NBA Sets New 2020 Lottery, Draft Dates
The NBA has rescheduled its 2020 draft lottery for August 25 and the draft for October 15, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). The two events had initially been scheduled to take place on May 19 and June 25, respectively.
The NBA announced just over a month ago that the lottery would be postponed indefinitely, but hadn’t yet put out any official statements on the draft. With the league planning to resume play in July, there was little doubt that the draft would have to be rescheduled as well. It’s now set to take place shortly after the resumed season is scheduled to end — based on reported information, the draft could happen just three days after Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Although we now have set dates for two of the biggest events on the NBA’s draft calendar, we’re still awaiting info on other events and deadlines. For instance, the draft combine had been scheduled to take place last month after the lottery. It remains to be seen whether the league will still try to hold a combine in August or September, perhaps in a revamped form.
Additionally, the NCAA has indefinitely postponed the deadline for early entrants to withdraw their names and maintain their college eligibility. That deadline was originally June 3 — it now seems likely it’ll be moved to sometime in the late summer as well. That will complicate the decision-making process for players still testing the waters and for colleges waiting on those players’ decisions, since the new academic year will be starting around that time.
We’re also waiting on official word on how the NBA’s draft lottery odds will work. As Hoops Rumors reported on Wednesday, the eight teams not included in the NBA’s restart this summer are expected to be locked into the top eight lottery slots. However, it remains unclear exactly how the 9-14 spots will be handled and how the league will deal with teams playing an uneven amount of games.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NBA Restart Notes: BoG Vote, Player Salaries, More
The NBA’s Board of Governors are expected to approve Adam Silver‘s return-to-play plan today, despite the fact that some of the teams left out of the 22-team return disagree with the league’s solution, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Those teams still intend to vote in favor of the plan, Wojnarowski notes.
While it’s not clear whether team owners will unanimously approve the 22-team proposal, only three-quarters support is required (ie. 23 out of 30 votes), and it’s “expected to clear that hurdle with ease,” Wojnarowski writes.
Here’s more on the NBA’s restart:
- John Hollinger of The Athletic poses a few questions related to the NBA’s 22-team plan, noting that we still haven’t heard many specifics on how the league plans to test for and handle COVID-19. As Hollinger points out, the issue of whether every team – including the bottom eight – will be permitted to make roster moves before the offseason is also an important one, since some clubs may want to sign players to multiyear deals.
- With only 22 of 30 teams set to resume play, there will be a significant gap in how many regular season games teams like the Timberwolves (64) and Mavericks (75) end up playing. Dan Feldman of NBC Sports wonders how the NBA and NBPA will determine what portion of their 2019/20 salaries players on those teams have to forfeit — on one hand, players from the bottom eight teams didn’t ask not to play this summer, but they won’t be assuming any of the risk the players going to Orlando will.
- To further complicate matters, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets that he has heard the eight pre-playoff games this summer will be referred to as “seeding games” rather than regular season games.
Knicks Plan To Interview Mike Woodson For Head Coach Job
Former New York head coach Mike Woodson is among the candidates the Knicks plan to interview when the team officially launches its head coaching search, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
Woodson, who also previously served as the head coach of the Hawks, was the lead man on the Knicks’ bench for two-plus seasons from 2012-14. During his time as New York’s head coach, Woodson led the club to a 109-79 (.580) regular season record, making the playoffs twice and winning a series in 2013 — that was the last time the Knicks appeared in the postseason.
A Creative Artists Agency client, Woodson has a connection with new Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose, who previously worked at CAA, notes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Woodson also interviewed for the Knicks’ head coaching job in 2018, but lost out to David Fizdale.
Multiple reports within the last couple weeks have indicated that Tom Thibodeau is believed to be the frontrunner for the Knicks’ head coaching vacancy. However, Kenny Atkinson and current interim head coach Mike Miller are also expected to be interviewed.
Before reporting the Knicks’ intentions to meet with Woodson, Begley wrote earlier today that the club’s plan is to meet with more candidates than just Thibodeau, Atkinson, and Miller.
New York’s head coaching search hasn’t formally begun, but that could happen soon — if the NBA’s 22-team resumption format is approved, as expected, it will effectively end the Knicks’ season, clearing a path for the franchise to begin handling offseason business.
