Report: NBA exploring idea of pushing back the draft
The NBA Draft may be moved back by a week. (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
The NBA is considering moving its annual draft back a week, according to a USA Today report. A person with "direct knowledge of discussions between the league and its TV partners" said there is ongoing talks between the NBA and ABC/ESPN and Turner Broadcasting about pushing the draft back a week.
The NBA believes that if there were a greater gap between the conclusion of the NBA Finals and the draft, the league could create more buzz about incoming players in hopes of making the draft a bigger event. According to the report, the NBA feels that there is a hangover effect from the Finals which suppresses some of the drama of the draft.
The NBA and its current TV partners have a contract that will expire after the 2015-16 season but both parties have been negotiating through the NBA playoffs in hopes of landing a new TV deal. Pushing the draft back, however, will delay the start of the free agency period into August.
