With the 2020 NBA draft now scheduled to take place on November 18, the league has sent teams a series of revamped guidelines for the pre-draft process, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
With no in-person draft combine taking place this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, 85 prospects will conduct in-market medical exams and testing and will shoot a 45-minute “Pro Day Video” between September 21 and October 16 as part of the first phase of a two-part process, Charania explains.
According to Charania (Twitter link), the plan is for prospects to travel by car to the nearest NBA team market to undergo medical, strength, and agility testing, as well as to take part in eight on-court shooting drills. No team personnel will be permitted at those sessions, as the league will oversee the process and will distribute the info and videos to teams.
Virtual interviews will continue to take place during this time, with teams getting the opportunity to talk to 20 prospects each for 30 minutes apiece, Charania adds.
Charania previously reported that after this first phase of the pre-draft process ends, the expectation is that in-person interviews will be permitted between mid-October and the draft as part of the second phase. Teams reportedly still won’t be able to conduct in-person workouts during that time though.
The annual draft combine had been scheduled to take place in Chicago in May. However, with the coronavirus pandemic still making large in-person gatherings impractical, the NBA has been working for much of the summer on an alternative format that will ensure teams still receive important medical and testing information for most of this year’s top prospects.