Warriors Notes: Adams, Wiggins, Haliburton, More
Warriors assistant coach Ron Adams transitioned into a new role this year, traveling with the team less and stepping away from coaching on the bench as he assumed more player development responsibilities. As he tells Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, Adams found that transition challenging at times.
“I think when you’re used to being in the fight and you’re not in the fight, that adjustment is a hard one,” Adams said. “But having said that, I enjoyed the year. … Change is difficult, especially when you’ve done the same thing for a number of years, as I have. But it was probably necessary. We have a lot of good young coaches; they need to develop. And hopefully, I can be a part of that process. But yes, not being in the fight was difficult.”
Adams, who signed a one-year contract with the Warriors last summer, expressed interest in returning to the team for the 2020/21 season, despite the fact that he’ll turn 73 years old later this year.
“I would like to come back, yeah,” he told Kawakami. “I have no reason not to. I want to be involved.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- During his conversation with Kawakami, Adams offered some interesting insights on a number of Warriors players, including newly-acquired forward Andrew Wiggins, whom Adams referred to as “a really, really outstanding all-around player,” specifically praising his defense. “I was elated to get him into our program,” Adams said of Wiggins. “I think he’s a star player. I think he’s gonna flourish with more shooting on the floor. But I was personally really happy with the all-around nature of his game and what he showed in that regard more so that his scoring, even.”
- Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle has heard that the Warriors have Tyrese Haliburton ranked as the top point guard on their 2020 draft board, ahead of LaMelo Ball, Killian Hayes, Cole Anthony, and others. Letourneau says he expects Golden State to “seriously consider” Haliburton if the team is drafting between No. 2 and 5.
- Elsewhere in his mailbag, Letourneau discusses whether the Warriors would consider trading Draymond Green, why the team reopened its practice facility even though its season likely over, and whether Marc Gasol is a realistic target in free agency.
Pistons Notes: Prince, GM Candidates, Offseason
As the Pistons get their search for a general manager underway, Eric Woodyard of ESPN (Twitter link) hears from multiple sources that the team hasn’t requested to interview Tayshaun Prince. Currently the VP of basketball affairs for the Grizzlies, Prince was part of Detroit’s 2004 championship team and there was speculation he’d be a GM candidate, but he wasn’t on the team’s initial interview list, according to Woodyard.
As for candidates who might actually be on the Pistons’ list, sources tell Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (Twitter link) that former Phoenix GM Ryan McDonough, former Atlanta GM Wes Wilcox, and current Clippers assistant GM Mark Hughes are among those receiving some consideration. However, Bondy cautions that the search will likely be “extensive,” so that list is far from exhaustive.
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- With the Pistons’ season on the verge of coming to an end, Rod Beard of The Detroit News takes a player-by-player look at some of the offseason decisions facing the franchise. Only Blake Griffin, Derrick Rose, Luke Kennard, Sekou Doumbouya have fully guaranteed salaries for next season, though as Beard notes, it’s a safe bet that a few other players will be back.
- In his latest mailbag, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com addresses the timeline for the Pistons’ GM search and how the team will handle not being part of the NBA’s resumption, among other topics.
- Earlier this afternoon, we passed along word that the Pistons are becoming the 29th of 30 NBA teams to reopen their practice facility for individual player workouts — they’ll do so on Thursday.
H. Jones, Goodwin, French Withdrawing From Draft
After testing the 2020 NBA draft waters, Alabama forward Herb Jones has decided to withdraw his name and return to school for his senior season, he announced today in a press release.
Jones, who declared for the draft in March, averaged 7.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 2.3 APG for the Crimson Tide in 27 games (26.5 MPG) as a junior in 2019/20. He was one of three Alabama underclassmen to enter the draft — Kira Lewis is expected to keep his name in, while John Petty continues to test the waters.
Meanwhile, a pair of Saint Louis early entrants have also decided to pull out of the 2020 draft pool. According to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter links), both Jordan Goodwin and Hasahn French have informed them that they’re withdrawing their names and heading back to school for their senior years.
Goodwin was Saint Louis’ leading scorer with 15.5 PPG, while French chipped in 12.4 PPG. Both players averaged double-doubles, with an impressive 10.4 RPG apiece.
Today, June 3, was originally scheduled to be the NCAA’s deadline for early entrants to withdraw from the 2020 NBA draft and maintain their college eligibility. However, that deadline was pushed back indefinitely. While players like Jones, Goodwin, and French are making their decisions now, other prospects who are testing the waters should still have several more weeks or months to weigh their options.
