brookly from Denver
56. Charlotte from Boston
57. LA Clippers
58. Philadelphia from Los Angeles Lakers
59. Toronto
60. New Orleans from Milwaukee
Top Prospects
Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman and LaMelo Ball are the prime pick the sides will be looking at. The trio seems to have separated themselves from the rest of the pack.
Watch this space for more updates on the 2020 NBA Draft.