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Philadelphia 76ers: Will the 2020 NBA Draft Eventually Be Postponed?

The Philadelphia 76ers found out on Friday that the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery and the 2020 NBA Combine have been postponed. Will the same happen for the 2020 NBA Draft?
Justin Grasso|
Philadelphia 76ers: Will the 2020 NBA Draft Eventually Be Postponed?
Philadelphia 76ers: Will the 2020 NBA Draft Eventually Be Postponed?

With so much uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA and the rest of the pro sports world are facing so many unknowns at the moment. Nearly two months ago, the NBA made a call to temporarily put the 2019-2020 season on hold right after the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Detroit Pistons.

Since then, there hasn't been any clear-cut progress made towards bringing the season back. And in addition to that, the events that were previously scheduled for the end of May are getting postponed as well at this point.

On Friday, the NBA held another Board of Governors conference call to discuss essential league topics. Since the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery and the 2020 NBA Combine were set to take place in Chicago later on this month, the league had to vote on whether the events should go on as scheduled, get rescheduled, or canceled out entirely.

To no surprise, the league concluded that postponing both events to a later date was the most logical decision. Now with both draft-related events getting pushed back to June at the earliest, what will happen with the actual 2020 NBA Draft?

Right now, the league hasn't decided. While the NBA Draft was a topic on Friday's call, the association isn't ready to officially postpone the main event just yet, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Considering the NFL's 2020 virtual draft was a success, the NBA could potentially try and conduct something similar for the original June 25th date.

However, that's not the likely scenario. Weeks ago, NBA executives and scouts raised concerns about the lack of workouts and interviews with draft prospects. Therefore, many are pushing for a later date for the draft -- sometime in August or September, according to The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor. 

While the NBA wasn't ready to make an official call on the status of the draft this past Friday, Wojnarowski reported that "sources still expect [postponement] will still be done." 

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

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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