Pistons Reopening Practice Facility
The Pistons are reopening their practice facility, the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center, for voluntary individual workouts starting on Thursday, the team announced today in a press release. The club describes it as “phase one” of a full reopening process.
The decision comes in the wake of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer lifting the state’s stay-at-home order and allowing certain athletic practices to be conducted.
A report earlier this week indicated that the Pistons still didn’t plan on reopening their facility before June 12, but it seems the team reconsidered that plan, despite the fact that it won’t get a chance to resume its season this summer.
With the Pistons set to open their doors on Thursday, 29 of 30 NBA teams will have reopened their respective practice facilities for individual workouts. Only the Spurs have yet to announce plans for when they’ll allow workouts at their building.
How NBA’s Summer Schedule May Work
With only 22 of 30 teams returning to action this summer and playing just eight games apiece, the NBA will have to revamp the remainder of its regular season schedule. According to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), the league’s plan is for teams to continue their previous schedule when play resumes, skipping over bottom-eight clubs when they come up on the schedule.
[RELATED: Details On NBA’s Return-To-Play Plan]
For instance, when the season was suspended, the Lakers‘ next seven games were scheduled to be against Houston, Denver, Utah (twice), Charlotte, Detroit, and Toronto. Based on Goodwill’s report, the Lakers’ first five games when play resumes could be against the Rockets, Nuggets, Jazz (twice), and Raptors.
While that plan will work for some clubs, it will require tweaking in other cases — for example, the Magic‘s upcoming schedule would call for them to play Boston in their sixth and eighth games, but the Celtics have eight games against top-22 teams on their schedule before that first matchup with Orlando.
As Goodwill acknowledges (via Twitter), playing out the previously-scheduled games won’t work for every team, so the NBA is expected to use the original schedule as a guide, using an algorithm to fill in gaps or imbalances.
The approach makes sense, since it should help the league avoid a scenario in which teams that had already completed their regular-season matchups against one another square off again. It should also result in some important games among teams fighting for the playoffs. For example, the Nets and Magic could end up playing each other twice, while the Grizzlies may face the Pelicans twice.
International Notes: Cole, Dekker, Italian NBA Players
After signing Guerschon Yabusele earlier this week, French team ASVEL Basket is bringing aboard another former NBA player, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed veteran guard Norris Cole to a two-year deal.
A two-time NBA champion with Miami, Cole appeared in 360 career regular season NBA games from 2011-17 for the Heat, Pelicans, and Thunder. He has played in international leagues since then, spending time in Israel, Italy, and Montenegro before joining ASVEL this week.
Here are more international updates from around the basketball world:
- Former NBA first-round pick Sam Dekker, who spent the 2019/20 season playing for Lokomotiv Kuban, has parted ways with the Russian club and is now a free agent, the team announced (Twitter link). Formerly of the Rockets, Clippers, Cavaliers, and Wizards, Dekker was Lokomotiv Kuban’s averaged 13.1 PPG and 5.3 RPG in 10 EuroCup games, with 11.4 PPG and 4.9 RPG in 19 VTB United League contests.
- In an interesting story for ESPN.com, Baxter Holmes takes an in-depth look at how the NBA’s international players have handled the last three months, with many of them far removed from their home countries where friends and family members may have been affected by COVID-19. As Holmes details, Pelicans forward Nicolo Melli says he’s become closer with Spurs guard Marco Belinelli, and Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari – the NBA’s other two active Italian players – by staying in frequent contact during the pandemic.
- In case you missed it, former NBAers Jeremy Pargo and Malcolm Delaney are joining teams in Israel and Italy, respectively.
Details On NBA’s Return-To-Play Plan
After suspending the 2019/20 season on March 11 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA has now finalized a plan for resuming play.
We’ll use the space below to round up all the details on that plan, answering the most commonly-asked questions and updating the story with more information as it becomes available.
This post can be found anytime on the right-hand of our desktop site under “Hoops Rumors Features” or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu.
Has the NBA officially approved a return-to-play plan?
The NBA’s Board of Governors approved the plan on June 4, nearly unanimously. The National Basketball Players Association also signed off on June 5.
There were a few more details to sort out after that, and a number of players have expressed reservations about the plan, but it’s moving forward. The NBA and NBPA announced a finalized agreement on June 26.
