Given the uncertain nature of how the 2020 NBA draft will transpire due to the coronavirus crisis, teams are preparing to go through the scouting process via Skype interviews and based on prior in-person interviews, says CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein (Twitter link).
As we relayed on Friday, the June 25 draft may be pushed back, since the NBA still wants to resume its 2019/20 season. Per the report, the draft is not a high priority for the league as it weighs all options and works through potential scenarios for the suspended season.
“The draft is the last thing on their list,” one executive told ESPN. “We saw it in the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations in 2016. They never even got to (the draft). Revenue drivers will come first, and then we’ll see what happens with the draft after all that gets figured out. It might be a while.”
It’s an unusual scenario for the league and this year’s prospects, as the outbreak will reduce the capability of further scouting the players in person. However, given the fluidity of the situation, it’s unclear if and when the process can resume with normalcy.