The NBA is moving forward with plans to hold the 2021 draft combine in person after having to conduct a virtual combine in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).
When the NBA previously announced its plans for the combine, it cautioned that the pre-draft event would be subject to “evolving public health conditions.” Those conditions will certainly still be monitored and considered, but for now, the outlook for an in-person combine looks good.
According to Charania, the plan is for the combine – which is scheduled for June 21-27, as we detailed on Tuesday – to return to Chicago and to take place at Wintrust Arena and Marriott Marquis. It will include the following:
- Team interview sessions
- Shooting drills
- Half-court drills
- Five-on-five games
- Strength/agility testing
- Player measurements
- Medicals
According to Charania, a total of 10 personnel members per team will be permitted to attend the on-court portion of the combine, which is consistent with the guidelines from 2019. Up to six team personnel members will be allowed to attend in-person interviews with prospects, Charania adds.
With over a month to go until the combine begins, we’re still a few weeks away from getting a clear idea of which players will be in attendance. The NBA typically sends out invites to about 60-to-80 top prospects after getting feedback from teams on which players they want to see. Often, players who project to be top-five picks will only participate in a portion of the combine or skip the event altogether because they’re comfortable with their expected draft position.