When will the NBA resume play?
The season will resume on July 30. Teams are scheduled to travel to Orlando starting on July 7 and will have training camps, followed by three exhibition games, before July 30. More details on the schedule can be found here and here.
Where will the return-to-play take place?
All games will be played at Walt Disney World in Orlando. The massive property has more than enough space to house teams, and the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex has the necessary facilities for basketball games.
Games will be played without fans in attendance at The Arena, HP Field House, and Visa Athletic Center, per ESPN. Teams will stay at the Gran Destino, Grand Floridian, and Yacht Club resorts.
How many teams will return to complete the 2019/20 season?
Twenty-two teams will participate. Those teams are as follows:
- The current Eastern Conference playoff teams (8):
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Toronto Raptors
- Boston Celtics
- Miami Heat
- Indiana Pacers
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Brooklyn Nets
- Orlando Magic
- The current Western Conference playoff teams (8):
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Denver Nuggets
- Utah Jazz
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Houston Rockets
- Dallas Mavericks
- Memphis Grizzlies
- The teams within six games of a playoff spot (6):
- Portland Trail Blazers
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Sacramento Kings
- San Antonio Spurs
- Phoenix Suns
- Washington Wizards
The Hornets, Bulls, Knicks, Pistons, Hawks, Cavaliers, Timberwolves, and Warriors won’t be part of the NBA’s restart — their seasons are over.
Why is the NBA bringing back 22 teams instead of 30?
Adding eight more clubs to the mix would mean bringing several hundred additional individuals onto the Disney campus, increasing the risk of spreading COVID-19. The NBA didn’t consider it necessary to bring back those eight teams, who were far removed from the playoff picture and would have had no real path to the postseason had the season played out normally.
So why 22 teams instead of 16 then?
The 22-team format accomplishes two things:
- It allows teams to play a regular season schedule rather than jumping directly to the postseason.
- It will allow the NBA to experiment with a play-in tournament.
The first point is important because players on playoff teams opposed the idea of advancing directly to the postseason without playing meaningful games first. They want to be able to shake off the rest and reestablish their chemistry before jumping into do-or-die games.
Playing regular season games will also allow these 22 teams – who have played between 64 and 67 games so far – to surpass the 70-game mark for the regular season, which is an important threshold for clubs’ agreements with regional TV networks.
Meanwhile, implementing in-season and/or play-in tournaments has long been on Silver’s wish list, and this year’s unusual circumstances presented the league with the opportunity to experiment.
So regular season games will take place when play resumes?
Yes, though they’re technically not being called regular season games. Each team will play eight pre-playoff contests, referred to by the NBA as “seeding games,” for a total of 88 games between July 30 and the start of the playoffs in August.
And will the top eight teams in each conference make the playoffs at that point?
Not necessarily. If the No. 8 seed has more than a four-game lead on the No. 9 seed, then yes, the top eight teams in that conference will automatically make the postseason. On the other hand, if the No. 9 seed is within four games of the No. 8 seed, those two teams will participate in a play-in tournament.
What will that play-in tournament look like?
Essentially, it’ll be a best-of-three series with the No. 8 team getting a 1-0 lead to start. The No. 9 team will have to win twice to claim the final playoff spot in the conference, while the No. 8 team will only need to win once.
Once the playoff teams are set, will they be reseeded one through 16, regardless of conference?
No, the postseason will assume a traditional format once the No. 8 seeds are set — teams will be divided by Eastern and Western conferences and will play best-of-seven series.
What coronavirus-related protocols will the NBA institute to ensure players’ safety?
Players, coaches, and staffers on the Disney campus are expected to undergo daily COVID-19 testing, or something close to it. Additionally, the NBA has sent out a 113-page letter detailing the health and safety measures being taken. Those protocols are too extensive to list here, but some of them are as follows:
- The plan is to have a maximum of 1,600 people on the campus at a given time. Traveling parties are limited to 37 people per team.
- The NBA will technically allow individuals to leave the campus and return, but is stressing that players shouldn’t do so. Any player that does leave and return is expected to have to quarantine for 10 days.
- Players won’t be permitted to bring guests (likely family members) to the campus until after the first round of the playoffs and are expected to be limited to three guests apiece. More details on the restrictions facing guests can be found here.
