NBA Rumors: Free-Agency Period Might Take Place Before 2020 Draft, Per ‘Philadelphia Inquirer’

May 29, 2020

NBA Rumors: Free-Agency Period Might Take Place Before 2020 Draft, Per ‘Philadelphia Inquirer’

Lorenzo Tanos

With the NBA’s board of governors scheduled to meet on Friday to discuss several matters related to the ongoing suspension of the 2019-20 season, the topic of free agency and this year’s draft are among the topics that might be touched on. If the latest rumors are to be believed, the 2020 offseason might come with an important twist in terms of scheduling, with the free-agency period kicking off before draft day instead of the other way around.

Citing multiple unnamed sources familiar with the situation, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote on Thursday that the 2020 NBA Draft could take place in September instead of June 25 as previously scheduled. Two of these insiders added that the board of governors is also expected to touch base on whether free agency should start before or after the draft. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s free agency period was originally set to begin at 6 p.m. EDT on June 30.

As explained by Pompey, league executives are mostly divided when it comes to the schedule of the draft and free agency, with some preferring to maintain the traditional schedule and others pointing out that starting the latter before the former allows teams to make better personnel decisions.