Potential Timelines for NBA Draft and Free Agency Revealed in Latest Report
By Alexander Wolz
June is typically the month where the NBA is in full swing. The NBA Finals extravaganza takes us through the beginning of the month, while the Draft and free agency gear fans up for the fun of the summer months.
But with the now two-month long hiatus due to the coronavirus, those timelines were certainly bound to change, and it appears we may have our first look at what the NBA may be doing instead.
Amid so much chatter about the dizzying number of schedule/playoff structure formats flying around the NBA this week:
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 26, 2020
Some teams expect the NBA Draft to now land in September ... with forecasts of free agency starting as late as Oct. 1
The line, of course, may keep moving
According to Marc Stein, the NBA Draft is now expected to be in September, with free agency kicking off in October, as the league implicitly acknowledges it will not begin its season on time. While the Orlando restart looks to open with the new-look playoffs, completing five- or seven-game series like the league wants will certainly push the clock back a few months.
The question then becomes, how will these dates impact the start of next season? While the NBA typically begins in October, that would be out of the question with these dates. Everything does point to a Christmastime restart, which would benefit all parties (and allow the potential for fans in the stands.
ESPN Sources: As ownership support grows for the idea, NBA and Board of Governors continued discussions on Friday about delaying start of 2020-2021 season until December. https://t.co/wkYUyxjPtQ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 1, 2020
It all seems to be adding up now for the NBA.
The NBA and its players are set on resuming the 2019-2020 season whenever possible, but the implications of that decision on next season are becoming increasingly apparent. Even if a few month pushback is the case, it is certainly worth it to crown a champion for this season without any asterisks, and bring basketball onto our television screens again.