The NBA Draft will come a little bit closer to its normal timing in 2021, according to insider Shams Charania.
After the 2020 NBA Draft took place on November 18, 2020, making it the first draft held outside of June since 1975 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Charania says that the scheduling will come back to the summer months. The draft itself will be held on July 29, a little over a month after the draft lottery takes place on June 22. The combine is scheduled for the same week as the lottery.
For fans of teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic, these could be some of the most important days of the entire year. Minnesota currently sits at the bottom of the ladder, with an 11-35 record, though the Pistons (12-33) and the Rockets (13-32) aren't too far behind. The Magic are within reach at 15-31, but their draft stock is especially important to follow over the rest of the season because of what occurred at the trade deadline.
Orlando had a complete fire sale, unloading Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier and Aaron Gordon. Not only did they get draft capital from these moves, including the Bulls' 2021 first-round selection (top-four protected), but they also practically ensured that they'd finish up with a less successful second half given the amount of talent they gave away. Should the Magic begin to fall down the standings, there's no reason they couldn't take the No. 1 pick away from the teams that currently rank below them.
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The format of the NBA Draft is still a question, however. The 2021 NFL Draft, set for April 29-May 1, will be held in Cleveland and will feature a select number of prospects, fans and media members. Depending on how this goes and what the status of the COVID-19 pandemic is later this summer, the NBA Draft could look a number of different ways.
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