NBA Teams Asking for More Time to Prepare for 2020 NBA Draft

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic had a breakthrough in the NBA, the league has been turned upside down. Early on last month, the NBA went into a sudden hiatus after a member of the Utah Jazz tested positive for the coronavirus.

Since then, the NBA has been forced to make some drastic changes. With the playoffs not in play and NBA players forbidden from practicing together, NBA owners also want to see a change in plans for the 2020 NBA Draft as well.

While teams will have the opportunity to meet with prospects through a virtual platform, owners, scouts, and coaches aren't satisfied. They want to be able to conduct in-person workouts, interviews, and medical examinations if possible, according to a report from ESPN.

While there's a chance all of the above could be possible by the time June rolls around, top league executives seem to believe there's a slim shot of that being the case. Therefore, NBA teams prefer if the draft could get pushed back further than June 25th. 

At the moment, NBA teams do not have the desired date in mind. However, no earlier than August 1st would be 'flexible,' according to the report.

"An Aug. 1 date would be flexible, based on whether the league restarts and advances the regular season and playoffs through the summer. In that case, most envision a September draft and free-agency period based on a season that concludes around Labor Day weekend." 

So far, there's no word yet on how NBA officials view the situation. As NBA Commissioner Adam Silver mentioned the other night, he can't really get a grip on anything schedule-wise until at least May 1st. For the time being, everything is 'what-if' scenarios. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_