- The NBA is establishing an anonymous hotline that will allow individuals on the Orlando campus to report those who are violating social-distancing and safety guidelines. If a player is found to be violating those guidelines, he could be subject to a warning, fine, suspension, and/or even removal from the campus.
What happens if a player tests positive for COVID-19?
A single positive test won’t shut down the season, as it did in March when Rudy Gobert contracted the coronavirus. The expectation is that a player who tests positive will be required to self-quarantine for at least 10-to-14 days, with his teammates being frequently tested as they continue to play.
What if a player doesn’t want to participate due to safety concerns?
A player who chooses not to report to Orlando won’t face a fine or suspension. However, he also won’t be paid for the games he misses, and will forfeit 1/92.6th of his salary for those games. His team has the option of signing a “substitute player” to replace him. So far, a handful of players have voluntarily opted out, including Lakers guard Avery Bradley, Wizards forward Davis Bertans, and Trail Blazers forward Trevor Ariza.
How late will the season run?
If the NBA Finals go a full seven games, the last game will happen no later than October 13.
When will next season start?
The NBA is tentatively targeting November 10 for the start of next season’s training camps, with December 1 representing the target date for opening night of the regular season. In other words, a team that plays in the Finals may have to report to training camp less than a month later.
That timeline is not yet set in stone. Given how much of its revenues are tied to ticket sales and in-arena purchases, the NBA will prioritize getting fans back into arenas next season, so if the league has to wait a little longer to ensure that happens, it will likely do so.
Additionally, the NBPA – whose members may not love the idea of such a short offseason – will have to approve those proposed dates, and the union reportedly views a December 1 tip-off date for 2020/21 as unlikely.
Will the NBA play a full season in 2020/21? Will that schedule change be permanent?
That’s TBD. Everything we’ve heard suggests the NBA is still prioritizing playing a full 82-game schedule next season, in part to attempt to recoup some of this season’s lost revenues. The idea of starting the regular season in December and having it run into June (with the playoffs ending in August) has been popular in some NBA circles, but the league hasn’t committed to changing its calendar on a permanent basis.
One report has indicated the league would like to hold the 2021 Finals in mid-July, in part to allow players to participate in the Tokyo Olympics, which are scheduled to begin on July 23, 2021.
When will this year’s draft and free agency period occur?
The 2020 draft has been rescheduled for October 16. Free agency is expected to open just two days later, on October 18. It’s shaping up to be an extremely hectic week for the NBA, especially if the Finals go a full seven games and end on October 13.
Player option decision dates, salary guarantee dates, trade exception expiry dates, and various other deadlines will be pushed back as well to coincide with the new calendar. For instance, a trade exception that would previously have expired on July 6 will now expire on October 23.
How will the draft lottery odds be determined?
The draft lottery – rescheduled for August 20 – will be made up of the eight teams not involved in the league’s restart and the six teams that don’t make the postseason. Those teams’ lottery seeds and odds will be based on their records through March 11, according to the NBA.
Those seeds and odds can be found here, but will be subject to change if a current playoff team loses its No. 8 seed to a current lottery team. For instance, if if the Wizards were to beat the Magic in a play-in tournament, the Suns, Spurs, Kings, Pelicans, and Trail Blazers would all move up a spot in the lottery standings, Orlando would get the 14th spot in those lottery standings, and the Wizards would draft 15th overall.
The rest of the draft order will be based on the 16 playoff teams’ combined records across regular season games and “seeding games.” For instance, the Heat (41-24) are currently projected to draft 23rd, but if they go 1-7 when play resumes, they’ll likely move up in the draft.
How will players’ salaries and next season’s salary cap be impacted by the NBA’s plan?
That remains unclear. By playing 88 more regular season games, the NBA will ensure that many of its teams surpass the 70-game threshold and fulfill regional TV contracts, which is good news for the league’s financial situation.
Players – who are currently having 25% of their pay checks withheld – will still be required to forfeit a portion of their 2019/20 salaries as a result of the 171 regular season games that will end up being canceled. But there’s a belief they’ll begin receiving their full pay checks at some point this summer.
As for how the 2020/21 salary cap will be affected, that will require some negotiation between the NBA and NBPA and will hinge in part on how significantly the league expects next season’s revenues to be impacted by the pandemic. There’s a belief that neither the league nor the union will want the cap to drop off substantially this offseason, so artificially smoothing it could be the most logical solution.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.